ITV's The 1% Club probes contestant over cheat claims after viewers spot suspicious gesture that gave away answer

A QUIZ show contestant hit back yesterday after viewers accused him of cheating – by rubbing his ears to signal an answer.

Jason Duckett went with wife Rowena to ITV’s The 1% Club, which whittles down the field of 100 until anyone left can try to claim the £100,000 prize.

ITV’s 1% Club quizzes contestant over fraud claims

Jason Duckett was on the show with his wife RowenaCredit: Facebook

The correct answer to one question posed by host Lee Mack was “ear” and “hear” – and Jason was then spotted rubbing both lobes.

Wild online claims sparked an investigation that soon exonerated DJ Jason and lawyer Rowena.

Both were already eliminated when the gestures arrived.

Jason, 36, from Romford, east London, said: “I almost admire the creativity of whoever came up with it because I hadn’t thought of it.

“None of us could get anything. We were both outside. All I was doing was just to kind of calm down.

“If you spin it, you could say my arms are crossed. Was the injury and the hand the answer?”

Lee spoke to the Ducketts on the show, noting that they are husband and wife.

They joked that they preferred their last name to be pronounced “Doo-kay” – as Hyacinth Bucket pronounced hers

“Bouquet” in the sitcom Keeping up Appearances.

One viewer of Saturday’s show tweeted: “Anyone else notice how this guy gives an answer when he touches both of his ears?”

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Another wrote: “Ear ear . . . I think there was a bit of cheating going on in the 1% Club.”

A third added: “A bit naughty of Mr Duckett rubbing his ear.”

The claims had echoes on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? conman Major Charles Ingram who won £1m after being tipped off by a friend who was coughing in the audience.

A spokesman for the 1% Club said: “Any worthwhile show attracts conspiracy theories. But fortunately, the first tests quickly showed that there were no grounds for suspicion.”