The real Elton John was due to appear, (Elton has News for You BBC News, 22 May 2001) but pulled out at the last minute. He was replaced by taxi driver Ray Johnson (credited as 'Ray Elton John Son'), who at the time had a side earning as the musician's lookalike. However, Johnson was introduced to the audience as if he genuinely was "Sir Elton John" and kept silent for the whole recording. On-screen captions between rounds were the only part of the show that openly admitted the deception, where the real Elton John was frequently referred to as a "bastard".
