Louis Theroux struggled to answer Mastermind questions about himself

Virgin Radio

22 Dec 2021, 10:27

That's when you know they're difficult questions!

After a contestant chose Louis Theroux as their specialist subject on Mastermind, the documentary maker revealed even he struggled with some of the answers.

Contestant Laura Ellerton chose Theroux and his career for the specialist subject round.

He posted his reaction on Instagram: "If I’m completely honest, I think I’m going to do really well on it," he insisted, before taking the challenge.

"I am Louis Theroux… so it would be pretty weird if I didn’t have a fairly good grasp of the content."

Questions included the real name of Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, aka Tiger King's Joe Exotic.

Louis managed seven correct answers in total, but admitted it was harder than he thought.

"Those were hard questions! Those were tough," he exclaimed.

"Can I just salute Laura, I thought she did amazingly well… Given that I have the advantage of having lived those documentaries, I was distressingly poor.’

He kindly said he would send a gift to Laura for choosing him as her subject.

She managed six points.

Louis wrote: ‘My documentaries were a subject on a recent episode of Mastermind [sic]. I couldn’t resist having a go.

‘Huge respect to the real life contestant Laura Ellerton for her amazing knowledge – and a free copy of #TherouxTheKeyhole is on its way!’

See how you get on below.

Q. In America’s Most Dangerous Pets, Theroux meets a big cat owner called Joe Schriebvogel, who is better known by what nickname?

A. Joe Exotic 

Q. In the episode Under the Knife, Theroux visits plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills and, having been assured that it’s ‘relatively risk-free’, undergoes what medical procedure.

A. Liposuction

Q. In When Louis met… Paul and Debbie, Debbie McGee gives a telephone interview in the dressing room of Lincoln’s Theatre Royal and uses what informal term for a magician’s assistant? 

A. Box jumper 

Q. When Theroux meets the far-right Aryan Nations Church in Idaho, his guide Jerry Gruidl surprises him by admitting that he enjoys what British television sitcom? 

A. Are You Being Served? 

Q. In the UFOs episode of Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends, what new name had been given to the horse, previously called Lady, that was allegedly ‘killed by flying saucers’?

A. Snippy

Q. According to Theroux’s autobiography, he borrowed the idea for his Weird Weekends from what 1980s television series that he’d watched as a child? 

A. In at the Deep End

Q. In When Louis Met Chris Eubank, the boxer is nominated for what light-hearted award?

A. Rear of the Year

Q. When Theroux is learning to become a rap artist, he visits the Baton Rouge mansion of which rapper who made $361million through his record label No Limit? 

A. Master P

Q. In the episode Gambling in Las Vegas, what’s the name of the butler Theroux meets in the Hilton’s best suite, which is occupied free of charge by a Canadian businessman named Allan? 

A. Rich

Q. When Theroux meets Neil and Christine Hamilton, they show him the pilot episode for what proposed television series, in which they organise a luxurious meal at a stranger’s house? 

A. Posh Nosh 

Q. In Love Without Limits, an episode dealing with polyamorous relationships, Theroux is introduced to what unusual word that means ‘being happy for someone else’s happiness’? 

A. Compersion

Q. Theroux writes in his autobiography that when he contacted celebrities to feature in a second series of When Louis Met…, which UK politician said of himself that he might be too boring? 

A. Norman Tebbit