BBC audiences have expressed fury over the latest celebrity edition of Mastermind.

The enduring quiz programme typically leaves viewers puzzling over challenging questions - but a recent episode has prompted outrage over the level of difficulty.

The programme has broadcast since 1972 - testing the intellect of both contestants and audiences for decades. However, the 2025 Christmas special has attracted criticism for presenting "easy" questions to the celebrities occupying the iconic black chair.

Last week, the BBC launched a series of festive specials featuring news anchor Maryam Moshiri, singer Chesney Hawkes, comedian Desiree Burch, and podcaster Danny Robins. Yet as the questioning commenced, even the participants seemed taken aback by the simplicity of the queries.

In one general knowledge round, presenter Clive Myrie asked Maryam: "Woof woof and bow wow are representations of the sound made by what domestic pet?" Appearing visibly astonished by the straightforward nature of the question, Maryam correctly responded that it is a dog.

Additional surprisingly elementary questions included "beef is a meat from what farm animals?" and "which cardinal point on a compass is represented by the letter S?"

Meanwhile, Maryam's opening specialist question - concerning the Bridget Jones film franchise - asked her to identify who played the lead role. Audiences were left dismayed by the simplistic questions posed - taking to social media in droves to voice their frustration.

One viewer sarcastically remarked: "Tricky one to start with, who played Bridget Jones?" whilst another fumed: "What a joke.. Mastermind is dumbed down to this level. Now go back and watch The Kypton Factor, or Mastermind from the 70's and 80's to see how tough these shows used to be."

A further disgruntled fan stated: "It's embarrassing to watch the programme. BBC really needs to dump this programme as the Mastermind title is just not appropriate sadly."

Elsewhere, Mastermind audiences were left stunned earlier this year when a previous gameshow champion appeared on the programme and clinched victory.

Teacher John Robinson triumphed in the latest series after racking up an impressive 30 points in the final.

The quiz enthusiast had previously demonstrated his knowledge on ITV's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? back in 2019, securing £500,000. His 2025 Mastermind victory left viewers astonished - and even Robinson himself seemed to struggle believing it.

He confessed on the programme: "I cannot quite believe that I have won the final of Mastermind. I'm not often lost for words, but I think this is one of those occasions where I don't know what to say... I'm just delighted."

Mastermind is available to stream on BBC iPlayer