Quiz finally aired it’s long-awaited first episode on Monday night, and sent fans into a tailspin with its depiction of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? coughing scandal.
Along with setting the stage for how Charles and Diana Ingram formed their sinister plot to try and cheat the show out of £ 1 million, the first episode also revealed the formation of a secret syndicate of quizzers who would help contestants on the show.
Many viewers were stunning to learn that such a wholesome show could spark such sinister plots, with many comparing the scenes to that of spy epic Mission Impossible.
Shocking: Quiz finally aired it’s long-awaited first episode on Monday night, and sent fans into a tailspin with its depiction of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire coughing scandal
In the first episode, Diana’s brother Adrian makes hundreds of desperate calls to appear on the show, but despite being a contestant on the show three times, he fails to make it to the hot seat.
Another contestants suggests he call Paddy Spooner, who appeared on Millionaire in three different countries, UK, Ireland and Au stralia.
His stint on the British version proved fruitful, as he won £ 305, , and in the series he is shown meeting Adrian in a pub.
Really? The first episode also revealed the formation of a secret syndicate of quizzers who would help contestants on the show by acting as Phone-A-Friends
Sinister: In scenes that could have been been compared to those from a crime drama, Adrian Pollock meets with ex-contestant Paddy Spooner, who tells him of the syndicate
Secretive: He explains he can slip Adrian the correct answers to land a spot on the show, and have his group of quizzers act as Phone-A-Friend’s for a 250% cut of the winnings
What is the Millionaire syndicate?
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire sparked a nationwide obsession when it began in 1998 with viewers desperately applying in their millions to appear on the show.
But the series also saw many serial quizzers capitalise by forming syndicates that could help contestants land a spot in Winners Row, and answer questions by posi ng as ‘Phone-A-Friends.’
Ex-contestants Paddy Spooner and Keith Burgess were among those to form such syndicates, asking for % of the winnings in return.
It’s thought this so-called ‘consortium’ may have been responsible for up to 18% of the show’s winnings – around £ 5 million
He then reveals that he can help Adrian make it onto the show by slipping him the answers to the questions used by researchers to pick contestants.
Paddy then offers the help of a group of serial quizzers who can help with correct answers – but for a 32% share of their winnings, branding them ‘The Syndicate.’
Adrian turns down the offer and does make it onto the show, but is disappointed to only win £ 32, 11 .
He then passes the baton to his sister Diana, who also falls at the same hurdle with just £ , 10, meaning they cannot pay off Adrian’s mounting debts.
The revelation that Millionaire was gripped b y something as sinister as a syndicate of quizzers sent many fans into a tailspin, with some questioning whether that element of the show was real.
One tweeted: ‘#quiz has all gone Mission Impossible with The Syndicate,’ while another posted: ‘Well I’ve clearly been living in my own little bubble cuz I had no idea about the syndicate thing and I’m really disappointed to find out about it now !! ‘
A third added:’ Knew there was something dodgy going on but did not realize the syndicate were that hard core. ‘
Stunned: Claims of a syndicate were in fact true. Paddy (pictured on Millionaire) appeared on the show in three different countries, and on the UK version scooped £ 250,
Flabbergasted: Viewers rushed to Twitter to share their reaction to the so-called syndicate, with one comparing the secret plots to that of Mission Impossible
One viewer added: ‘Never knew there was a syndicate helping people to win on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!’
A fan also posted: ‘Never knew there was a syndicate helping people to win on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire! ‘
Surprisingly the idea that there were syndicates cashing in on Millionaire was true, as former contestant Keith Burgess recently revealed.
Nothing wrong: Contestant Keith Burgess- who was involved in one of the so-called syndicates, recently claimed they ‘weren’t doing anything wrong’
He told The Sun : ‘We weren’t doing anything wrong. We were just helping people get on the show. The Ingrams cheated so ridiculously, though, and Charles didn’t know anything at all. ‘
The first episode of Quiz depicted how the show was originally created by ITV, and sparked the obsession of many viewers desperate to win the top prize.
After both Adrian and his sister Diana failed to win more than £ 32, , the episode ended with the revelation that Charles had landed a spot as a contestant, setting the stage of the so-called ‘Major Fraud’ – the title of the 2003 documentary based on the scandal.
Giving the game away? In the first episode of the series Diana Ingram (played by Sian Clifford left) puts forward husband Charles to appear on the show (pictured right in real life)
Man with all the answers: Tecwen Whittock is played by Michael Jibson in the drama. A contestant on the show, he would reveal the correct answers to Charles by coughing
Busted: The ‘Coughing Major’ scandal was nationwide headlines in 2001 when Ingram (picture right in real life) was exposed for cheating his way to the top prize
Legendary: Michael Sheen has also stunned viewers with his transformation into presenter Chris Tarrant (right), who hosted Millionaire from (to 2019)
The second episode will reveal how Charles and Diana formed their cheating plot, and how it worked so well they left the set with a £ 1 million check.
Quiz is based on a play about the scandal written by James Graham, which has been adapted to screen with the help of the Queen director Stephen Frears.
Charles famously cheated his way to the top prize with the help of fellow contestant Tecwen Whittock who coughed after hearing the correct answer for each multiple choice question.
They originally formed the plan after Ingram struggled to just £ 4, 10 in the first show, and had to use two of his lifelines to get there.
Really? The first episode of Quiz depicts how the series was created by ITV, making history at the time as the first to give away £ 1 million
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You’re next! After Diana and her brother Adriana falter on the show, it’s revealed that Charles will next appear as a contestant, setting the stage for the so-called ‘Major Fraud’
The coughs would not have been heard by viewers at home watching the show (which was never aired apart from during an ITV documentary) as a majority of the sound was focused on the hot seat.
Ingram eventually reached won the top prize with the help of Whittock, but even then many crew members were convinced he’d cheated, and even before they announced he’d won the top prize, produced threatened to stop filming after calling the Head Of Celador with their claims.
Throughout their trial and in its build-up Charles and Diana repeatedly insisted they hadn’t cheated, even when they were convicted of deception.
Chris famously testified against Charles during his trial, and said in the documentary that he was amazed when he learned about the crime from ITV crew members.
After a four-week crown court trial in 2003, Charles and Diana were convicted of deception , and Ingram was given a 32 – month suspended prison sentence.
His two accomplices were given – month suspended sentences for their part in the scam.
Quiz continues tomorrow at 9pm on ITV.
Back soon: Quiz continues tomorrow at 9pm on ITV
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