Queen Elizabeth II: Which UK TV show does Her Majesty hate to miss?

Queen Elizabeth II has long been rumoured to have a predilection for popular culture – now it has been revealed that she is a fan of the BBC quiz show Pointless.

Regular broadcasts of the programme, which sees contestants attempt to answer general knowledge questions for cash prizes, attracts around 4m viewers while celebrity specials have been known to clock up an audience of 7m. Famous fans include Dame Judi Dench, former England manager Roy Hodgson and (the now deceased) Lucien Freud.

But the news that Her Majesty is also glued to the television at 5.15pm certainly surpasses that of any other names paying homage to a format in which the highest prized answers are the ones that nobody else knows.

The claim was made by the show's host Alexander Armstrong in an interview with Radio Times. "A Palace insider told us she watches it," he said.

It is not known whether the Queen has been watching it over the festive period while recuperating from a heavy cold that forced her to miss a number of public engagements. Fake news reports of her death became so vociferous that Buckingham Palace was forced to take the unprecedented step of officially denying them.

The 90-year-old Monarch has thankfully been seen in public recently and has performed a number of official duties in 2017.

Pointless takes its place alongside a number of classic British TV shows, which the British head of state is rumoured to enjoy. They include Dad's Army, Last of the Summer Wine, Doctor Who and The Bill.