Who Wants to be a Millionaire creator slams ‘cheating’ Major Charles Ingram after ITV’s Quiz casts doubt on guilt
THE creator of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? has launched a furious rant at Coughing Major Charles Ingram and insisted: “He was a cheat.”
More than six million watched Wednesday’s finale of the ITV drama Quiz, which examined how Ingram cheated his way to the jackpot in 2001.
But the show cast doubt on whether or not Ingram, wife Diana and accomplice Tecwen Whittock cheated.
Producer David Briggs, 71 — played in the show by Elliot Levey — said: “What I’d say to anyone uncertain of their guilt now is simple — go back and watch the programme.
“I was there in the studio on the night it happened, and the evidence is compelling.
“I’m very protective of Millionaire. This is the show that I created. It was my little baby. But it was a show that was important to the viewing public of Britain.
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“The Ingrams did their evil deed then I think the public got behind us and thought, ‘These disgusting little guys tried to cheat’.
“If I ever met them in the street, I’d ask them, ‘If my lips would be sealed for the rest of my life, tell me: did you do it?’ I’d just like to hear him admit it.”
Whittock and the Ingrams were convicted of fraud in 2003 after coughs indicated the correct answers to the major, played by Matthew Macfadyen in the drama.
The Ingrams have now said they will appeal. But David said the conviction was so long ago they will “have to pull a big rabbit out of the hat”.
Speaking on Radio X yesterday, the show’s former host, Chris Tarrant agreed he couldn’t see their appeal succeeding. The TV star, played on the drama by Michael Sheen, also claimed the courtroom scenes in the show’s finale were skewed to make viewers think they were innocent.
Meanwhile Chris Tarrant, played by Michael Sheen on the drama, has called Ingram “a rotter, a cad and a bandit” and said he has “beef” with Quiz for casting doubt over his guilt.
Speaking on Radio X yesterday, the show’s former host agreed he couldn’t see their appeal succeeding.
He also claimed the courtroom scenes in the show’s finale were skewed to make viewers think they were innocent.
He said: “That bit was a bit of production company skulduggery basically. They wanted you to think: ‘Blimey I don’t think he was guilty.’
“I mean it’s been nearly 20 years now since it happened, I can’t see how they’re suddenly going to launch an appeal - half the people involved are probably dead.”
“The bottom line is he’s a rotter and a cad and a bandit and he was guilty. Nothing has changed my mind.”
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