Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win might look all glitz and big money on screen, but one former contestant has lifted the lid on a rule viewers never see.
Sarah Woodward, who appeared on the ITV quiz show with her sister Amy, has revealed that contestants are banned from showing their tattoos while filming.
The pair took on the limitless ladder in the hope of walking away with a life changing cash prize.
They built up an impressive total during their episode but narrowly missed out on £30,000.
Speaking exclusively to ED!, in collaboration with Slots Temple, Sarah has now shared what really went on behind the scenes.
And after Ant and Dec wrapped another series, she has explained the surprising tattoo ban that contestants must follow.
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win: Tattoo ban
Sarah and Amy appeared on Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win four years ago.
Sarah secretly applied for the show without telling Amy. She then had to reveal they had both been selected to take part.
Amy did not hesitate and the sisters appeared together on screen in January 2022.
But Sarah now says there was one unexpected issue. Production staff told her she had to cover every single tattoo.
The 39-year-old has detailed floral designs, including roses and butterflies, across both arms.
However, she was not allowed to show them on camera.
Sarah explains: “They wanted all of my tattoos covered up, regardless. That ended up changing the way I dressed.
“I don’t mind having my tattoos out, that’s why I got them. But I had to wear long sleeves, and there were certain patterns or colours that would clash.”
With her bright pink hair, Sarah eventually wore a dark blue long-sleeved top with a high round neck.
Looking back, she wishes she had spoken up more about her outfit.
“The only thing I’d do differently is be more forthcoming about what I actually wanted to wear, rather than just going with what they thought I should,” she says.
“It was my only negative about the whole experience.”
Why are tattoos banned on Limitless Win?
During their tense episode, Sarah and Amy lost out on £30,000 after getting a question about the Canadian national flag wrong.
They were asked how many points appear on the red maple leaf. The correct answer is 11, but they failed to land on the exact number.
Their episode was only the third of Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win to be filmed. Sarah now believes that made a difference.
“I don’t think we properly understood how the whole thing worked,” she admits.
“I’m 100 percent sure that if we’d been on the second or third series, we would have done things a little differently, because we’d have understood the premise of the game much better.”
Of course, the big question is why the show takes such a strict approach to tattoos.
Sarah says she was given a clear explanation.
She reveals: “The production team told me the reason they are like that with tattoos on the show.
“It is because they once filmed a full TV series, and when they were editing it towards the end, they realised that one of the main people had a very offensive tattoo.
“They had to scrap the whole thing!”
After hearing that, the strict rule suddenly makes a lot more sense.
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