YMMV / Big Fat Quiz of the Year

• Crosses the Line Twice: A good deal of Jimmy's jokes. Not to mention Jonathan Ross' interactions with the other panelists.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Cool Old Guy Jon Snow (not that one) is a favourite with both the panelists and the audience.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • In the 2011 show, Jimmy made a joke about the death of Jimmy Savile^note "Jim'll Fix It presenter Sir Jimmy Savile died. I guess he finally got round to reading my letter", which drew a Dude, Not Funny! reaction from everyone, especially Eddie Izzard. This was before the scandal about his personal life broke.
  • Thom Yorke ribbing Jimmy for being a 'cheap bastard' in his question for the panelists. Five years later, Jimmy's tax evasion scandal broke...
  • Jonathan's insistence that he swap seats with Lily so she doesn't have to sit next to Russell and Noel hits harder with the 2023 allegations that Russell is a serial rapist and sexual abuser. Not helping was Noel's line "how dare you, we're not rapists!"
• Heartwarming in Hindsight: The show's made several references and jibes to The Crystal Maze and The Great British Bakeoff over the years - not only has Crystal Maze been Colbert Bump-ed enough for a revival, and Bakeoff survived its shaky Channel Hop, but Big Fat Quiz regulars Richard Ayoade and Noel Fielding are the new respective hosts!
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • During the 2010 show, Richard Ayoade mentioned tax dodging and Jimmy appeared somewhat uncomfortable. Fast forward a year and a half...
  • Eddie Izzard made a Running Gag out of answering questions with "cooked his own spleen". Almost like she knew what show she'd wind up on in a couple of years, and as a character who commits Autocannibalism even.
  • One special guest in the 2005 quiz was David Tennant, and the question happened to be about the "new teeth" line, but Rob Brydon hoped to get a leg up and asked David what the answer was, and he lied and said "nose", costing Rob the point. It wasn't till the Matt Smith tenure, but remember the Doctor's Rule no. 1?^note The Doctor Lies.
  • One of the more memorable moments of BFQ 2012 was James Corden and Jack Whitehall's rather vulgar answer to a question about Barack Obama.^note They suggested that he would put on a condom in the Oval Office and have a "posh wank" Corden would go on to actually meet Michelle Obama, and one has to wonder how many times he thought of that moment while speaking to her...
  • One past question involved two surprise guests, the suit actors for The Teletubbies, whereupon Jack Whitehall told a big fat fib about being the baby in the sun all grown up, but the guests already knew that was actually a girl. Fast forward to 2020, and that same girl is the surprise guest!
• Ho Yay:
  • Noel Fielding and Russell Brand had this in spades when they were The Goth Detectives. As did Russell and Christopher Biggins. And Russell and Peter Andre. And really, Russell Brand and almost any male panelist or guest.
  • Really, Noel Fielding with most male panellists as well. There's a running gag about him and Richard being married in one of the recent ones, and he's made jokes about blowing Jimmy, getting Jimmy to blow him, having Jack Whitehall eat his arse, bumming famous Olympians, having drugged-out sex with Dara O'Briain at Glastonbury... the list goes on.
  • Rob Brydon attempts a "coup" in the 2015 quiz to take over hosting, and Jimmy shuts him down with a "fuck you, dude". Apparently this greatly arouses Greg Davies.
  "You're always such a genial host normally- just to see you get all street and to slam Brydon down like that. Grrrgh, made me question everything, it did."
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • Mr. Blobby was this for Jack Whitehall in the Big Fat Quiz of the Nineties. Everyone else watching seems to agree with his sentiment.
  "How the fuck were you allowed near kids?"
  • During the fashion round in 2017's Everything edition, a large albino python was brought on stage and draped around Richard's shoulders. His teammate Noel leapt straight out of his chair, ran to the other side of the stage, and refused to go back until the snake had left.
    • David Walliams on the other hand walked straight up and stroked it.
  • BFQ 2015 featured a question about the (as listed on their TV Tropes page) Nightmare Fuel scene from Downton Abbey where Lord Grantham's ulcer burst and he projectile vomited blood at the dinner table. And then they showed that scene. Thanks, Big Fat Quiz.
  • In BFQ 2021, a larger-than-life replica of the red light, green light doll from Squid Game was brought on the stage for the final round. This round carried more stake and was notably tense because for the first time in the history of the show, points would be deducted from their score if the panelists did not finish writing down their answers before the doll's head turned back around.
• Periphery Demographic: This appeared to be the case when almost all the male contestants were able to name the four main characters from Sex and the City.
• Questionable Booking:
  • The decision to have Jamie Oliver as a panelist on the 2011 edition provoked a confused reaction from some, although he fit in surprisingly well, as it happened.
  • Not so much in 2014 with Mel B, who turned out to be a humourless killjoy. And therefore, by complete accident, the best comedic straight man the show's ever had.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Guest questioner Peter Andre in 2009, when he tried (unsuccessfully) to defend David Mitchell, who had been mercilessly picked on by Jonathan Ross throughout the show.
  Peter Andre: You're getting picked on a lot tonight.
  David: Yeah, I always get picked on.
  Peter: He was getting lot of "ahs" in the back, honestly.
  Jonathan: A lot of ass? We're back to that?
  Jimmy: Can I get things slightly back on track here? Away from the amount of ass David is getting.
  Peter: I came out to help him, and I've just badded him. He's now - [audience cheers] I've badded him! Stop it! [resigned] I'm just gonna put my foot in it. That's just gonna be worse. Let's move on.
• "Stop Having Fun" Guys: Mel B in the 2014 Quiz. Eventually the other contestants held a conversation using only Spice Girls quotes just to mock her.
• Unconventional Learning Experience: Moreso with the introduction of Quiz of Everything and the decades' editions.
• Unexpected Character:
  • On occasion, especially on the special-event quizzes, for the final question to be asked by a fictional character, such as Mr. Blobby and even a Dalek!.
  • For some international viewers, the inclusion of American entertainers would count, from Chelsea Peretti and Kristen Schaal in the studio for different eps, to Will Ferrell, Steve Carell and Paul Rudd for pre-recorded questions in the same ep. And on a couple of special cases, Gonzo and Animal.
• The Woobie: Jack Whitehall "The Big Fat Quiz of the '90s", during Mr. Blobby's appearance. While the other contestants found him hilarious, Jack was genuinely frightened.

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