Millionaire - A Major Fraud
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Tartan Tigger
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Just going to watch it now.
Steph, an army major "won" the million pound prize on Who Wants to be a Millionairre. Turns out he cheated, had someone in the audience who used a coughing code to help him answer the questions correctly. The case went to court and he was found guilty of fraud. Tonight we finally get to see the show.
Steph, an army major "won" the million pound prize on Who Wants to be a Millionairre. Turns out he cheated, had someone in the audience who used a coughing code to help him answer the questions correctly. The case went to court and he was found guilty of fraud. Tonight we finally get to see the show.
neo's white rabbit
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Yes, he apparently had a spendthrift shrew of a wife who was also the cause of all the coughing..an experienced sound technician picked up on it. Quite how many taxpayers pounds have been spent on a major court case we won't go into...
Was the original never on air or are ITV1 being cheap on a Bank Holiday Monday re-showing it all?
New Siggie: I only write about TV - I don't have to watch it too
Was the original never on air or are ITV1 being cheap on a Bank Holiday Monday re-showing it all?
New Siggie: I only write about TV - I don't have to watch it too
neo's white rabbit
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On Deb's recommendation I watched the rest of it and very entertaining it was too - pity they got so greedy, they might have got away with it otherwise.
Now having a lot of fun with questions like 'Is Mummy in the kitchen?' and lots of mock coughing and hiccuping to go with it LOL
Now having a lot of fun with questions like 'Is Mummy in the kitchen?' and lots of mock coughing and hiccuping to go with it LOL
What an extraordinary piece of TV that was!! I'll bet the audience figures were very high!
I don't have ITV2 - I'd have loved to have just watched the programme through as it was recorded and without Martin Bashir feeding the fraud to us. ( I felt he manipulated the Michael Jackson interview so would have preferred a more dispassionate presenter for this programme!)
......... LOL
The amount of coughing from my sons reached epidemic levels tonight too!
I don't have ITV2 - I'd have loved to have just watched the programme through as it was recorded and without Martin Bashir feeding the fraud to us. ( I felt he manipulated the Michael Jackson interview so would have preferred a more dispassionate presenter for this programme!)
......... LOL
The amount of coughing from my sons reached epidemic levels tonight too!
mike230652
This'll do 'til I think of something witty to say.
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Having watched it tonight I'd have given him 5 years with hard labour for that naff shirt and threadbare jeans he wore on both nights!!
mike 230652
mike 230652
Hilary
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Very interesting to finally see what has been talked about for so long!
I didn't like the one-sided nature of the presentation (okay, the court case has found them guilty, so maybe there's no need to try to give a balanced view), but some of the 'evidence' seemed to rely heavily on the benefit of hindsight.
Good viewing though!
I didn't like the one-sided nature of the presentation (okay, the court case has found them guilty, so maybe there's no need to try to give a balanced view), but some of the 'evidence' seemed to rely heavily on the benefit of hindsight.
Good viewing though!
I too watched this last night and despite not warming (to say the least) to "The Major" I was a bit sceptical about the presentation of "the evidence" and would have prefered to hear it without the coughs from the fast finger contestant (my spellings awful but will give it a go !! Quenton Whitock(?)) being highlighted to such an extent.
Chris Tarrant said he wasn't aware of the coughs as concentrating so hard, could the same be said of the contestant? or am I too willing to believe the best in people?. Mind you some of his mental somersaults over the answers were a tad difficult to believe, I'll choose Craig David 'cause I aint heard of him, never heard of a Googldebotwhatever so I'll risk £468k on it!!.
Des
Chris Tarrant said he wasn't aware of the coughs as concentrating so hard, could the same be said of the contestant? or am I too willing to believe the best in people?. Mind you some of his mental somersaults over the answers were a tad difficult to believe, I'll choose Craig David 'cause I aint heard of him, never heard of a Googldebotwhatever so I'll risk £468k on it!!.
Des
What I never did find out and wonder if anyone knows is,the other contestant Whittock(sp!) who was helping,had this been organized in advance of the show? How could they both get on the same then? Or maybe it came about somehow through a chat.
I absolutely can't believe they didn't all get a prison sentance.It makes me sick if it's a'middle class' crime thats OK,if it had been a 'working class' crime, using stolen cheques etc. they would definitley be sent to prison.
I absolutely can't believe they didn't all get a prison sentance.It makes me sick if it's a'middle class' crime thats OK,if it had been a 'working class' crime, using stolen cheques etc. they would definitley be sent to prison.
S
SpottyDog
Guest
Yeh, I was wonderin that too,Kaz.
The fact the wife and her brother had already been contestants and each won £32k, suggests there's maybe a system to gettin on the fastest finger row (?). Perhaps it's just a case of makin lots of calls to enter - most applications gets most chance of success, sort of thing.
Seem to remember from the papers that they all knew each other beforehand so was planned.
On the 'live' showing on ITV2 , the coughing was childishly obvious and quite loud. But then, was it enhanced by the sound engineers for the post-court showing?
One thing that couldn't be missed (once promted to look for it) was the lack of celebration from the contestant opposite the cougher when 'they' won the Million. His glare was obvious ,so he'd clearly been aware of the coughing in real-time, even if it was up-volumed for the ITV2 presentation.
The fact the wife and her brother had already been contestants and each won £32k, suggests there's maybe a system to gettin on the fastest finger row (?). Perhaps it's just a case of makin lots of calls to enter - most applications gets most chance of success, sort of thing.
Seem to remember from the papers that they all knew each other beforehand so was planned.
On the 'live' showing on ITV2 , the coughing was childishly obvious and quite loud. But then, was it enhanced by the sound engineers for the post-court showing?
One thing that couldn't be missed (once promted to look for it) was the lack of celebration from the contestant opposite the cougher when 'they' won the Million. His glare was obvious ,so he'd clearly been aware of the coughing in real-time, even if it was up-volumed for the ITV2 presentation.
Beth__WDW23/6/02
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We watched it lastnight also.
In my eye's i don't like Martin Bashir anyway,but decided to watch it, it was quite obvious what they had planned, with the coughs,and even the NO---OOOO cough!
Don't know if you all watched the show (what should of been put on t.v but didn't) without martin bashir etc, it was on ITV2 after that show had finished, you could hear the coughing etc on there too.
Beth
In my eye's i don't like Martin Bashir anyway,but decided to watch it, it was quite obvious what they had planned, with the coughs,and even the NO---OOOO cough!
Don't know if you all watched the show (what should of been put on t.v but didn't) without martin bashir etc, it was on ITV2 after that show had finished, you could hear the coughing etc on there too.
Beth
Hi Karen
... the suggestion on the programme was that the plot was hatched between the first recording and the second.He got to £1000 or thereabouts on the first recording when his brother was present ( there was a suggestion that his brother was aiding him) but then they ran out of time.
They already knew Tequin Whittock ( although he or his wife denied it in court which was proved to be a lie) and when the first recording ended the prosecution reckon that that was when they approached Tequin Whittock and planned their fraud.
They also stated that these people make over 300 calls to get onto the programme. It would seem that there is a set of people who make a career out of it
Janice
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I purposely watched the ITV2 show first and therefore had no knowledge of what the Martin Bashir programme had been like. I have to say too - that I had very little knowledge of what had happened, just that they had been charged and found guilty of fraud. I hadn't really been interested in the newspaper reports or tv news reports, so I felt I looked at the ITV2 programmed with a fairly open mind.
The first thing I noticed was the way he systematically mentioned every possible answer - this was something that stuck out like a sore thumb to me, even in the very early rounds. Contestants dont usually do that, or are not that confident and comfortable on 'Live' tv to do such a thing. The way he deduced and decided on Craig David as the answer as opposed to A1 which had been his preference at first was apalling and so amateur'ish! I think he got greedy.....
I didnt at the time I was watching the ITV2 programme know that the 'third' person (Whittick?) was actually a 'Fastest Finger' contestant too - I thought that he must have been in the audience.
In answer to Karen and Dave - on the ITV1 programme which I watched afterwards, I thought they mentioned that it was only when they realised that Whittick was going to be on the same show (ie at the end of the first show where he had got to £2000 ??) that they hatched this scam? Actually, I'll watch that bit again and come back on that point, because I think it is really interesting! LOL
I can understand that Chris Tarrant had no idea of the coughing - he was doing his job, after all - can you imagine the uproar if he didnt concentrate and gave the wrong question/answer/sum of money out because he was distracted by someone coughing! LOL
Fascinating viewing though - I dont think I'll delete it yet - makes a good conversation piece! ROFLOL
The first thing I noticed was the way he systematically mentioned every possible answer - this was something that stuck out like a sore thumb to me, even in the very early rounds. Contestants dont usually do that, or are not that confident and comfortable on 'Live' tv to do such a thing. The way he deduced and decided on Craig David as the answer as opposed to A1 which had been his preference at first was apalling and so amateur'ish! I think he got greedy.....
I didnt at the time I was watching the ITV2 programme know that the 'third' person (Whittick?) was actually a 'Fastest Finger' contestant too - I thought that he must have been in the audience.
In answer to Karen and Dave - on the ITV1 programme which I watched afterwards, I thought they mentioned that it was only when they realised that Whittick was going to be on the same show (ie at the end of the first show where he had got to £2000 ??) that they hatched this scam? Actually, I'll watch that bit again and come back on that point, because I think it is really interesting! LOL
I can understand that Chris Tarrant had no idea of the coughing - he was doing his job, after all - can you imagine the uproar if he didnt concentrate and gave the wrong question/answer/sum of money out because he was distracted by someone coughing! LOL
Fascinating viewing though - I dont think I'll delete it yet - makes a good conversation piece! ROFLOL
Mrs Dazzle
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We thought the whole programme was fascinating - guilty as charged in my book - how Whittock is now still pleading not guilty I really can't understand.
The Ingrams seem to have spent most of their previous winnings making telephone calls to get the Mournful Major on - what a terrible thought, him leading our troops into battle - even Chris Tarrant seemed to get impatient a few times.
And if Darryl (DH) coughs once more when I ask if he wants a cuppa, I'll not be responsible for my actions - and you're all witnesses 
And that includes "phoning a friend, cough splutter".
The Ingrams seem to have spent most of their previous winnings making telephone calls to get the Mournful Major on - what a terrible thought, him leading our troops into battle - even Chris Tarrant seemed to get impatient a few times.
And if Darryl (DH) coughs once more when I ask if he wants a cuppa, I'll not be responsible for my actions - and you're all witnesses
And that includes "phoning a friend, cough splutter".
Janice
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Okay - had another look at the MB programme whilst having my lunch and he says that the Ingrams phoned Whittock during the evening before he was brought back for the second show - it was then they hatched this plan apparently. As all three were 'seasoned' Fastest Finger players, they knew each other.
Can you imagine the phone call??
"Whittock here!"
"Ah.........Whittock.....Major Ingrams here..........the wife and I wondered if you fancied, erm, joining us in erm, fleecing WWTBAM out of a million, no, make that Half a million,... no.... no, ahem.. I think we'll go with my original choice, but of course I could change my mind half way through??????" LOL
Actually, thinking on it, it would more than likely have been Mrs I that made the phone call, he didnt look like he had the brains to even think up this shoddy scam did he! LOL
Can you imagine the phone call??
"Whittock here!"
"Ah.........Whittock.....Major Ingrams here..........the wife and I wondered if you fancied, erm, joining us in erm, fleecing WWTBAM out of a million, no, make that Half a million,... no.... no, ahem.. I think we'll go with my original choice, but of course I could change my mind half way through??????" LOL
Actually, thinking on it, it would more than likely have been Mrs I that made the phone call, he didnt look like he had the brains to even think up this shoddy scam did he! LOL
I watched the Martin Bashir programme and then the full show on ITV2.
I totally agree with Janice's comments and think his biggest mistake was the way he "systematically mentioned every possible answer" - something no other contestant has ever done - you may hear them mention two that they are undecided over but not all four.
Who in their right mind would risk losing £468m on a question they don't know the answer to. He changed from Nanowhatsit to Googol for no apparent reason (no apparent reason other than the cough that is).
Something else that really stood out to me was his change in attitude on day two. During day one, he quite clearly said he never watched Coronation Street and didn't have a clue who Audrey's daughter was. If you didn't watch the programme you wouldn't know who Audrey was, let alone her daughter. He also clearly said he had never heard of the river Foyle and didn't have a clue where it was. He totally relied on his lifelines to answer those questions, he really didn't have a clue. However, at the start of the second programme he said that he had talked himself out of answers that he should have known and did know.
The fastest finger first player that didn't clap or cheer the "win" had already worked out what they were up to. He said at one point that he had been staring Major I in the face as he was trying to see where he was looking in the audience - he assumed that someone in the audience was giving some sort of hand singles - he then realised the signals were being given by coughs.
If he'd stopped at £125,000 he would have got away with it but he's obviously far too greedy for his own good.
I just hope they don't manage to make their fortune by selling their side of the story. I do feel quite sorry for their 3 kids.
I totally agree with Janice's comments and think his biggest mistake was the way he "systematically mentioned every possible answer" - something no other contestant has ever done - you may hear them mention two that they are undecided over but not all four.
Who in their right mind would risk losing £468m on a question they don't know the answer to. He changed from Nanowhatsit to Googol for no apparent reason (no apparent reason other than the cough that is).
Something else that really stood out to me was his change in attitude on day two. During day one, he quite clearly said he never watched Coronation Street and didn't have a clue who Audrey's daughter was. If you didn't watch the programme you wouldn't know who Audrey was, let alone her daughter. He also clearly said he had never heard of the river Foyle and didn't have a clue where it was. He totally relied on his lifelines to answer those questions, he really didn't have a clue. However, at the start of the second programme he said that he had talked himself out of answers that he should have known and did know.
The fastest finger first player that didn't clap or cheer the "win" had already worked out what they were up to. He said at one point that he had been staring Major I in the face as he was trying to see where he was looking in the audience - he assumed that someone in the audience was giving some sort of hand singles - he then realised the signals were being given by coughs.
If he'd stopped at £125,000 he would have got away with it but he's obviously far too greedy for his own good.
I just hope they don't manage to make their fortune by selling their side of the story. I do feel quite sorry for their 3 kids.
richard3330
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We watched this too last night and it was fascinating viewing.
I think he has got all that he deserves, it was so obvious that he was cheating, even on the ITV2 'real' version showing the entirity of the show. Like everyone has said - why would he read out every single answer on every single question?!
And when he changed his answer from A1 to Craig David that just completely gave the game away. He had never even heard of him for crying out loud!
Richard.
I think he has got all that he deserves, it was so obvious that he was cheating, even on the ITV2 'real' version showing the entirity of the show. Like everyone has said - why would he read out every single answer on every single question?!
And when he changed his answer from A1 to Craig David that just completely gave the game away. He had never even heard of him for crying out loud!
I completely agree, it must be devastating to have your parents branded as cheating fraudsters.
Richard.
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