After reading through many of the episode summaries and interviews, I developed a thought.

I wonder if a team failed to get a clue (not enough right answers to riddles), then whatever they picked would be forced into a losing path, I think e.g. the team that lost by actually picking a weapon (which usually treguard would tell the team its a bad idea when they die, and was in the guide they were given). Now this team were given a clue, but even me in my 40s I cannot understand that clue, how children were supposed to understand it I dont know. But there is of course many deaths where no clue or only one was obtained instead of both, and its a thought does the producer of a show let teams "luck" into it. So the causeway lady as an example, she wants a comb for her hair, what happens if they pick the comb, would it have been the same scene?

It's chrysalis from earlier in the thread.

I have since read a lot of the episode and backstage stuff on the site, and now I know the life graphics were edited in after the show was filmed, I will change my view on what I said earlier, I now just consider it poor editing rather than necessarily a harsh death. Also agree all the winners were generally helped in some way, although they usually needed to be reasonably good at the challenge to get on the winning path.

Still remain fascinated by this show, even many years later with all the new tech we have.