The Coughing Major | In The Hot Seat | 2
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Matt Ford. Alice Levine. Hello. I'll move us on because I have a small survey to conduct, if that's okay? Small name, small survey. It all makes sense. So last episode, very tense, obviously. So I just need to know, are you A, still interested, B, getting bored, C, going down a Google rabbit hole in your own spare time and it's just taking up every waking hour, or D, simply trying to listen to another podcast and this automatically plays? Oh, I think I know this one.

I think it's A. You've made it through to the next round. Yes! Do I get a free pen or a biscuit for doing the survey? The 30th of May, 2002. Savile Row Police Station, London. Diana Ingram rubs at her forehead. She looks over at the two detectives opposite. I need to find my girls. They'll be worried. One of the officers folds his arms. He's heavy-framed with close-shaven hair. You can ring when you're finished.

Let's go back to the first day your husband was in the hot seat.

Your brother used his mobile phone in the studio. Can you tell us what that was about? She glances over at her lawyer, Frank Brazel. He's a solidly built man with a mop of unruly hair. He leans across the desk. You need to ask him that, not my client. The detectives glance at each other. How long have you known Techwin Whittock? What was your relationship with him? She opens her mouth to answer, but her lawyer raises a dark eyebrow at her.

My client has already answered these questions on two previous occasions. Diana leans back. The detective carries on. Tell us how you first came into contact with Mr Wittock. When can I make my call? As soon as you start talking. She clasps her hands, puts them in her lap. No comment. Why did you keep looking at Mr Wittock when your husband was stuck on... Question 10. The £32,000 question. The question on Craig David.

I'd have got that one right. Seven days every time. He took her for a drink on Tuesday. They were in the police station on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. They got bail on Tuesday. Oh my goodness. I will be stealing that joke and telling it at the pub. Diana rolls her eyes. No comment. In fact, you looked over in the direction of Mr Whittock on several occasions while your husband was in the hot seat.

Why was that, Mrs Ingram? No comment. You had a plan to cheat, didn't you, Mrs Ingram? You, your husband, and Tech Quinn Whittock. You all formed a plan to steal the £1 million prize money. Diana sits up, glares at the two detectives. I know my rights. You either charge me or let me go. The detectives glance at each other. Diana juts out her chin. Well? One of the detectives clenches his jaw, frowns. Interview terminated at 18.27.

A few minutes later, Diana Ingram walks out of the police station and onto a busy London street. She leans against the station wall, closes her eyes in relief. She just hopes Charles remembers to stay quiet too. I think Charles is going to say a little bit more.

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From Wondery, I'm Alice Levine. And I'm Matt Ford. And this is British Scandal. MUSIC

So Matt, in the last episode, we met Major Charles Ingram and his wife, Diana. Yes, the other Charles and Di. If you will. And they were quiz obsessives. Well, she was at least. Yeah, and her family had been on Millionaire five times. She went on, won 32 grand, which is an amazing amount of money, but she's still not satisfied and decides to have one more go. Yeah, we still can't believe that you can dominate that many episodes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? But that's where Charles, her husband, comes in.

Not a big quiz guy, not compared to her and her brother anyway, but he's their last shot at winning really big. Okay, so I reckon this episode he's going to play the game of his life. Sure. Get loads of answers right. They're going to go home in a carriage with loads of money. Daughters are going to ride forever on ponies through golden meadows and the sun will always shine. I wish I saw the world through your eyes. This is episode two, In the Hot Seat.

Two weeks earlier, the 9th of September, 2001. Who wants to be a millionaire set? Elstree. Charles Ingram wipes his palms on his jeans. He's standing in the contestants' tunnel, waiting to go on set. He looks over at the cameras, waiting to roll in. He can hear the audience chatting. The studio lights are on pale blue, but the set still looks intimidating. He looks over at the hot seat. His mouth goes dry. He needs to keep a clear head.

Yesterday, he'd got to question seven before the klaxon sounded. He's back today as a rollover contestant. And he's eight questions away from a million pounds. If he gets these next eight questions right, he can give his family everything they want. They'll never have to worry about money ever again. A makeup woman steps forward and dusts the shine from his forehead. A few seconds later, he hears the studio manager's voice. Three, two, one.

Lights flash around the studio. He walks onto the set with Chris Tarrant. Tarrant shakes his hand, wishes him good luck. He hears himself say, I'm really looking forward to it. But that's not actually how he feels. Yesterday's questions were meant to ease him into the show, but he struggled. He's already used up two of his lifelines. He takes a deep breath and settles himself into the chair. His heart thuds as he watches Tarrant announce, Let's play Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

On the drive home last night, he and Diana had talked through his performance. They've come up with a new strategy. He tells Chris Tarrant. Yesterday I was a bit defensive. Today I'm going on the counter-attack. Tarrant looks amused. He reads out the next question. For £8,000, who was the second husband of Jacqueline Kennedy? Charles stares at the monitor. He flicks his tongue over his dry lips, tries to steady his breathing. I'm not certain.

He reads out the options to himself, glances up at Tarrant. One of my sub-strategies is to take my time. That's so clever that he has a grand phrase for it. It's just time-wasting. It's actually a sub-strategy I'm deploying right here, Chris. You wouldn't understand it, mate. You're not military. You don't have the clearance. I can't tell you anymore. Tarrant sits back, smiles. You're a wild and crazy man. Charles laughs. So does the audience. He tells Tarrant he thinks he knows the answer.

Again, to be fair to him, great TV contestant performance. Oh yeah, building in some suspense. I think I know the answer. He's playing with us at home as well. He's quite the showman, Matt. But when he looks down at the monitor again, he's really not sure at all. All he can do is hope his strategy works. He hesitates, then tells Chris Tarrant, I'm ready to play.

It's exciting, isn't it? It's such a clever way to waste time. I mean, in a way, it's like an interrogation training. It's like Zero Dark Thirty, but at Endemol. But which is the longest river? Floor manager Phil Davies nudges the camera operator next to him. He wants a closer shot of the Major. He's stuck on the question and he's sweating. Davies wants a smooth running show tonight. Yesterday, the Major's guest caused a bit of disruption. He won't be sorry to see him leave.

But then he hears Tarrant say, It's the right answer! Davies is surprised. He hadn't expected the Major to get as far as this. He was hopeless in rehearsals and also pretty demanding. Davies had made it clear he could only have one guest. But the Major had turned up with his wife and brother-in-law and had insisted his brother-in-law sit in the VIP seats away from the main audience. Hmm...

He'd given in, only because he had so much to do. But he'd caught the Major's brother-in-law using his mobile phone while they were recording. That would get you chucked out of the average British pub quiz. It's so true. They are militant about that. He used it three times. You're barred. In the end, Davies had sent a security guard to watch him for the rest of the show. He's grateful he isn't here tonight. He's got enough to organise without keeping Major Ingram's guests in check.

Davies runs his fingers through his dark hair, looks over at Major Ingram again. Right now he's struggling with a question about cheese. Would you like some? I don't know. I had a big lunch. Soft or hard, blue or not. Tarrant asks him what he would do with £16,000 if he won it. Davies orders camera number five to get a close-up shot. He really wants him to say something that'll catch people's imagination or melt their hearts.

But Major Ingram says he wants to buy his daughters a pony. I don't know what your strategy or sub-strategy is, but it's working. You've just got £16,000. Davies joins in with some half-hearted applause. He's not too concerned about the situation. The way Ingram's playing, he won't be in that seat much longer. All Davies has to do is stand back and wait until the boring Major's gone.

I think Davies might be underestimating the boring major. You always have good instincts about these things. This is episode two in our series, The Boring Major. Eight minutes later, Diana sits in the darkness of the audience and stares down at the back of her husband's head. She starts to realise he's going bald. Not the time, Diana.

Who had a hit UK album with Born To Do It, released in 2000? That is Craig David, right? It is Craig David. Yes! She can see Charles rub his chin. I vaguely recall it, but I don't honestly know for sure. Diana glances at the camera, pointing right at her. She needs to hide her concern. But surely Charles must know this. The girls play it all the time. She looks back at her husband's face on the screen. I think it's A1.

I've never heard of Craig David and Toploader is part of a rifle. It's also a washing machine. Either way, not much help. No, fair point. The audience laugh. Tarrant quips, it's also a brassiere. OK, Tarrant went in a pervier direction than me. Also, I've literally never heard of that. Nobody ever goes, have you seen my Toploader? You could be washing your Toploader bra in your Toploader washing machine while listening to Toploader. What a way to live.

Diana forces a short smile. She glances over at the fastest finger first pit. She sees Tecwin Whittock. She's been in touch with Tecwin for a few months now. He's part of the millionaire quiz circuit, the one she helps organize with her brother Adrian. Yesterday, he told her he'd won a place on the show. She watches him now push his square glasses up his nose.

This is a good place to say if people haven't watched the supercut on YouTube of people waving on who wants to be a millionaire, it really is a great way to spend 54 minutes. You have to watch it. These people have never waved before. It's unbelievable. I would say watch it alongside listening to this. That's quite a nice thing to do. A companion piece. Diana hears Charles say, sadly, I'll have to play 50-50. Diana rolls her eyes again. It isn't going to help.

One of the tips in her book is never to rely on the 50-50 option. And Charles knows this too. She looks at his face on the monitor. He looks lost. Tarrant reminds him he doesn't have to play this. He could leave with 16,000 pounds. That's a lot of ponies. Food, nosebags, the lot. Diana can hardly bear to look. A few seconds pass. I think it's A1. Diana touches the base of her throat, coughs, then covers her mouth.

I think I'll go for A1. Final answer. Charles grins. No. All right, drive me mad now. Just get on with it, mate. Diana leans back in her chair. She's the only person in the audience not laughing. She watches Charles mutter through his two options. Um, A1 or Craig David. A1 or Craig David. Diana coughs again, covers her mouth.

For a brief second, it sounds like she's choking. The studio music pulses. Then Charles says, 80% of the time when I guess, I'm wrong. I'll go with Craig David. Incredible. The audience gasps. Diana watches the look of surprise on Tarrant's face. What were you like in Bosnia? Were the men confused? Diana manages a tiny smile. Everyone around her giggles as Tarrant moves onto his recap. You went for A1.

Then he changed his mind, knowing he'd lose £15,000 and went for Craig David, who he'd never heard of. You've just won £32,000. Those bits are amazing. You can't help but want them to win. I love it. You're weirdly on their side. You're weirdly rooting for them. We always pick the wrong-uns, though. Diana sinks back into her chair, relieved. A few seconds later, her own face fills the screen.

This time, she smiles for the cameras. It's like smiling at CCTV, isn't it? In the same studio, at that same moment, floor manager Phil Davies stares at Charles Ingram. He wipes his hand over his face, stares again. He can't quite believe what he's seeing. Chris Tarrant is handing over a cheque for £32,000. It's a massive milestone in the game. Davies orders a camera to pan in for a close shot.

But his gut instinct tells him something's wrong. He needs time to think, so he calls a production break. He watches for a few moments as a team swarm around Chris Tarrant, armed with makeup and hairspray. Then he crosses the studio floor, walks up the few steps to the control room, pulls up a chair at one of the monitors, and rewinds the footage. This is like VAR, but for a quiz show. It's so tense. Since he came into the studio tonight, Charles Ingram has answered three questions –

When Davies watches the footage back, the only question Ingram seems sure about is that Emmental cheese comes from Switzerland. But there's something odd about the way he's playing. Most people show some flicker of recognition when they see the right answer come up on the monitor. But Major Ingram hasn't. He changes his mind for no good reason, or picks answers he's already discarded. And there's something about the way he keeps reading out the options over and over again.

Most contestants will give some logic for their choice, but Charles Ingram doesn't have any logic. And yet, he keeps getting the answers right. Davies runs his fingers through his hair. He's starting to think Major Charles Ingram is cheating in front of a live audience, in front of Davies' own crew. And what's more, he's getting away with it. Wow.

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The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire studio, Elstree, the fastest finger first pit. Tecwin Whittock smooths down his flat brown hair. He's sitting right behind Charles Ingram. Right now, Ingram is three questions away from one million pounds. You forget how few questions it was. Well, it's exponential growth at that point. You go 32, 64, 125, then all of a sudden, you're a millionaire. There's the science bit.

The question for a quarter of a million pounds is what type of garment is an Anthony Eden? Any ideas, Matt? Well, he had a moustache. OK. Not technically a garment, but yeah. I'm doing what Ingram does. He's just buying a bit of time. Anthony Eden. Prime Minister, wasn't he? Yeah. I think it's going to be a sort of Macintosh. OK. Long coat. Long moustache. Sort of like Burberry style beige kind of coat. Yeah. OK.

Tecuin pushes his square glasses up his nose. He hasn't got a clue what the answer is, but he really wants to know. Tecuin is 51 years old. He's a lecturer at Pontypridd College. He's the head of business studies there. He likes his job, but his real passion is quizzing. He's been desperate to get on the show since it started. That's why he got in touch with Diana Ingram. They've been chatting for months now, swapping tips and information on how to get selected.

And now Tecwen is in the studio at the same time as Charles is in the hot seat. He really wants him to do well. But right now, Charles has his head in his hands. Tecwen listens as Charles reads the options under his breath. Overcoat, hat, shoe, tie. I said overcoat before even seeing the options. You did, to be fair. Come on! And I made sure that you didn't read ahead. Just remember, Charles, you lose £93,000 if you're wrong.

Tecwen leans to the guy next to him in the pit. He's about his age, heavy set with a beard. He whispers, Do you know the answer? The guy nods and whispers back to Tecwen. Yeah, it's a hat. Oh God, I've made a terrible mistake. Or have I? Maybe this guy's wrong. Tecwen nods. Yeah, that's what I thought. A hat.

He leans back in his chair, watches Charles go through the options again. The studio is dry. His throat tickles. He really needs a drink of water. He coughs. Hears Charles say, I'm sure it's a hat. Am I sure? Tecwin coughs again. Charles gives his final answer. Tecwin sees Charles dip his head while he waits for Tarrant to tell him if he's right or not.

Right at that moment, Tecwin catches the eye of another contestant. He's a guy roughly his age and he's sitting on the other side of the fastest finger first bit. He's got his arms folded. He's staring at Tecwin and he doesn't look happy. Tecwin flicks in the V. A few minutes later, Chris Tarrant puts his head in his hands. He's just asked Charles Ingram the £500,000 question. Charles Ingram thinks the answer is Berlin.

He's confident. But Tarrant tells him, 10 minutes ago, you thought it was A1. Yeah, but not to this question. Ingram laughs. So does the audience. Chris Tarrant loves this guy. He's making great television. Somehow, he's stumbled his way to the half a million pound question. He's made so many twists and turns, taken so many risks, the audience can't get enough.

Tarrant's never had anyone like this in the hot seat before. He's determined to make the most of it. If Ingram plays the half a million question, ratings will go through the roof. But Tarrant knows he can't influence him. So he puts on his best poker face and reads the question again. Baron Houseman is best known for his planning of which city. He tells Ingram to take his time, reminds him it's a huge amount of money to win, but that it's also a huge amount of money to drop.

If you're wrong, you'll lose £218,000. A couple of questions ago, Ingram had talked about wanting a deposit for a house. So Tarrant reminds him he's got a quarter of a million, more than enough for a down payment anywhere. Tarrant watches as Ingram stares at the monitor. Ingram's still sure the answer is Berlin, but he's slowly rubbing his chin. Tarrant glances up at the audience. Usually he can see people yawning or whispering to each other.

There's none of that now. Everyone is completely silent. All eyes are on Charles Ingram. Tarrant lets the silence last for just the right amount of time and then reminds him, You don't have to play. Ingram blinks up at him. I think it's Paris.

Ah, yes, sorry. When I said Berlin earlier, Baron Hausmann, wasn't it? Yeah, at Paris. You always mix those two up. Yeah, sure, sure. He's changed his mind again. The audience can't believe it. Neither can Tarrant. But he's determined to make the most of it. No, hang on, where are we? Everyone laughs. He recaps. You thought it was Berlin a second ago. It's Paris. I'm sure it is. Tarrant leans forward.

Final answer? Final answer. You had £250,000. You did not need to play this question. Ingram hangs his head. Tarrant goes on.

You thought it was Berlin, Berlin, Berlin. You changed your mind to Paris. He pauses. That brought you £500,000. Amazing. Charles Ingram leaps towards him. The audience yell out. Some are on their feet. Tarrant shouts his congratulations over the cheering.

Against all the odds, somehow this guy has made it to the million pound question. And now the stakes couldn't be any higher. Tarrant wipes his hand over his blonde hair, waits patiently until the clapping stops. It's one of the best episodes they've ever made. And he's about to ask the million pound question. But right now, all Chris Tarrant can manage is one word. Unbelievable. Unbelievable.

At that same moment, floor manager Phil Davies folds his arms. He's spent the last hour watching every move Charles Ingram has made. He's even more certain than ever that the Major is cheating. He has eight cameras and 21 microphones in the studio, but he still hasn't got a clue how Ingram's doing it. And now the Major's on the million-pound question. He listens as Chris Tarrant reminds Ingram, If you give me the right answer, you win a million.

If you give me the wrong answer, you lose £468,000. Oh, God. Davies glances around the room. The audience and the crew are totally mesmerized. He should be too. This is the golden moment of the show. They've only ever had two jackpot winners, and neither of those shows were as tense as this. But Davies is totally deflated. He covers his eyes for a few seconds, tries to shut out the feeling he's watching a heist in broad daylight.

Can you imagine? You'd feel like you were screaming in a dream, you know, when nobody can hear you. Be like a bank manager watching the CCTV in his own bank, unable to figure out how the money's leaving the vault. Tarrant's voice cuts through the silence. This is it. Question number 15.

And number one, followed by 100 zeros, is known by what name? You know, at the start of this series, I think we asked this question. So I've already heard the question and I still don't know the answer. Doesn't bode well though, does it, that just one episode ago we knew the options and they've completely left us. Davies looks over at the major. Right now, Ingram is frowning at the four options on the monitor. When Davies looks up at Diana Ingram, she seems nervous. He'd expect that. But there's something else. She looks annoyed.

More than that, she looks livid. He listens in on her mic. She mutters, Oh God, don't start. He watches her fold her arms and then sees her look away from her husband. Davies follows her eyeline. She's looking down at one of the fastest finger first contestants. Davies grabs the contestant list.

He runs his finger down the column of names until he hits the one Diana Ingram's looking at in seat number three. It's Tecwin Whittock. Uh-oh. But there's no way Tecwin Whittock could be helping the Major. He's sitting right behind him. Davies paces for a couple of seconds. Then he grabs the security guard. He keeps his voice as low as he can. If he wins the million, I want him searched. Understood? Oh my God!

Davies heads to the back of the studio, finds a quiet spot away from the cameras and microphones. He takes out his mobile. He searches for Paul Smith's number, the CEO of Cellador. A few seconds later, Smith answers. Davies tells him he has a contestant in the studio on question 15. Good, great. No, no, no, he's cheating. He's about to steal a million pounds.

Seconds later, Charles Ingram reads the four options on his monitor in front of him. He's got one more question. The whole show has gone brilliantly. He just needs to get the next one right, and he's sure he can do it. Right then. He pauses for a second. I'm not sure. Chris Tarrant hides his face in his hands. Charles, you haven't been sure since question number two. Charles grins. He knows he's riding his luck.

Before the show started, he'd promised Diana he'd quit on half a million. Talk about hubris. And that he wouldn't gamble on the last question unless he was 100% certain he knew the answer. But everything's worked for him so far. He's sure he can do this. And when he looks at the monitor again, he grins with confidence. I think it's a nanomole. The studio is deathly silent.

Blood rushes in his ears. But it could be a gigabit. The silence grows around him. I don't think it's a Megatron. And I don't think I've heard of a Google. His mouth feels suddenly dry. He swallows hard. He's desperate to turn round and look at Diana. He doesn't know whether he should push on or not. He sits rigid for a few minutes. A few minutes? On TV, a few minutes? That is a long time.

By process of elimination, I think it's Google, but I don't know what a Google is. Tarrant reminds him. That's how we got to Craig David. We went with him because you'd never heard of him. A second ago, you thought it was a nanomole. He tells Tarrant this is his only chance of winning a million pounds. It's also the only chance you'll ever have of losing 468,000.

You're going for the one you've never heard of just because you've never heard of it. Charles mutters to himself, Google, Google. He's more sure now that's the winning answer. He puts his finger to his lips, glances up at Tarrant. I don't mind taking the odd risk now and again. There's risk and risk, mate. Tarrant rears back, eyebrows raised.

Charles grins. And my strategy has worked so far. He reads the options again to himself and feels a sudden surge of confidence again. He looks up at Tarrant. OK, I'm going to play. Attention! The audience gasp. Tarrant reminds him that in the history of the show, no one has lost £468,000 before. But Charles has made up his mind. It's Google. Yep, yep, it's Google. He looks at Tarrant, his heart's pounding.

But Tarrant leans back and calls a break. Oh, I hated it when they did that at moments of high tension. Go on, do it. You know you want to. It's the fact that you do the hands. You do the lights. That's no, but with the hands. A few minutes later, recording starts again. Charles bites on his lip and squeezes his eyes shut as Tarrant recaps for the audience.

Oh, man. You just won £1 million. Oh, my God! Diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly. LAUGHTER

You are the most amazing contestant we have ever, ever had. He starts to cry. Seconds later, Diana's by his side. For a brief moment, she looks scared. Then she smiles, hugs him. He kisses her, holds her, sobs into her neck. He feels Tarrant put his arms around his shoulders as he hands him the check. He holds it long enough for the camera to get a closer. He lets his head hang back, stares up at the ceiling, watches the last of the confetti flutter down.

He's made it. He's won. He's a millionaire. When the check clears. Don't count your chickens or your checks. Could you do it by bank transfer now, please? This season, Instacart has your back to school. As in, they've got your back to school lunch favorites, like snack packs and fresh fruit. And they've got your back to school supplies, like backpacks, binders and pencils. And they've got your back when your kid casually tells you they have a huge school project due tomorrow.

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Paul Smith splashes cold water over his face. He snatches a paper towel from the dispenser, mops over his bare head, looks in the mirror. His exhausted face looks back. He's desperate to sleep, but he needs to stay awake. He needs to work out if Charles Ingram has been cheating on his show. And if he has, he needs to find proof. Smith is the 54-year-old CEO of Cellador, the company that makes Millionaire for ITV.

He's been working in television since he was 19. By the time he created Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, he pretty much knew what would work and what wouldn't. But Millionaire turned into a much bigger success than even he hoped. If Charles Ingram has cheated, his show is in serious trouble. In the editing suite, Smith tells the young sound technician to play the tapes again. They've been watching since the show stopped recording. They've already watched hours of footage. But Smith needs to be sure.

Major Ingram is an unusual contestant. The risks he takes are massive. Most contestants are terrified of losing what they've just won. Smith built this fear into the show's structure, and it works, most of the time. But Ingram is gambling big money on questions he's not sure about. It's strange, but it doesn't make him a cheat.

And if he is cheating, Smith can't work out how. And also, you'd have to be a bit reckless to get that far. Yeah, I suppose the difference with Charles is he's not a quizzer. Do you remember from last episode? He's not a natural born quizzer, not like Adrian, not like Diana. So I don't know if he's got that trivia in his blood. So maybe to other people who are playing, they'd have a bit more of an idea of a lot of these questions where he's just going, see, because my name starts with C. Yeah.

He's now watching Ingram play question 11. Gentlemen versus players was an annual match between amateurs and professionals of which sport? Ingram takes nearly 40 minutes to answer. How has he given that amount of time? Some of his questions, he took an hour. That's just amazing. Can you imagine being in that audience? You'd be like, I've got a family to go back to. Sorry, I've got a job.

The technician says this is what Ingram does. And he doesn't just read the options once, he reads them a few times. Smith shakes his head. It's not against the rules. There's nothing here. This is hopeless. Smith checks his watch. It's nearly five. His whole body aches. He stands up. He's about to call it a day when the technician shouts, There! There! Smith stares at the screen. What am I looking at?

The technician hands him the headphones. It's not what you can see, it's what you can hear. Smith puts on the headphones, listens. He can hear Ingram reading out the options. At first he thinks it's lawn tennis, but when he reads out the correct answer, cricket, someone coughs. Smith orders the technician to speed the tape to the next question. Taron asks which artist painted the ambassadors.

And again, someone coughs after Ingram reads out the right answer. Wow. Smith feels the blood drain from his face. He has to be certain about this. So he goes over every single cough and plays devil's advocate for each one. There could be multiple people coughing. He might not have heard anything anyway because of the music. It could all be a coincidence. The young technician leans back, folds his arms...

Somebody coughs practically every time he reads out the right answer. It's not coincidence. It's cheating. Smith nods. He stands up, looks out of the window. It's already morning. And he's already made his decision. Charles Ingram is not going to ruin his show or his reputation. He's going to fight this out to the bitter end. And he's determined to win.

I'd say it was about 50-50. Very good. You've waited a long time to do that, so I'll give you that. I've been planning that for weeks. It's 8am, Tuesday the 11th of September, 2001. Langham Hotel, London. So this is the September the 11th? Yeah, this is just one of the crazy details of the story. This is about six hours before all of that unfolds. Oh, man. Diana Ingram rolls over in bed and kisses her husband. She can't believe he's done it. They're millionaires.

She pours out what's left of last night's champagne into two glasses and hands one to Charles. You're mad for the way you played. She kisses him again, picks up the cheque. They both look at it for a few seconds. Be careful with it. I still can't believe it. Diana sinks back onto the pillows. She gazes at the ornate plasterwork above the crystal chandelier.

She and Charles would never be able to afford to stay in a place like this. But the millionaire team had put them in a limo and sent them straight here after the show. So now she's determined to get used to her millionaire lifestyle and make the most of it.

Uh-oh. I'm just going to say at this point, I hope they go mad on the breakfast because I've got a feeling that might be the only thing they get out of this show.

Three sausage, three bacon. Go triple large, baby. Where you're going, they might not give you options for breakfast. Or cutlery. Two people stand up to greet them. One is Adrian Wolfe, a cellar door director. He gives them a warm grin. The other is Ruth Settle, head of press and publicity. She smiles at them both, pushes aside a strand of blonde hair and puts out her hand to congratulate them. Diana's not quite sure what this meeting's about...

She picks at her breakfast. She'd rather be house hunting, or at least looking at buying the girls a surprise pony. But the two cellar door execs keep asking Charles about his strategy. She watches her husband shrug. Mainly, I thought, if you know it, don't talk yourself out of it. Wolf and Settle smile. They nod, but they're clearly waiting for something else. They ask why he kept reading out his options.

Mm-hmm. Diana nods.

But Diana has already broken this rule. Oh no. She rang her publisher when she woke up this morning and left them a message. Her Millionaire Hints and Tips book is due out soon. She wants her publisher to know Charles has won a million. It'll give her book more credibility and a lot more sales. It might even help her launch a new career.

When she gets home that afternoon, her publisher rings. We're delighted at Charles' news. The new title of your book will be Win a Million. Can you do some publicity at the weekend? We've organised the Mail on Sunday to talk to you. Diana takes a breath. Yes, of course. A few days later, she's at home preparing for the Mail on Sunday interview when Charles walks in. He's ashen-faced. He tells her Paul Smith from Cellador rang him at work. He said they've got suspicions. They've gone to the police.

They won't air the show. They won't honour the cheque. Her legs buckle. She sinks onto a chair. In a split second, she feels her whole world slipping away. She blinks back tears, looks up at her husband. Listen to me, Charles. We worked hard to win that show, both of us. So now we're going to fight this. That man is not going to win. I can't decide whether I think they're guilty or not. It's a toughie. What do you think?

I'm not here for that, Matt. I'm just here to provide you with all the information you need, okay? Oh, man. This is tricky. A. They cheated. B. They got lucky. C. This never happened. D. You're already thinking about the next series. It's Friday the 21st of September, 2001. Strand Palace Hotel. Charles Ingram walks into the hotel's conference room. He takes his place behind a large wooden table, looks out at the waiting press.

He's pleased to see so many people. There must be a couple of hundred journalists here, at least. It's 20 days now since the show, 19 since Selador accused him of cheating. Diana had put their million-pound cheque into a high-interest account.

But a few days later, the bank rang. The cheque had bounced and they'd had to pay the interest back. Oh, insult to injury. But it's about more than the money. Charles' whole reputation is at stake. The tabloids are calling him the coughing major. So now he's determined to take control of this battle. He's going to put forward his case and tell the world that he's not a cheat.

A few days ago, he hired a PR firm. They've helped him write a statement. He's gone over every detail with his lawyer, Philip Jones. He looks down at the sheet of paper. His hands shake. He glances over at Jones. He's wiping his wire-framed glasses. Jones whispers, Just stick to the script. You'll be fine. Charles clears his throat. The room falls silent. He starts to read the statement. He's taking action against Selador for non-payment of his winnings.

He's issued a writ for the £1 million prize. He tells the press he's stunned, bewildered and devastated. In the army, you lead soldiers into battle. And for that, you need trust. Irreparable damage has been done to my life. No amount of money could repair what's been done. He looks away from the page, lets it drop to the desk. Philip Jones nudges him to pick it up, but he doesn't.

Instead, he looks straight at the cameras. I didn't do it. I didn't hear any coughing. I can't say there wasn't any. I didn't hear it. I think I'm starting to believe him. His eyes fill with tears. I didn't cheat. I believe you, Charles. The next day, Philip Jones rings him. He tells him millions of people watched the press conference and The Sun are running a headline, Cough Up My £1 Million ITV.

Charles grins. He tells Jones he's sorry for going off script. But it doesn't sound like it's done us any harm. Jones is silent for a second. That's why I'm ringing. I've got bad news, I'm afraid. What? Charles feels his stomach knocked. He listens as Jones tells him another contestant has come forward after watching his press conference. A guy called Larry Whitehurst. He was in the fastest finger first pit. I'm sorry, Charles, but he says you were cheating. I'm sorry, Charles, but he says you were cheating.

and he knows exactly how you did it. Okay, I've changed my mind. I think he's guilty. This is the second episode in our series, The Coughing Major. If you like our show, please give us a five-star rating and a review, and be sure to tell your friends.

A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatisations are based on historical research. If you'd like to know more about this story, books include Bad Show, The Quiz, The Cough, The Millionaire Major by Bob Woffenden and James Plaskett, John Ronson's Long Read in The Guardian, Are the Millionaire Three Innocent? and ITV's Tonight with Trevor MacDonald 2003 episode Major Fraud with Martin Bashir.

You can also watch the real-life episodes of Who Wants to be a Millionaire featuring Charles and Diana on YouTube. I'm Alice Levine. And I'm Matt Ford. Karen Laws wrote this episode. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our sound design is by Rich Ward. Script editing by James Magnea. Our associate producer is Francesca Gilardi Quadriocorsio. Our senior producer is Joe Sykes.

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