The Coughing Major | From Riches To Rags | 3
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Okay, Matt, how many times have we flogged the multiple choice joke in this series? A, two. B, too many. C, not enough. D, never. C. I mean, I've got nothing else. Yeah, I mean, I'm thinking we've got a whole other episode out of it, surely. Yeah, I could just keep making these jokes forever. Let's. It's 6am the 22nd of November 2001. Easterton, Wiltshire. Charles Ingram snaps out of his sleep. He looks out of the bedroom window. The street is lit up with flashing blue lights.

Police, open up. When he does, half a dozen police officers stare back. They're wearing stab vests and protective helmets. Big night out. One of them holds up a search warrant. His eyes scan it, but he can't take it in. He stands aside while they storm past him and into the house. He calls out. Don't go up there. My wife's still in bed. All right, mate, we won't. Didn't realise. My bad.

But he can already hear Diana's frightened voice. What do you think you're doing? A few minutes later, Diana comes into the kitchen. She's barefoot. She pulls her dressing gown tight around herself. They sit at the kitchen table as police officers tip out drawers and search through cupboards. Charles can hear them in his daughter's bedrooms. He runs upstairs and tries to stop them. The officer tells him not to obstruct the search or he'll be arrested. He goes back to the kitchen and sits down. He feels utterly powerless.

Half an hour later, the officer comes back. He wants to see his rugby shirt and jeans, the clothes he wore on Millionaire. He can't remember where they are. I think they're in the wash. They ask him where the fastest finger first machine is hidden. He tells them, we haven't hidden it. We gave it back to my brother-in-law, Adrian. They sound more like fans of the show. Can we see the clothes you wore, please? And the little machine, can we have a go on it? Any photos from when you were on the floor? What's Chris like?

Three and a half hours later, they're finished. They've taken his computer, mobile phones and four pagers.

Whoa. No, you can't. On suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud, you do not have to say anything. Yeah.

Until now, he's been fighting for the prize money and for his reputation. But if he and Diana are found guilty of this charge, they'll go to prison. Now he's fighting for his life. Should have just bought a scratch card.

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So, young Matthew, last time you sat back and listened gobsmacked as the Major somehow won a million. It was amazing how he did it because he had this insane strategy of wasting time and then dramatically changing his mind at the last minute.

Memorable. A memorable strategy. And then it turned out that maybe, just maybe, he was saying that was his strategy when in fact the real strategy was much more nefarious. Yeah, and pretty basic. Just get a guy to cough when he knows the right answer. It's a classic method. So, what about you? Where's your head at? Where do you fall? I'm way more undecided than I thought I was going to be at this stage. I can't really make my mind up and I keep...

oscillating in my mind between guilty and not guilty. It's so hard. Well, keep those two options very much at the forefront because this is episode three, From Riches to Rags. Same day, late afternoon, Wiltshire Police Station. Charles rubs his eyes. The police have been questioning him for over an hour now. He's hardly eaten all day. His head feels light. He spent most of the day waiting in the station cells.

He knows this tactic from the army. How prisoners left alone for hours will stew in their own fear. How they're more likely to talk in the end. He looks over at the two detectives sitting opposite. An athletic-looking man about his age and a younger woman. He's determined not to be intimidated by either of them. Half an hour ago, they wheeled in a television. Started playing a tape of the show. Question 10. Why did you choose Craig David when you'd been so sure it was A1?

This is so funny, going back over a quiz show appearance with a forensic attitude. No, but on Bruce's Price is Right, you were going to go higher than a seven. And then after the crowd shouted lower, you did go lower. They should do this kind of VAR on pub quizzes. Interesting that you looked at your phone just before the question about the longest river in the world, no?

He lets out a sigh. As I said on the show, when I guess at home, I'm 80% wrong. I decided to guess against myself. She stares at him. So you were lucky then. Charles looks over at the duty solicitor. She raises an eyebrow. Charles leans forward. It was my strategy. If I'm wrong most of the time when I guess, then choose a different answer. Is it really that hard for you people to understand?

It's a bit of an odd strategy to go, when I think I'm right, that's when I know I'm wrong. So therefore, go for the opposite. And also, at what point does he stop? He goes, all right, OK, well, this is right. But hang on, if I now think that's right, that has to be wrong. So now I have to keep changing it again. Which was my original gut instinct. You have to remember in the split second after you heard the question, what you thought.

The male detective leans forward. He puts his thick arms on the desk. Let's talk about the £500,000 question. You were sure the answer was Berlin? Charles sits back. Are we actually going over every single question? The detective ignores him. Then suddenly, it's Paris, for no reason. Charles looks at them both. I was thinking out loud. The detective tips back his head.

He grins. A grin's never good, is it, in this situation? No. Thinking out loud. Is that your final answer? I bet he'd been waiting all day to say that. Charles snaps back. Is that the best you can do? Actually, I think I am legally allowed to phone a friend. If only he'd had it ready. I can imagine that would go down like a lead balloon. The detective stops grinning. Fifteen minutes later, they tell him he's free to go.

He asks about Diana. They tell him she's already been released. He makes his way to the desk to be discharged. He shrugs out his shoulders to ease the tension. It's clear the police don't have much evidence against him. He's relieved about that. Even so, he's glad the army don't know about this arrest. Things have been awkward enough at work as it is. Surely they're going to find out. Don't they have checks and databases and things? He opens the station door. A crowd of photographers and reporters rush towards him.

He blinks over at television crews, at vans with satellites. They're from all over the world. Okay, the army are going to find out about this. Even the worst army would pick up on this. He squints against the blinding flash of a camera, puts his head down, fights his way through the crowd, ignores the reporters who yell questions at him. Do you think they're multiple choice? He's not talking to anyone until he's spoken to his commanding officers and explained the arrest to them. Because if they don't believe he's innocent...

His career is over. It's the 8th of August, 2002. Charles and Diana's house, Easterton, Wiltshire. Diana sits on the bed and hugs her oldest daughter, Portia. Her eyes are raw and swollen, but Diana can't get her to stop crying. Why did you call me Portia? I'm not going back to that school, Mum. I'm sick of being bullied. OK, I take it back. Yeah, well done. You're part of the gang now.

Two days ago, Diana and Charles had both been called to Marlowe Bone Magistrates Court. They were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and with dishonestly procuring Christopher Tarrant to sign a cheque by deception on the 10th of September 2001. Christopher Tarrant. It'd be like hearing if there was one on family fortunes. Mr. Leslie Dennis. You're like, what? No, it's Les. It's Les Dennis and Chris Tarrant.

Their court date has been set for the following March. Somehow, the date leaked to the press. Portia's school had been mobbed with journalists. Next day, one of the older girls waved a newspaper in Portia's face, told her, Your parents are cheats. When they go to prison, you'll go into care. What a horrible person. Diana kisses her daughter, tells her that's never going to happen. But even as she closes Portia's bedroom door, her own stomach is in knots. The past few weeks have been unbearable.

Ten days ago, their car tyres were slashed. What? Two days after that, a group of youths kicked their dog Simba so badly, the vet didn't think he'd make it. And now, her daughter's having panic attacks because of bullying. Whether people think they've cheated on a game show or not, this is way worse. This is intimidation and harassment. You also can't believe that people would feel so strongly about it that that would be their response. Their damn fastest finger first machine. She and Charles start searching for other schools.

A few days later, they take Portia to their top choice. The head gives them a tour, tells them the school is safe and friendly, that Portia will do well here. And we have zero tolerance on bullying. But when they look in on a lesson, some of the kids start to cough. Others join in. The rest start to giggle. Portia runs from the classroom in tears. It's quite good though, isn't it? It's quite a good joke. I mean, it's like mean, but it's quite good. It's mean, but...

It is funny. I can't deny it is funny. I mean, I would hate for it to happen to me, obviously, but quite sophisticated. On the drive home, Diana tells Portia not to worry. They'll find somewhere for her. But Portia snaps back. You can't because everybody hates us. Later that night, someone knocks on the door. I'll get it. Portia comes in carrying their cat, Buffy.

It's been shot with an air rifle. This is off the scale. It's absolutely horrendous. Diana takes the cat. Portia runs to her bedroom, crying. A few seconds later, Diana's on her way to the vet. If someone can do this to their pets, how much danger are their kids in? She blinks back her own tears. She won't cry. She won't be bullied. She's going to protect her family. And when that court case starts, she's going to fight. I'm rooting for them now.

It's Monday, the 3rd of March, 2003. Southwark Crown Court. Charles takes Diana's hand and leads her through the waiting crowd of photographers and reporters. He glances up at the sandy brick courthouse. Its canopy is low, the windows are tiny. He already feels claustrophobic. It's the first day of their trial. All night he's had nightmares about leaving his kids. He's determined to convince the jury he's innocent.

So Matt, beginning of the trial, gut instinct, guilty or innocent? It just looks so bad for them. Knowing what we know. Oh, I feel bad because I actually quite like them. But it feels guilty. Guilty, you think? Oh, you seem really... How did you always do it? You seem torn, you seem torn. Okay. Guilty. Life sentence. No parole. Okay, cool. Really go for it. Inside, the courtroom is poorly lit. The seats look worn and shabby. He glances up at the public gallery. It's packed.

People are chatting and passing sweets. Judge Rivlin walks in. He adjusts his square wire-framed glasses and takes his seat. Charles looks at Diana. She's pale and terrified. He squeezes her hand. The Crown Prosecutor, Nicholas Hilliard, takes to his feet. His round face is framed by his wig.

He turns to the jury to open the case. The three defendants before you had a clear aim. They wanted to cheat. The evidence suggests this plan. If you know the answer, cough after I say the right option. Charles shakes his head. Hilliard sweeps past him, switches on a television. The Major and Mrs Ingram were determined to win £1 million, and Mr Tecwin-Whittock was brought in to help them. All three had serious debts. Hilliard turns to the jury.

You're about to see a recording of the show. You'll hear Mr. Whittock cough 19 times. Each cough helps Major Ingram choose the right answer. This is a heist carried out under the glare of eight studio cameras and 21 microphones. Charles watches as Hilliard plays the tape. He pauses it at the million-pound question, asks the jury if they want to play. Charles watches Judge Rivlin smile. Do you pay up if they get it right? A ripple of laughter goes around the courtroom.

Charles frowns. His whole life is in the balance. They're treating it like a joke. This is bad. How far are they going to go? You could get six years in prison, but we don't want to give you that. You're walking away with a suspended sentence for two years, unless you re-event, in which case it's six years. A few moments later, the Ingrams barrister stands up. Sonia Woodley raises an eyebrow at the jury, juts out her angular chin.

The prosecution would have you believe that Major Ingram needed help with this quiz, that he's some kind of buffoon, lacking in intelligence. But that's not true, ladies and gentlemen. In fact, Major Charles Ingram is no dud. He's a member of Mensa. He has a BSc in civil engineering and a Master's in corporate management. He was perfectly capable of working out the answers for himself.

Okay, I didn't know he was a member of Mensa. Yeah, so this is going to be a main focus for the defence because if they can convince the jury that he's a genius, then obviously that completely shifts the perception of him. And why would Mr Wittek help the Ingrams cheat? There's no proof they paid him. Why would Teckman Wittek help Major Ingram at all when he wanted to be in the hot seat himself? That's a very good point. She spins around, points at the television. You've all just watched the tape of the show. Listen to Mr Wittek cough.

Nobody's denying he coughed. But let me ask you this. How many coughs do you think the microphones picked up in the studio that night? She smiles over at the jury. Don't worry, it's not multiple choice. In fact, there were 192 coughs in the studio that night. People were coughing constantly throughout the recording. How on earth was my client meant to distinguish between them? She shuffles her papers. The prosecution want you to believe that the

Woodley sits down. The jury look at each other. Charles feels Diana reach for his hand. He smiles at her. It's going better than he'd hoped.

Maybe, just maybe, they'll both walk away from this. You know whenever you're following a trial on telly or in the papers, you forget that it always opens to the prosecution. So the first two or three days of any trial, you're like, oh my God, how do they survive this? And then when you hear the defence, you go, ah, that's why. Two sides. Maybe it's because they're innocent.

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♪♪♪

Two weeks later, Southwark Crown Court. Charles sits on the edge of his seat, touches his tie, looks straight ahead. He wants to get through today's hearing without showing how nervous he is. But the prosecution are calling their star witness today, Larry Whitehurst. And Whitehurst claims to have worked out how Charles was cheating. Was he that little rat in the studio who kept looking at Tecran Whittock? That's editorialised, but yes.

But obviously, a guilty verdict would change that. We're right behind you, unless you're guilty, in which case we're going to cut all ties. All the best. Seems fair.

I feel so bad. Guilty or innocent, they shouldn't have to suffer all this.

Charles closes his eyes as Whitehurst tells the court he saw Tequin Whittock ask the contestant next to him what the answer was on two separate occasions. He didn't know that an Anthony Eden was a hat and he didn't know the million pound question either. I saw him ask the contestant next to him both times. Then he coughed after Major Ingram read the right answers. Charles's hands start to tremble. He clasps them together. His barrister, Sonia Woodley, gets to her feet.

She fires questions at Whitehurst, but he sticks to his story. I saw Tecman Witt at Coff after every right answer. That's why I didn't clap at the end. They were cheating. Charles catches Whitehurst's eye as he leaves the stand. He looks down for a second. Then hears Sonia Woodley call the next witness. He looks up. A middle-aged man with neat grey hair and black-trimmed glasses is taking his oath.

He gives his name. Professor Alan Morris. But Charles already knows who he is. He's their main defence witness. The next few minutes are crucial. Woodley asks Morris to introduce himself. I'm a professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Hull and the head of the European Respiratory Task Force on chronic coughing. Would it be fair to say you're a globally renowned expert on coughing? Morris nods.

I'm too modest to say that, but yes. And do you recognise Mr Tequin Whittock? Yes, I've examined Mr Whittock. I've also read through his medical records. Brilliant. And what did you find?

Nice touch. Mr Wittek suffers from three separate conditions that make him cough. He has a dust allergy, which causes perennial rhinitis. He has seasonal hay fever and cough variant asthma. Woodley turns to the jury. Can he control his coughing? Morris shakes his head. No. That feels very big. If the whole thing is based on the cough and he can't control it, it's over. That's pretty convincing, isn't it?

Woodley pauses. Surely a man with a chronic uncontrollable cough is the last person you'd choose to cough on cue? Exactly. Some of the jury smile. Charles feels his hands relax. Prosecutor Hilliard steps up to cross-examine. So you'd like us to believe Mr Wittek had no control over his 19 coughs? Morris shakes his head. The dry air in the recording studio would have aggravated his condition.

For a second, Hilliard looks lost. Then he turns to the jury. Yes, Tecwen Wittig has a cough. But there's no condition on earth that makes you cough after the right answer. Charles hears loud laughter from the public gallery. He squeezes his eyes shut. Right now, the whole trial is hanging in the balance. And tomorrow morning, it's his turn to be cross-examined. That's going to be bumpy. Southwark Crown Court, week three of the trial.

Charles puts his hands out to steady himself. He's been answering questions for 20 minutes now. His throat is dry. But he's determined to explain his strategy and prove once and for all that he's innocent. He tells the court a lot of quizzers take their time answering questions.

that it looks quicker on the show. Because it's edited, 30 to 40 minutes per question isn't unusual. I saw that myself when I was in the fastest finger first pit. 30 to 40 minutes per question? That can't be right. No, they'd still be recording it. To this very day? Yeah. He tells the judge a lot of contestants read out the options. I was trying to take what's called a calculated risk.

His barrister, Sonia Woodley, raises an eyebrow at him in encouragement. It's a military strategy. You analyse the salient aspects of the problem, go through your options, then make a decision. Woodley lets that sink in, then asks him, Did you cheat? He shakes his head. No, I did not. A few minutes later, Prosecutor Hilliard is on his feet. He plays the tape of the show. He pauses just before question 14.

The Baron Hausmann question. You were sure it was Berlin? Charles grips the side of the stand. At first, yes. Hilliard plays the tape. I'd like to show the jury what happens around coughs 12 to 14. Charles looks at the television. Hears himself proudly announce the answer is Berlin. And then hears Tecwen Whittock cough and say, No. Whoa. Okay. The court is completely silent. Charles feels his heart thud in his ribs.

You do the same thing for the final question, don't you, Mr. Ingram? In fact, you did it for practically all of them.

No. You cheated, and now you think you can cheat the jury the same way. No. You knew which coughs came from Tequin Wittock. They were five times louder than every other cough in the studio. The audio expert proved that. Wittock was right behind you, guiding you all the way to the million. It's not true!

Hilliard stares at him for a few silent moments, then says, That'll be all. Oh, that would make me feel guilty. It's very gotcha, isn't it? Yeah. Charles knows he should go back to his seat, but his legs are too weak to move. He looks at Diana. She's got tears in her eyes. An hour later, he's standing in the corridor talking to his barrister. She tells him they'll sum up tomorrow. Then the jury will decide if he's guilty or not. I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to prepare yourself for the worst.

That's not going to make you feel good. Later the next night, Easterton, Wiltshire. Diana sits alone in the kitchen. The girls are home for their end-of-term break. She can hear them playing in the next room. She needs to talk to them about what will happen if she and Charles are found guilty tomorrow. But she can't bring herself to do it. Yesterday's trial had gone badly for her. Crown Prosecutor Hilliard had cross-examined her about the phone calls she made with Tecwen Whittock.

She'd stuck to a story that she rang him for only a few minutes. To wish him good luck for getting on the show. But Hilliard had produced a list of her phone records. You've called Mr Whittock 14 times since April, have you not? Now that does change things. Because you can't just say, well I only spoke to him once on the phone for a minute. They go, ah but you did ring him a thousand times for an hour. Oh yeah. Ah, potato, tomato.

Diana nodded. Yes, but... Hilliard cut in. I put it to you that your last call wasn't to wish Mr Whittock good luck. This call is where you agree to implement your cough plan. She shook her head, but Hilliard had already moved on. Let's look at question 11. For the jury, this question is for £32,000. Who had a hit UK album with Born To Do It, released in 2000? He'd paused, looked straight at her. Would you like to see the footage of the show, Mrs Ingram?

She watched herself looking over at Tequin when Charles didn't know the answer. Why did you keep looking at Mr Wittock, a man you claim you've never met? In fact, you looked in Mr Wittock's direction throughout the whole evening, didn't you, Mrs Ingram? Would you like to see what happens next? She blinks around, but her eyes are drawn to the screen. She watches herself force out a cough when Charles reads out Craig David. Oh no.

Mr Wittig didn't know the answer, did he? But you did. And when your husband read out the correct answer, you coughed. Not once, Mrs Ingram, but twice. You thought the camera wasn't on you, and you chanced your hand. Oh, I'm swinging back the other way now. So fickle. She'd started to shake. Even now, sitting in her kitchen, she can't stop trembling. She gets up, heads to the door. She needs to talk to her daughters, prepare them for the worst.

but the thought of it makes her feel sick. She comes back to the kitchen, grabs the phone. A few seconds later, she hears her brother Adrian's voice. Diane, are you okay? She tips her head back, takes a deep breath. Adrian, if this goes against us tomorrow, I need you to look after the girls. Promise me you'll do that. Oh dear. It's April the 7th, 2003, Southwark Crown Court.

Diana grips Charles' hand as the jury file in. They've taken 13 hours and 51 minutes to reach their verdict. That's roughly the time it takes to answer three questions on who wants to be a millionaire. That's so true. She's determined not to cry when the verdict is read. She stares at the floor, feels Charles kiss her cheek. She squeezes her eyes shut. Judge Rivlin asks the jury if they've reached their decision. A young woman nods. They've found Charles Ingram guilty.

Oh, my God. You know what? I actually thought, even though I'd sort of forgotten what happened, I was deep down expecting them to get away with this. Charles puts his head in his hands. Tecwin Whittock is also found guilty. Diana sits up, rigid, stares straight ahead, waits for her verdict. But the jury are split. They can't agree. So Judge Rivlin sends them out again. Oh, man. Charles leans close. Let's hope...

So what? That she's innocent? Yeah, but I guess you'd be like, well, if I'm going down, you're going down. Is that what you would do? That's good to know. Think about the kids, Matt. Come on. Fair point. 20 minutes later, the jury file back in. They find Diana Ingram guilty. Oh, no.

Major Ingram is a committed soldier. He's lived an honest, decent, hard-working life. Diana Ingram is a good mother. Her children are suffering panic attacks. All three children will be left without their parents. You pulled a shabby schoolboy trick. You weren't just greedy, you wanted fame too.

This caused you to cheat the system. It's the most audacious thing I have ever seen. Diana's heart thuds. Rivlin pronounces, 18 months in prison. Oh, no. Her legs give. Then he adds, Suspended for two years. I will not deprive your children of their parents.

He also gives a suspended sentence to Tecwen Whittock. Diana glances over. Tecwen's taken off his large glasses and he's wiping his eyes. The judge tells them they'll be fined £15,000 each with £20,000 in costs. Outside the court, she holds Charles' hand. She's desperate to get away from this place as fast as she can. She wants to be home to see her girls. But a group of photographers have already crowded around them. She and Charles push their way through.

She can hear people shouting. She can't work out where it's from. Then she looks up. A group of builders stand on scaffolding planks. They're chanting, She realizes, as long as she lives, this will never be over.

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It's the 19th of April, 2003. ITV Studios, Central London. Paul Smith heads to the editing suite at the Southbank Studios. His company, Cellador, makes Millionaire for ITV.

He's here now to see ITV's new documentary, Major Fraud. It's only two weeks since Celador won their court case against the Ingrams. He wants to get a documentary out quickly. The whole legal fight had been bruising.

The show itself had been under the spotlight. It had to listen as witnesses explained how contestants had been bending the rules for years. How they'd cheated the system to get a place in the hot seat. How the friend on the other end of the line was often an experienced quizzer in a room with other quizzers, all of them frantically working out the answer. Newspaper articles had appeared talking about the profits Celador made from premium-rate phone lines paid by people desperate to get on the show.

For a few weeks, the show's reputation had hung in the balance. And with it, Paul's whole career's work. Winning the court case was a massive relief. And now Smith wants more than a legal victory. He needs a PR victory too. Smith had wanted to make the documentary himself, but he's not a documentary filmmaker. So he'd handed the footage to ITV. They'd also asked for editorial control. He'd given it. He wants to see now if he's made the right decision.

You must be thinking, this is such a cash cow and it could just go down the drain. But also, it's slightly unfair that they're in a position to use the media clout that they have to then broadcast a show to reinforce their own position. Totally. Major Charles Ingram does not have that power. Yeah, I hadn't thought of it like that yet, of course. After a few handshakes, he takes a seat. The documentary starts. ♪

Smith puts his hand to his bare head as he watches Charles Ingram answer the 15th question and win the million. He hears Martin Bashir's voice tell the audience, It seemed like the perfect crime. A cool million pinched from under the nose of one of the country's most popular stars on ITV1's top game show and right in front of the television cameras. Tonight, we can show you how they did it and how they got caught.

Just over an hour later, the closing credits roll. The show is due to go out in two days' time. ITV are showing it at 9 o'clock on Easter Monday. It's a prime slot. But every newspaper in the country has covered the trial in such detail, Paul worries now that the British public might be sick of it all. If viewers don't watch, he'll know once and for all that Millionaire is in decline. The following Tuesday, he's about to leave for work when he gets a call from the ITV exec. Last night's viewing figures are in.

He sits down, closes his eyes and listens as the exec tells him the figures. They were astounding. We got 16 million viewers, the highest since Diana's funeral. Congratulations. You have the most talked about show in the history of British television. It's November 2003, Wiltshire. Charles Ingram puts on his suit jacket, kisses Diana, grabs the car keys. A few minutes later, he's driving towards the motorway.

He's got a job interview as an admin manager with the NHS, and he's going to make sure he gets it. He resigned from the army a few months ago. They'd had to move from their army accommodation into a smaller rented house. They're getting by on his army pension, but only just. He and Diana had to take the girls out of boarding school. They're struggling to pay their fines and court costs. Diana's talking about bankruptcy, but he doesn't want it to come to that. He's determined to get this job and provide for his family.

An hour and a half later, he sits in front of an interview panel. The woman asking most of the questions is younger than him, with short blonde hair. She's impressed with his army record. You obviously have good leadership skills. She asks him about a moment where he achieved something he was proud of. He tells her about the time he rescued a boy from an armed gang in Bosnia.

He watches as everyone scribbles down notes. The woman looks up, smiles. Let me show you where your office is going to be. At the main door, she shakes his hand, tells him he did a brilliant interview. Should we in touch in a couple of days with a start date? I'm so pleased for him. Are you? I mean, he's been found guilty, whether I think he's guilty or not. You don't want people to lead bad lives, do you? If they did make a terrible mistake, they've done it and, you know...

Let's hope they do well now. And the last thing he needs is to do an interview and then not get back to him for two weeks. That's the worst feeling. To find out on the day. Great. On the way home, he can't stop grinning. He can't wait to tell Diana. The past few months haven't just been tough financially. They've been hard on her and the girls personally. Diana lost her book deal. Obviously. But equally, surely it's a better book now. I'm more likely to buy it.

It had hit her hard. She'd been weepy for days. They've lost a lot of their friends. People stopped asking them out. More and more, they've had to rely on each other. All that's in the past. This job will be a new start for them all. He pulls up outside a florist. He's going to surprise Diana. He's just about to pay for the flowers when his phone rings. It's the woman who interviewed him for the job. I'm really sorry, Mr Ingram, but we've offered the job to someone else. You cannot do that. That is cruel.

Because it's not even about whether he's been guilty or not guilty on a quiz show. Once you tell someone they've got the job, I mean, the hopes that people have for their lives. And now she's just, oh, that really upsets me. She's the true scandal. He thanks her and hangs up, walks out without the flowers. He knows she's lying. There isn't anyone else. It's the same for every job he goes for. When they work out who he is, the job disappears.

He looks at the pile of bills on the kitchen table. Their court payments are due soon, and so is the rent. They've cut back as much as they can, but it's never enough. He needs to figure out a new way to make a living. And whatever that is, he needs to do it fast. It's autumn 2003, Exmoor. Charles picks up a log and throws it on the open fire. He stares into the flames.

He and Diana arrived at the cottage three days ago. Their new publicist had hired it for them for a short stay away from it all. A few weeks ago, they'd decided to sell their story, and now they need time away to choose the best bidder. So far, most of the offers have come in at £200,000. Charles is hoping for a little bit more, enough to put the girls through school and pay off their debts. His main hope is the Daily Mirror. Its editor, Piers Morgan, is interested. His publicist is talking with them now,

If he can get them up to £250,000, he'll be more than happy. He hands Diana a glass of wine. She blinks at him. What if this backfires on us? I wouldn't worry about that now. Just get whatever money you can get. Your whole life has backfired on you. At least make a couple of quid out of it. Honestly. He tells her it won't. We'll set up firm ground rules. It'll be fine. OK, now I'm less confident, actually. What do you mean, ground rules? Reverse.

Next morning, he goes for a run on the moor. Feels his head starting to clear for the first time in ages. It feels good to be away from all the pressure. When he gets back, Diana's waiting. Her eyes are shining. Their publicist is on the phone. Piers Morgan loves our story. They're offering £675,000. Amazing. The thing is, if he's offering that, you could probably get a million out of him. He grabs the phone. Listens as the publicist tells him how much Piers Morgan wants their story.

But I have to warn you, he wants all of it. He wants a full admission of guilt. He wants you to say how you cheated. Charles lets the phone drop. He tells Diana the new terms. She puts her hands over her face. What would the kids think if they read that? How could we ever face them again? They'll be bullied forever. She shakes her head. No. No.

Amazing. When you think about it, this whole thing was about the pursuit of a million pounds and they've just been offered £675,000. And whether they're guilty or not, they put so much effort into winning that million. Now they're given the opportunity to get two thirds of a million pounds and Diana wants to draw a line there. I find that so interesting that actually, whatever we think of them, clearly for them, it's not just about money. Charles looks out of the window. It's getting dark.

He stares out onto the moor for a few moments. Since he went onto the show, he's lost everything. His career is gone. His good name is gone. Everywhere he goes, he's ridiculed and coughed at. But there's one thing he's determined to hold on to, and that's the respect of his three daughters. He puts the phone back to his ear. Tell Piers Morgan we're innocent. We did not cheat, and we won't ever say otherwise.

He holds Diana close to him. He promises he'll keep fighting until he's cleared their name. Charles and Diana Ingram both filed for bankruptcy, Charles on the 25th of November 2004 and Diana on the 11th of November 2005. They both had their fines and court costs quashed. Charles Ingram currently writes novels. Diana Ingram makes jewellery which she sells on market stalls. Can I just say it really suits you, Alice. Thank you so much.

Charles and Diana have made numerous TV appearances since Millionaire, including Weakest Link, The Games and 19 Keys. They're about to stand trial for all three of those appearances. Charles appeared on Wife Swap with Jade Goody. They ended their week together by playing the Millionaire board game. Techwin Wittek left his job and later sued a cough sweep manufacturer who wanted to name a cough drop after him. It's so funny that they would name one after him and then he would sue them.

Millionaire is still going, minus Chris Tarrant, now with Jeremy Clarkson, and is syndicated all over the world. Over the years, it's won numerous awards. Out of the many hundreds of episodes in the show's history, the one featuring Charles Ingram is still the most notorious. Charles and Diana Ingram still maintain their innocence.

This is the third 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. You can listen to new episodes one week early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, the Wondery app or wherever you're listening right now.

Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app to listen for free. In the episode notes, you'll find some links and offers from our sponsors. Please support them by supporting them you help us offer you this show for free. Another way to support us is to answer a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.

A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all of 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 Magniac. Our associate producer is Francesca Gilardi Quadrio Corzio.

Our senior producer is Joe Sykes. Our executive producers are Jenny Beckman, Stephanie Jens, and Marshall Louis for Wondery. Hey, it's Guy Raz here, host of How I Built This, a podcast that gives you a front row seat to how some of the best known companies in the world were built.

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