Mastermind fans were declaring "give me a break!" after learning one contestant's "ridiculous" specialist subject in the semi-final episode of the show. BBC's welcomed four new contestants who are all vying for a spot in the prestigious final of the quiz show, where the stakes are high and the questions exceptionally challenging. The subjects of the day included the films of Mel Brooks, Homer's Odyssey and Rumpole stories of Sir John Mortimer.

But despite the intellectual theme of the subjects, it was the fourth one that left viewers shocked, as player Roopam Carroll revealed her specialist subject was rapper LL Cool J. Fans were immediately slamming the subject and dubbing it an unworthy contendor for a semi-final. "sorry but LL Cool J as a specialist subject in a semi-final is utterly ridiculous. give me a break!" slammed one fan. "Surprised that LL Cool J is a specialist subject on #Mastermind!" penned a second.

While a third raged: "It's almost symptomatic of what's wrong with these days, in that it's a semi-final, and the specialist subjects include Homer's Odyssey and, erm, LL Cool J ..."

More chimed in, adding: "As much as I'm a big fan of LL, I'm not really sure he deserves to be a specialist subject on #Mastermind"

BBC viewers have repeatedly slammed quiz show for its "low standards" in subject choices and demanded a rule change.

Fans accuse the programme of setting the bar too low by allowing a "ridiculous" subjects that should never have been allowed on the show.

A recent episode left fans fuming when a player revealed a subject that merely required "a few hours of binge-watching television."

The episode saw the topics introduced as Twelfth Century Monarch Henry II, The Miss Marple novels of Agatha Christie, Wales rugby test matches, and the TV sitcom Friday Night Dinner.

Fans immediately slammed the final subject as "hardly mastermind material" after player Gary stormed past his fellow contestants.

"I got almost as many right as him - Friday night dinner is a great show but hardly mastermind material," one fan blasted.

"Can we please up the bar for acceptable specialist subjects?" penned a second. A third added: "That's not a specialist subject, that's a passing interest," and "A show that was on relatively recently and ran for 6 seasons Just binge watching a TV show doesn't feel like studying for #mastermind."

Another irked viewer claimed that TV shows shouldn't be allowed as subjects at all: "#Mastermind shouldn't allow TV programs as specialist subjects! You watched a few episodes of a program? Great. That's not the as studying world history, science, literature."