Mastermind viewers have challenged the BBC after it appeared the champion was decided by a wrong answer.

TV chiefs have come under fire after 59-year-old Judith Lewis claimed the Mastermind crown by answering a question about whether the mascot of the Army’s Desert Rats was a gerbil rather than a jerboa.

The point won by Judith on this question ended up being the difference and earned the NHS psychiatrist the accolade of being Mastermind champion.

She finished on 28 points, which was one more than second place Ian Orriss.

The correct answer was the jerboa, as the desert-dwelling rodent is found in North Africe and is depicted on the 7th Armoured Division’s insignia.

Question master John Humphrys, 75, was the subject of upset and ridicule on social media as viewers took him to task for missing the 'incorrect answer'.

The Sun has reported that a professional lip-reader has confirmed that the contestant had said "gerbil," and that the point should have been taken away, leaving a tie.

Actor Barnaby Edwards, who is known for being a dalek operator in Doctor Who, shared his disgust by tweeted: “Thrilling final of Mastermind as that massive ignoramus John Humphrys erroneously declares someone the winner because he doesn’t know a gerbil is a different animal from a jerboa.”

Another viewer angrily pointed out: “Gerbils and jerboas not the same. She's won with a wrong answer!”

The final was filmed over seven months ago and Judith, from Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, said her answer was scrutinised on set.

She was even asked to spell it out to ensure that her answer was heard correctly.

Judith confirmed: “I know a jerboa is different from a gerbil, but it was the last question.

“I could hear the bleep going, and I could hear my voice drop because I knew this was the last syllable I was going to say.

“What I said obviously sounded not unlike ‘gerbil’.

"What I’d said was ‘jerbo’.

"I now know it should be pronounced ‘jer-bo-a’, but I didn’t know that at the time.

“There was discussion among the technical crew, they went back and listened to it again, and in the end they were happy to accept it.”

In the end it would not have mattered much as Judith would have still won the final if scores had finished level as she was the contestant with fewest passes.

She had only passed on one question compared to the two that Ian had passed on.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "Judith Lewis was the clear Mastermind winner having answered the most questions correctly, with the least passes.

"During the recording of the final she was asked to repeat her answer to the last question in front of the live studio audience and her fellow finalists, and her original answer was replayed for review.

"Both the producers and an independent verifier were satisfied that she had given the correct answer."

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