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Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
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The First British Millionaire
The first millionaire
After 122 programmes, Judith Keppel became the first person to answer all 15 questions correctly in the original UK version of the show. Allegations of a fix (unsubstantiated, to our eyes) raged in the newspapers because the episode happened to coincide with the final ever episode of the popular situation comedy One Foot in the Grave on rival channel BBC 1.
The question Judith answered to win the money was:
Which king was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?
A: Henry I
B: Henry II
C: Richard I
D: Henry V
Judith correctly answered B. Because of the pound's exchange rate, her win was the highest ever win on the quiz show anywhere in the world.
Despite the big win, there's no doubt Chris Evans spoiled the party a little by beating Tarrant to giving away £1 million on air. His Channel 4 TFI Friday entertainment show gave away £1 million in a spoiler slot during December 1999 called Someone's GOING to be a Millionaire (subtle, no?), which wasn't a patch on the real Millionaire except in one regard – namely, there was a guaranteed payout.
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JUDITH KEPPEL JUST AFTER HER FIFTEENTH FINAL ANSWER
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The Second British Millionaire
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DAVID EDWARDS ON RIGHT, WIFE ON LEFT AND HOST CHRIS TARRANT IN THE MIDDLE
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What a fantastic time!
The Sceond Millionaire
School teacher David Edwards from Staffordshire said he planned to use his £1m winnings to travel the world.
The father-of-two, who won the BBC's Mastermind quiz in 1990, said he felt calm throughout the 15 questions.
He used all three lifelines on the £125,000 question but knew the answers to the final three questions to scoop the top prize.
The show's host Chris Tarrant said Mr Edwards was "a great guy" with "an amazing general knowledge".
Mr Edwards had to phone a friend, ask the audience and go 50-50 before correctly giving Home Secretary Jack Straw's first name as John.
To the £1m question: "If you planted the seeds of the Quercus Robur what would grow?" he correctly answered: "Trees".
'Smug contentment'
Speaking at a London press conference, the physics teacher from Denstone, near Stoke-on-Trent, said the big win had still not quite sunk in yet.
He said: "One afternoon, I had a couple of hours of smug contentment. I had some idea of what is going on."
He praised colleagues and neighbours who had all congratulated him after the win, but admitted cheeky pupils had asked for a tenner and one even asked for a Ferrari after hearing of the win.
I was aware I had a realistic chance to win a lot of money
He also said he wanted to try to win the radio quiz Brain of Britain as well as continue in his local pub quiz league.
Mr Edwards said he and his wife Vivien were planning to travel.
"The money gives us the time to do the things we would have liked to have done," he said.
He also said he never felt scared during the show, and regarded the "fastest finger" qualifying round as the most difficult.
Mr Edwards told reporters: "I really felt quite calm. I was aware I had a realistic chance, that, if I got into the chair, I had a realistic chance to win a lot of money."
His children, Richard and Sarah, who are both university students, were not particularly materialistic, he said.
Chris Tarrant said: "What a great guy. He was so cool and had an amazing general knowledge.
"It was just as exciting this time round and everyone in the studio was on their feet when he got the million pound question right."
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