Controversies Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK game show)

1 controversies

1.1 incorrect answer question accepted
1.2 1 foot in grave
1.3 ambiguous question
1.4 charles ingram affair
1.5 robert brydges affair
1.6 phone-a-friend

controversies
incorrect answer question accepted

in march 1999 contestant tony kennedy asked theoretically, minimum number of strokes tennis player can win set? , possible answers of 12, 24, 36, , 48. calculated player need 4 shots win game, 6 games in set, giving answer of 24. won him £64,000 question.

the daily mirror newspaper reported next day, pun headline fault! , player win game without playing shot if opponent double-faulted on every serve. allow winning set in 12 strokes, assuming player aced each of or own serves. programme acknowledged mistake , apologised it, kennedy allowed keep prize money (an eventual £125,000).

one foot in grave

the broadcast of judith keppel s victory first jackpot winner on uk version of millionaire coincided transmission of final episode of bbc sitcom 1 foot in grave. news of keppel s win, recorded preceding sunday, leaked press; itv announced keppel s success @ press conference on day of broadcast. david renwick, writer of 1 foot annoyed take audience interest away sitcom. said announcement of outcome of millionaire naked opportunism , , have been more honorable let show go out in normal way . pointed out killed off element of tension or surprise in own programme , television ratings .

it alleged millionaire s production company celador had rigged show spoil bbc s expected high ratings sitcom s finale. richard wilson in particular quoted saying itv had planned win, adding seems bit unfair take audience away victor s last moments on earth. richard webber s account, in 2006 book, cites unnamed bbc sources questioned authenticity of keppel s victory . itv upset @ allegation, claiming undermined viewers faith in programme. leslie hill, chairman of itv, wrote sir christopher bland, chairman of board of governors of bbc, complain issue. corporation apologised, saying suggestion of rigging did not represent official view of bbc. eleven viewers complained quiz show independent television commission (itc), millionaire cleared of wrongdoing.

ambiguous question

on special valentine s day celebrity edition of show in 2006, aired 11 february, laurence llewelyn-bowen , jackie llewelyn-bowen reached £1,000,000 question, translated latin, motto of united states? bowens chose answer a, in god, trust , correct answer intended answer b, 1 out of many english translation latin e pluribus unum. because answered £1,000,000 question incorrectly, lost £468,000. however, question turned out ambiguous, in god, trust legal motto united states; phrase found on many american coins, though not of latin origin. because of this, invited play again, reinstating lost £468,000 bring them £500,000. contestants decided not risk time , left £500,000 chosen charities.

no other contestant had ever lost £468,000; money ever lost £218,000, occurred twice: duncan bickley lost in october 2000 , rob mitchell in october 2003, when answered £500,000 questions incorrectly , fell £250,000 down £32,000.

charles ingram affair

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.

robert brydges affair

the participation of robert brydges raised ire of brydges s neighbour, sarah elliott, said bob loaded. when found out going on show knew win. s sharp razor , has no problem under pressure. gambling on tricky questions must lot easier when re worth millions. suppose £16,000 must seem loose change him. elliott s grandmother less kind, saying unfair robert should allowed on show. family not need money. won t make difference them because re filthy rich , live millionaires anyway . in addition, show has been called elitist: presenter eamonn holmes suggested live on gmtv millionaires or minor royals had chance of winning prize. spokesman celador responded has equal chance on. impossible check how money people have when on show. d love penniless binman our next winner, never happens.

phone-a-friend

the phone-a-friend lifeline provided multiple instances of controversy during show s run. 2002 edition of daily mail reported many contestants had selected strangers contacts among quizzing fraternity act phone-a-friends. specifically, game show champion daphne fowler approached man had not met , asked if lifeline in exchange £200. fowler refused, adding: thought fair price quarter of whatever man won, if helped him £32,000 £64,000 expect £16,000. man later revealed itv sources not have made onto programme.

in march 2007 various uk newspapers reported organised syndicate had been getting quiz enthusiasts onto show in return percentage of winnings. person behind syndicate keith burgess northern ireland. burgess admitted helping around 200 contestants appear on show since 1999; estimates contestants have won around £5,000,000. show producers believed have been aware of operation, burgess stating: show knows me , these types of syndicates, cover keep show going. earlier version of phone friend syndicate reported in northampton chronicle , echo during 2003. paul smith, managing director of celador productions, stated: aware of paddy spooner , people similar him doing, , have made priority of changing our question procedure. confident have made impossible manipulate system. since then, options of people can called have picture of shown on-air.