The 'coughing major' scandal on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? explained (2024)

Two decades ago, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? was one of the biggest shows on television. A third of the UK population were tuning in at its peak.

But its most infamous episode never actually made it to air.

Major Charles Ingram duped his way to the £1m prize back in 2001, in what has come to be known as the coughing scandal.

That scandal was recently brought to life in an ITV drama, Quiz, which stars Succession‘s Matthew McFayden as Ingram, Fleabag‘s Sian Clifford as his wife Diana and Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, The Damned United) as host Chris Tarrant.

Here is how the true story unfolded…

Ingram’s history with WWTBAM

This was not Ingram’s first rodeo on the Who Wants to be a Millionaire? set. On 27 January 2011 he made it to the show’s preliminary “Fastest Finger First” round, in which a group of contestants must answer a single question, and whoever answers quickest gets to take on the quiz proper. However, he failed to make the hot seat.

Three months later he and his wife Diana entered the couples version of the show, but again failed in the Fastest Finger First round.

Diana attempted to win the prize solo in April. She navigated the preliminary round and found herself sat opposite Tarrant, coming away with £32,000.

And in September Ingram finally got his turn, after winning Fastest Finger First in 3.97 seconds.

How the coughing scandal worked

Ingram struggled on his first day of filming. After getting the first five questions right he was forced to use his “Ask the Audience” lifeline on the £2,000 question – about Coronation Street – and his “Phone a Friend” on the following £4,000 question, about where the River Foyle can be found.

History of the show suggested that when Ingram returned the next day he wouldn’t get much further, and the producers agreed he was a dead man walking.

However, that night he and Diana hatched a plan with a man named Tecwen Whittock, who was set to be among the Fastest Finger First line-up for the next day’s filming.

The plan was for Ingram to read out each possible answer to a question, and for Whittock to cough when he heard the right answer.

The questions

Ingram answered the first five questions correctly without any help.

£100: On which of these would you air laundry?(A. Clothes dog / B. Clothes horse / C. Clothes rabbit / D. Clothes pig)

£200: What name is given to a person who is against increasing the powers of the European Union?(A. Eurosceptic / B. Eurostar / C. Eurotrash / D. Eurovision)

£300: What is butterscotch? (A. Shortbread / B. Pavement game / C. Garden flower / D. Brittle toffee)

£500: Which of these is the nickname for a famous Scottish army regiment?(A. Black Cat / B. Black Widow / C. Black Sea / D. Black Watch)

£1,000: The Normans, who invaded and conquered England in 1066, spoke which language? (A. German / B. Norwegian / C. French / D. Danish)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPoVMlSazbQ&feature=emb_title

£2,000: In Coronation Street, who is Audrey’s daughter? (A. Janice / B. Gail / C. Linda D. Sally)

Ingram was forced to use his “Ask the Audience” lifeline, with 89 per cent selecting the correct answer.

£4,000: The River Foyle is found in which part of the United Kingdom? (A. England / B. Scotland / C. Northern Ireland / D. Wales)

Ingram did not know the answer to the £4,000 question either, so he phoned his friend Gerald, who was “99 per cent” sure he knew the right answer – and was correct.

This signalled the end of Ingram’s first day of filming. The buzzer went with the Army Major sitting on £4,000, with one lifeline remaining.

When he came back the next day the plot had been hatched with his wife and Whittock. Ingram tells Tarrant he only struggled the night before because he talked himself out of correct answers, despite admitting previously that he had “no idea” about either the £2,000 or £4,000 questions.

£8,000: Who was the second husband of Jacqueline Kennedy?(A. Adnan Khashoggi / B. Ronald Reagan / C. Aristotle Onassis / D. Rupert Murdoch)

Ingram immediately said he thought it was Onassis, but read the answers out anyway. Whittock coughed at answer C to confirm it.

£16,000: Emmenthal is a cheese from which country? (A. France / B. Italy / C. Netherlands / D. Switzerland)

This was the only question of the day Ingram got right without any help.

£32,000: Who had a hit UK album with Born To Do It, released in 2000? (A. Coldplay / B. Toploader / C. A1 / D. Craig David)

Neither Ingram nor Whittock knew the answer, so he was forced to use the “50/50” lifeline, which limited the options to just A1 and Craig David.

Ingram was leaning towards A1, but Diana took a risk and coughed when he read out David’s name, causing him to change his answer and progress to the £64,000 question.

£64,000: Gentlemen v Players was an annual match between amateurs and professionals of which sport? (A. Lawn tennis / B. Rugby Union / C. Polo / D. Cricket)

Whittock coughed twice for option D, signalling the correct answer.

£125,000: ‘The Ambassadors’, in the National Gallery, is a painting by which artist? (A. Van Eyck / B. Holbein / C. Michelangelo / D. Rembrandt)

This is where there started to be less space between Whittock coughing and Ingram selecting the right answer. He had to cough twice after Holbein to make sure Ingram chose the correct option.

£250,000: What type of garment is an Anthony Eden? (A. Overcoat / B. Hat / C. Shoe / D. Tie)

Whittock did not know the answer, so asked fellow Fastest Finger First contestant Tom Lucy, who told him it was hat. He then coughed three times to signal the right answer and Ingram again progressed.

Mr Lucy started to get suspicious here, and said that once Ingram had won the million he said he knew there was some cheating involved.

£500,000: Baron Haussmann is best known for his planning of which city? (A. Rome / B. Paris / C. Berlin / D. Athens)

Everything almost fell apart here. Ingram was sure the answer was Berlin, and did not even read out all the answers as planned, so Whittock coughed and uttered “no” under his breath.

Ingram continued to be swayed by Berlin, so Whittock blew his nose to try to indicate this was wrong, then coughed when the Major tried to rule out Paris, to show it was in fact the right answer.

Whittock had to cough four times and blow his nose twice before Ingram eventually plumped for Paris, arousing the suspicion of another Fastest Finger First contestant, named Larry Whitehurst.

£1,000,000: A number one followed by one hundred zeros is known by what name? (A. Googol / B. Megatron / C. Gigabit / D. Nanomole)

Whittock again got the correct answer from Mr Lucy. Ingram said he had never heard of a googol, but Whittock’s coughs told him it was the right answer.

Tarrant warned Ingram that he was about to choose a millon-pound answer he had never heard of until a few seconds ago, but even after the confetti rained down the host had never considered that Ingram might have cheated.

Why some people doubt Ingram’s guilt

The producers were immediately suspicious, and decided not to air Ingram’s episodes, and that the prize money would be withdrawn.

When the story was reported Ingram vehemently denied all accusations. “I am innocent. I did not cheat,” he said.

However, he and his wife were arrested on suspicion of deception in November, as was Whittock. They were all found guilty but avoided jail time after being given suspended sentences.

However, some still believe the Ingrams to be innocent, including Guardian journalist Jon Ronson, who covered the case at the time.

He and others thought the coughs may have been caused by unconscious triggers. Whittock, meanwhile, claimed he had suffered from a persistent cough all his life.

However, that cough was non apparent when he later sat in the hot seat himself. He came away with just £1,000.