Since the quiz show first graced our screens in 1998, there have only been several winners to win £1 million and cement their name in telly history.
Seven people have won £1 million, with the first winner in 2000 and the last person winning the jackpot in 2020. But what have the million-pound quizzers done with their winnings since?
Judith Keppell – 2000
Garden designer Judith became the first person to win the UK version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Her million-pound question was: “Which king was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?”
Thankfully, she had recently visited her ancestors in France and answered the question without help. Since her win, Judith joined the pro quizzers’ team on Eggheads before retiring in 2022.
Judith was the first ever winner of the UK version in 2000 (Image: Reuters)
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Charles never received the eye-watering prize money after cheating his way to victory (Image: Getty)
David Edwards (2001)
The second million-pound quizzer was physics teacher David. His final question on the ITV show was: “If you planted the seeds of Quercus robur, what would grow?” The answer was trees.
David had previous experience on quiz shows such as Mastermind and Fifteen to One before his huge win. He auditioned to join the pro quizzer’s team on the spin-off show, Make Me An Egghead, but lost out to a fellow Millionaire winner.
Charles Ingram (2001)
Former Army Major Charles Ingram was disqualified after he won his £1 million when a coughing scandal was revealed. The controversial figure cheated his way to the million-pound question after he received help from his wife, Diana, and accomplice .
Both coughed to indicate correct answers throughout the show. Charles never received the eye-watering prize money and was given an 18-month suspended sentence as part of the scam. He also resigned from his commission following the scandal.
Pat Gibson won the ITV quiz show in 2004 (Image: PA/Alamy)
Robert Brydges (2001)
Retired banker Robert was another winner in 2001, winning the show fair and square without cheating. During the final question, he was asked: “Which scientific unit is named after an Italian nobleman?” and knew the answer was Volt.
The winner kept a low profile since his big win and didn’t join any rival television quiz shows.
Pat Gibson (2004)
A computer programmer, Pat carved himself a hugely successful career after winning £1 million in 2004. His question was: “Which of these is not one of the American Triple Crown horse races?”
Since his victory, he has gone on to win Mastermind, Mastermind Champion of Champions, and Brain of Britain, and is one of the Eggheads.
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Donald Fear won the show in 2020 after Jeremy Clarkson took over as host (Image: ITV)
Ingram Wilcox (2006)
Ingram was the last winner of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, hosted by Chris Tarrant, until it went on hiatus in 2014. The civil servant had previously tried to appear on the show twice but failed to advance past the Fastest Finger First round.
His million-pound question was, “Which boxer was famous for striking the gong in the introduction to J. Arthur Rank films?” The answer was Bombardier Billy Wells. He previously appeared on Mastermind and Fifteen to One, but hasn’t appeared on other shows since.
Donald Fear (2020)
When former Top Gear host took over in 2018, there has only been . Donald is a history and politics teacher and was asked, “In 1718, which pirate died in battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina?”
Since his win, he retired from teaching and used his winnings to travel around the UK in a new motorhome after the pandemic.