Millionaire Hot Seat ‘computer coding error’ rewards incorrect Shakespeare answer

A Millionaire Hot Seat blunder saw a contestant rewarded for incorrectly guessing ‘William Shakespeare’ on a poetry question. 

Host Eddie McGuire asked contestant Rebecca Trachsel, ‘”How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,” are the first words to a famous poem by who?’

Even though Rebecca was told she was correct for answering ‘William Shakespeare’ and allowed to progress to the next question, she was in fact incorrect.

Footage from the episode showed that Rebecca’s competitors all agreed Shakespeare was indeed the author of the famous lines.

‘Shakespeare’s correct for $20,000,’ McGuire said.

‘Otherwise known as Sonnet 43, it is one of Shakespeare’s best known works of poetry,’ added the former Collingwood chairman.

Mistake: McGuire asked contestant Rebecca Trachsel, ‘”How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,” are the first words to a famous poem by who?’ Even though Rebecca was told she was correct for answering ‘William Shakespeare’ and allowed to progress, she was in fact incorrect

But as noted by Media Watch host Paul Barry, the actual poet was Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who lived approximately 200 years after Shakespeare. 

Although the legendary playwright and poet did scribe his own sonnet of the same name, it does not begin with the line ‘How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.’

The line is commonly misattributed to Shakespeare.

Error: As noted by Media Watch host Paul Barry, the actual poet was Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who lived approximately 200 years after William Shakespeare (pictured)

Thankfully for the game show’s network Channel Nine, Rebecca failed to guess the next question and the error didn’t cost them anything.

‘Nine told us it was a “computer coding error”‘ Barry said of the mistake.

‘Should have phoned a friend,’ he joked.

Credit due: Browning’s line is commonly misattributed to Shakespeare. Pictured: Elizabeth Barrett Browning