Charles Ingram affair Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK game show)

charles ingram , wife diana.

in episode of show recorded on 9 , 10 september 2001, charles ingram won £1 million prize. during recording noticed suspicious pattern of coughing heard. ingram s unusual behaviour in hot seat drew attention. analysed, believed contestant, tecwen whittock, sitting behind him, offering him prompts in form of coughs, indicating correct answers. on of questions, ingram read aloud of 4 answers, until significant cough heard, before choosing answer. in cases, dismissed answer, read aloud answer choices again, , picked answer had earlier dismissed. appeared on tapes after ingram repeated particular incorrect answer several times believing correct, whittock coughed , loudly whispered no!

after ingram won million, whittock won next fastest finger game , took hotseat. reached £4,000 mark, dropped £1,000 after answering cookery question incorrectly.

the prosecution suggested ingram s wife, diana (who had won £32,000 on previous show, had brother), had organised scam. pager telephone records revealed appeared practice session plan cheat system not subsequently carried out. prosecution claimed original plan ingram hide 4 pagers on body vibrate when accomplice called pager indicating correct answer. seem during 1 of diana s questions, audible cough heard after tarrant had read out questions her, cough landing @ end of correct answer.

following trial @ southwark crown court lasting 4 weeks, ingram, wife diana, , whittock convicted of procuring execution of valuable security deception on 7 april 2003. ingram , wife each given suspended 18-month prison sentences , fined £15,000, while whittock received 12-month suspended sentence , fined £10,000. legal costs, ingrams had pay £115,000, in addition not receiving £1,000,000.

despite conviction, ingrams , whittock continue deny colluded or acted dishonestly. appealed against conviction. itv documentary entitled millionaire: major fraud, presented martin bashir, broadcast in britain on 21 april 2003 follow-up 2 weeks later, millionaire: final answer. excerpts recording broadcast enhanced audio highlighting coughs emanating, prosecution alleged, whittock. after major fraud, uncut recording, again enhanced audio, broadcast on itv2. major fraud included additional video recorded during programme of mrs. ingram sitting in audience , apparently prompting major ingram own coughing , making glances in direction of whittock. major fraud contained interviews production staff , contestants present @ recording describing how felt unusual had been happening. defendants declined interviewed programme. ingram described major fraud , programme broadcast on itv2 1 of greatest tv editing con tricks in history .

on 24 july 2003, british army ordered charles ingram resign commission major.

james plaskett has argued in favour of innocence of ingram, wife, , whittock. plaskett s essay led journalist bob woffinden, had long-time interest in miscarriages of justice, publishing two-page article in 9 october 2004 edition of british newspaper daily mail entitled coughing major innocent? jon ronson, attended trial , had written 2 articles in guardian, wrote piece plaskett s theory entitled millionaire 3 innocent? in 2015 woffinden , plaskett published book entitled bad show: quiz, cough, millionaire major, arguing ingram s appearance on show coinciding whittock s chance .

plaskett may heard @ episode 29 of pod delusion podcast being interviewed political blogger, mark thompson, himself led plaskett s essay take interest in case of millionaire three. in january 2006, plaskett himself made hot seat , won £250,000. subsequently sponsored ingram £25,000 run 2006 flora london marathon charity sense.