Tanja Fuß was in the hot seat for a total of 45 seconds as she wrestled with what should have been a simple question.

“Most _____ have always had _____” was the fill-in-the-blanks question.

The multiple choice answers were A. “Dober/Man”, B. “Cocker/Spaniels”, C. “Shepherds/Dogs” or D. “Giants/Schnauzers”.

“I would say 'Giants/Schnauzers',” the contestant replied confidently.

“Is that what you're saying now?” host Günther Jauch asked. “Final answer?”

“Yes,” replied the student. “Those are moustaches.”

In German, 'Schnauzer' could refer to a breed of dog, or to a moustache.

“Most giants have Schnauzers. Since always?”

“Don't make me scared now,” she said.

“No, I can't make you scared any more,” Jauch said. “I can only spread the horror.

“Since forever, most shepherds have had dogs.”

“Really?” replied the contestant. “Oh, God!”

Fuß's humiliation was the first time in the 15-year history of the show that somebody had answered the first question wrong.

“I was unlucky in the game, but lucky in love,” Fuß told Bild. “My boyfriend Andreas wanted to play and I signed up, too, for fun.

“It was a great experience and I won the hearts of the public rather than the million.

“But I already have the biggest win with my boyfriend.”