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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Mother intervenes in Child Genius final | Mother intervenes in Child Genius final |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The 10-year-old schoolgirl crowned this year's Child Genius only reached the final showdown after a dramatic on-screen intervention by her mother. | The 10-year-old schoolgirl crowned this year's Child Genius only reached the final showdown after a dramatic on-screen intervention by her mother. |
| Rhea, from west London, got through the penultimate round of the Channel 4 show after her mother queried why one of her answers had been deemed incorrect. | Rhea, from west London, got through the penultimate round of the Channel 4 show after her mother queried why one of her answers had been deemed incorrect. |
| Judges agreed the question had been too general and awarded her a point. | Judges agreed the question had been too general and awarded her a point. |
| Mother Sonal, whose surname was not revealed, has since faced a backlash from viewers for being "too pushy". | Mother Sonal, whose surname was not revealed, has since faced a backlash from viewers for being "too pushy". |
| Many accused her of getting too involved with comments on social media including: "Rhea is such a smart young lady but her mother is shocking! This isn't about you..." | |
| Another viewer added: "Well done Rhea's mum. Swindled your daughter to the final." | Another viewer added: "Well done Rhea's mum. Swindled your daughter to the final." |
| The Channel 4 programme, presented by Richard Osman, sees youngsters competing to answer tricky general knowledge questions and spell complicated words. | The Channel 4 programme, presented by Richard Osman, sees youngsters competing to answer tricky general knowledge questions and spell complicated words. |
| Ahead of the final Sonal queried why an answer her daughter had given during her specialist subject round on Florence Nightingale had been deemed wrong. | |
| When asked "To which medical officer did Florence Nightingale report in the Crimea?" Rhea replied with "Dr Duncan Menzies", but the answer was rejected by quizmaster Richard Osman. | When asked "To which medical officer did Florence Nightingale report in the Crimea?" Rhea replied with "Dr Duncan Menzies", but the answer was rejected by quizmaster Richard Osman. |
| Explaining why she made the challenge, Sonal said: "I feel the question was very general... I can find documentation that shows she reported to every medical officer there so Rhea would have assumed it was Dr Menzies." | Explaining why she made the challenge, Sonal said: "I feel the question was very general... I can find documentation that shows she reported to every medical officer there so Rhea would have assumed it was Dr Menzies." |
| Independent judge Olivia van der Werff agreed the question had been too general and accepted Rhea's answer, giving her an extra point meaning she avoided a tie-break with Birmingham-born Stephen, and instead went straight into the final head-to-head against Saffy, from Egham in Surrey. | |
| The 10-year-old went on to win the title after correctly spelling the word "eleemosynary" meaning charitable. | The 10-year-old went on to win the title after correctly spelling the word "eleemosynary" meaning charitable. |
| Other viewers rallied to the defence of the family, who moved to Britain from the US six years ago. | Other viewers rallied to the defence of the family, who moved to Britain from the US six years ago. |
| "Idiots abusing Rhea's mum on Child Genius: All children, especially Rhea and Saffy, were incredible however her answer was correct!", one said while @TheLondonBird wrote on Twitter: "Amount of people putting down the parents of Rhea (on) Child Genius is typical of the non-aspirational Brits! They were all amazing." | "Idiots abusing Rhea's mum on Child Genius: All children, especially Rhea and Saffy, were incredible however her answer was correct!", one said while @TheLondonBird wrote on Twitter: "Amount of people putting down the parents of Rhea (on) Child Genius is typical of the non-aspirational Brits! They were all amazing." |