99 to Beat (British game show)

99 to Beat is a British game show where 100 contestants are reduced each round until one person wins the cash prize.

The show is hosted by Adam and Ryan Thomas. It was premiered on ITV on 22 March 2025.

The show was cancelled on 7 August 2025, after one series.

Format 99 to Beat is based on the Belgian TV format Homo Universalis, where 100 contestants compete over the course of an entire season, going head-to-head in a series of ability challenges, with the rule that the person that comes last in the challenge is out of the game show.

At the end of the challenge, the player or team that loses has to leave the competition, counting down from 100 players to just one. In most games, the last person to complete a set task is the loser, while a player may also be eliminated in certain games for being the first person to fail a task, or having a guess furthest away from the exact number. In some games (once per episode in all episodes except the final), contestants are placed into teams of equal size, in which the whole losing team is eliminated, reducing the group even further.

The last contestant remaining wins the prize, which was £25,000.

Contestants + Results (Season 1) Contestant Age Occupation Place Last place in Status Edward Oldfield 45 Cafe worker 100th Sit on an exercise ball blindfolded Eliminated 1st Dilan Kurt 22 Barber 99th Slinky on your forehead Eliminated 2nd Calvin Price 40 Psychic medium 98th Balance a drinks can at a 45° angle Eliminated 3rd Caroline Baxter 47 Letting agent 97th Ping-pong ball on a spoon in your mouth Eliminated 4th Adam 31 FirefighterPartner of Dani G 85th-96thDrainpipe bowling Eliminated 5th Andrew Bailie Buchanan Deb Jayaprakash Ed Jane Kutiwa Julie Kieran Turner Kyle Downie Pam Phill Robert Elwes Les Heyhoe 67 Retired administrator 84th Defrost a frozen T-shirt Eliminated 6th Lisa Jane Russell 50 Beautician WD Withdrewon 22 March 2025 Yae 30 Office administrator 83rd Extract a £2 coin from a piggy bank Eliminated 7th Jodie Crees Wife of Michael WD Withdrewon 22 March 2025 Michael Crees 40 Racing driverHusband of Jodie Janet Thompson 50 Receptionist 82nd Guess the weight of a llama Eliminated 8th Tony 77 Retired retail manager 81st Fit sticky tape in a lunchbox Eliminated 9th Paul Mason 63 Retired civil servant 80th Retract a measuring tape between two lines Eliminated 10th Paul Smailes 60 Paranormal investigator 79th Loop six penne pasta pieces onto spaghetti in your mouth Eliminated 11th Bethany Bradley 66th-78th Domino rally Eliminated 12th Biddy Scanlon 26 Delivery driver Bruno Pinto Charlie M Chelsey Fearon Dan Parfitt Dani G 30 Project co-ordinatorPartner of Adam Ellie Bartle Ian Zippy Mike Adams 64 Retired manager Safyah 29 Financial audit manager Sue Hartley 61 Retired lecturer Tom Paul Oliver 21 Scaffolder 65th Hold a flower in secateurs at shoulder height Eliminated 13th Katy Henry 41 School teacher 64th Giant volleyball match Eliminated 14th Freddie Cashbolt 26 Voice actor 63rd Knock a balloon off with rubber bands Eliminated 15th Ali 34 Teacher 62nd Balance eleven loose nails on top of another nail Eliminated 16th Jeff 74 Retired prison governor 61st Make and throw a paper plane Eliminated 17th Aaron Mukerji 49th-60th Flip pancakes down the line Eliminated 18th Dáire McGill Flex Singh 25 Actor/martial arts Frankie Fitzgerald Georgia Kennon 19 StudentTwin sister of Courtney Kingsley Hamilton 45 Bus driver Louis Moyes 20 Student Megan Holly 24 Content creator Miles Williams Neil Greenwood Nevaeh 19 Retail assistant Surabhi Shubz Bianca Starkie 32 Team leader 48th Guess the number of peas Eliminated 19th Lewis Greenough 20 Graduate 47th Light three tealight candles and place them into tealight holders Eliminated 20th Will Miles 19 Bartender 46th Find the T-shirt with your name on it Eliminated 21st Charlie Hernan 27 Jeweller 41st-45th Find teammates with the same instrument while blindfolded Eliminated 22nd Georgia Gregory-Morris 23 Acupuncturist Shane Yerrell 40 Mayor of Waltham Abbey Will Lawford 21 Escape room manager Will Thomas Amy Morris 20 Finance assistant 40th Peel a potato to produce as long a peel as possible Eliminated 23rd Amir Jardan 39 Fire alarm technician 39th Push off a scooter without stepping off Eliminated 24th Mia Welsh 23 Theatre performer 38th Bounce a pencil into a pot Eliminated 25th Dexter Lartey 30 Maths tutor 37th Fire a champagne cork Eliminated 26th Jake Farrar 27 Cobbler 36th Guess the decade of pop songs Eliminated 27th Beth Derbyshire 31st-35th Balance an egg on a drinks tray with only your index finger Eliminated 28th Jess Waddington 33 Dog walker Omali Hutson 34 Personal trainer Stephen Roberts 40 Railway engineer Yasmin Forbes 31 Model Lydia Wilby 19 Student 30th Knock down a skittle with a wheelie bin Eliminated 29th Kieran Lyall 29 Carpenter 29th Cut a rope at 13.7 metres Eliminated 30th Jay Slater 23 Retail manager 28th Thread a drawstring through a pair of shorts and put them on Eliminated 31st Poonam Sharma 39 Banker 27th Pop two balloons with a cactus Eliminated 32nd Karl Emanuelsson 46 Retreat officer 26th Find a dummy from a jelly whilst blindfolded Eliminated 33rd Ashley Meredith 35 Teacher 21st-25th Untangle yourself from your teammates Eliminated 34th Bella Tolman 33 Trading manager Derek Benford 67 Retired police officer Duval Jefferson 24 Dancer Fred Obasa 29 CX specialist Finlay McKillop 25 Musical theatre performer 20th Use a ball in a pouch to roll a can across the studio floor Eliminated 35th Ashton Victor 30 Creative consultant 19th Extinguish a candle flame using a syringe of water Eliminated 36th Dani B 33 Influencer 18th Catch a potato on a fork Eliminated 37th Robin Nixon 63 Technical author 17th Melt ice and blow a whistle Eliminated 38th Nikki Sneddon 45 Dance teacher 16th Balance a seesaw Eliminated 39th Courtney Kennon 19 StudentTwin sister of Georgia K 15th Lick a gobstopper and fit it into a bottle Eliminated 40th Sarah Plummer 36 Nursery manager 14th Sleeping bag race across the studio floor Eliminated 41st Clinton 22 Student 13th Cut an onion into 42 rings Eliminated 42nd Nicola King 54 Hairdresser 11th-12th Transfer 50 metres of rope from one partner to the other Eliminated 43rd Ryan Hamlet 32 Estate agent Huseyin Ahmet 24 Tattoo artist 10th Fold and pack up a collapsible tent Eliminated 44th Charlie Jones 23 Flight attendant 9th Push a vacuum cleaner onto a target Eliminated 45th David Smith 40 Hairdresser 8th Catch a paper butterfly in a net Eliminated 46th Libby Wood 19 Sales 7th Stack boxes Eliminated 47th Grant Gibbs 42 Fitness coach 6th Sharpen two bicolour pencils Eliminated 48th Nancy Pearce 43 Travel consultant 5th Transfer a ping-pong ball on a hairdryer through an obstacle course Eliminated 49th Joan Pons Laplana 49 Senior nurse 4th Flip a traffic cone and land it onto another Eliminated 50th Jason Howard 42 Chef 3rd Perform a three-point-turn in a golf buggy Third placeon 10 May 2025 William Joel 22 Student 2nd Knock down 12 tin cans with a swinging ball Runner-upon 10 May 2025 Caitlin Lawlor 25 Financial crime associate 1st Winneron 10 May 2025

Results

Episode 1 (100 to 82) Games played (7): Game 1: Sit on an exercise ball (Last three contestants: Charlie H vs Edward vs Paul S) (Last two contestants: Charlie H vs Edward) Game 2: Slinky on your forehead (Last three contestants: Dilan vs Janet vs Louis) (Last two contestants: Dilan vs Janet) Game 3: Balance a drinks can at a 45-degree angle (Last two contestants: Calvin vs Freddie) Game 4: Ping-pong ball on a spoon in your mouth (First to drop their ball: Caroline) Game 5: Drainpipe bowling (First four teams): (Last four teams: vs vs vs ) (Last three teams: Blue Team #1 vs Orange Team #1 vs Purple Team #1) (Last two teams: Orange Team #1 vs Purple Team #1) (Second four teams): (Last four teams: vs vs vs ) (Last three teams: Orange Team #2 vs Purple Team #2 vs Pink Team #2) (Last two teams: Orange Team #2 vs Pink Team #2) (Elimination head-to-head): (Last two teams: vs ) Game 6: Defrost a frozen T-shirt (Last four contestants: Bianca vs Janet vs Les vs Louis) (Last three contestants: Bianca vs Janet vs Les) (Last two contestants: Bianca vs Les) (Contestant withdrew: Lisa) Game 7: Extract a £2 coin from a piggy bank (Last three contestants: Poonam vs Stephen vs Yae) (Last two contestants: Stephen vs Yae) (Contestants withdrew: Jodie and Michael)

Episode 2 (82 to 63) Games played (7): Game 8: Guess the weight of a llama (Last two contestants: Freddie vs Janet) Game 9: Fit sticky tape into a lunchbox (Last three contestants: Amy vs Finlay vs Tony) (Last two contestants: Finlay vs Tony) Game 10: Retract a measuring tape between two lines (Last three contestants: Mike vs Paul M vs Surabhi) (Last two contestants: Paul M vs Surabhi) Game 11: Loop six penne pasta pieces onto spaghetti in your mouth (Last three contestants: Derek vs Lewis vs Paul S) (Last two contestants: Lewis vs Paul S) Game 12: Domino rally (Last six teams: vs vs vs vs vs ) (Last five teams: Red Team vs Purple Team vs Yellow Team vs Blue Team vs Orange Team) (Last four teams: Purple Team vs Yellow Team vs Blue Team vs Orange Team) (Last three teams: Purple Team vs Yellow Team vs Blue Team) (Last two teams: Purple Team vs Yellow Team) Game 13: Hold a flower in secateurs at shoulder height (First to cut their flower: Paul O) Game 14: Giant volleyball match (First round): (Last two teams: vs ) (Second round): (Last two teams: vs ) (Third round): (Last two teams: vs ) (Fourth round): (Last two teams: vs ) (Fifth round): (Last two teams: vs ) (Final round) (Last two contestants: Katy vs Stephen)

Episode 3 (63 to 46) Games played (6): Game 15: Knock off a balloon with rubber bands (Last four contestants: Dexter vs Freddie vs Jess vs Nicola) (Last three contestants: Dexter vs Freddie vs Jess) (Last two contestants: Dexter vs Freddie) Game 16: Stack eleven loose nails on top of another nail (Last four contestants: Ali vs Lewis vs Nicola vs Shane) (Last three contestants: Ali vs Lewis vs Nicola) (Last two contestants: Ali vs Lewis) Game 17: Make and throw a paper plane (Shortest distance: Jeff) Game 18: Flip pancakes down the line (Last five teams: vs vs vs vs ) (Last four teams: Blue Team vs Orange Team vs Yellow Team vs Red Team) (Last three teams: Blue Team vs Orange Team vs Red Team) (Last two teams: Blue Team vs Orange Team) Game 19: Guess the number of peas (Last two contestants: Ashton vs Bianca) Game 20: Light three tealight candles and transfer them to tealight holders (Last four contestants: Courtney vs Duval vs Joan vs Lewis) (Last three contestants: Duval vs Joan vs Lewis) (Last two contestants: Duval vs Lewis)

Episode 4 (46 to 36) Games played (6): Game 21: Find the T-shirt with your name on it (Last four contestants: Amy vs Duval vs Nikki vs Will M) (Last three contestants: Duval vs Nikki vs Will M) (Last two contestants: Nikki vs Will M) Game 22: Find your teammates with the same instruments whilst blindfolded (Last four teams: vs vs vs ) (Last three teams: Team Cowbells vs Team Harmonicas vs Team Rubber Chickens) (Last two teams: Team Cowbells vs Team Harmonicas) Game 23: Peel a potato to produce as long a peel as possible (Last two contestants: Amy vs Mia) Game 24: Push off a scooter without stepping off (Loser of first heat: Duval) (Loser of second heat: Joan) (Loser of third heat: Amir) (Last three contestants: Amir vs Duval vs Joan) (Last two contestants: Amir vs Duval) Game 25: Bounce a pencil into a pot (Last four contestants: Charlie J vs Kieran L vs Lydia vs Mia) (Last three contestants: Charlie J vs Kieran L vs Mia) (Last two contestants: Kieran L vs Mia) Game 26: Fire a champagne cork (Shortest distance: Dexter)

Episode 5 (36 to 26) Games played (6): Game 27: Guess the decade of pop songs (Last four contestants: Jake vs Kieran L vs Poonam vs Robin)