When faced with a tricky question about East German washing machines, who should you call for help?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to one politician appearing on the country’s celebrity version of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ last night.

Wolfgang Bosbach, the deputy leader of Ms Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, was filmed using his ‘Phone A Friend’ lifeline to call his political ally twice on the TV quiz show.

But unfortunately for him, it appeared Ms Merkel was not playing along at home as she failed to pick up her phone both times.

Mr Bosbach, 61, had been left stumped by a question asking why the East German WM66 washing machine was so legendary.

Had he answered correctly, he would have won 500,000 euros (£407,000) to spend on good causes, according to The Local.

Mr Bosbach, who has been a Conservative German MP for 20 years, explained the Chancellor is ‘always happy to see me and hear my voice’, according to the BBC.

But after Ms Merkel’s phone went to voicemail for a second time, he joked that she was too busy ‘saving the world’.

Seconds later, Mr Bosbach decided to bow out of the show, broadcast on Germany’s commercial channel RTL, with 125,000 euros (£102,000).

Mr Bosbach, who joined the CDU parliamentary group in 1972, said he later received a text from the Chancellor asking him what he had wanted.

Ms Merkel then sent him another text, reading: ‘Ok whatever it was, warm greetings from am.’

Mr Bosbach said: ‘I’m not sure I would have done her a favour if she had answered the phone. I don’t know if she would have known the answer.’