Historic Twist: ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ Contestant Faces Unprecedented £1 Million Question—What Happened Next?

Pop quiz: Is there anything more quintessentially British than putting the kettle on and arguing with the telly over a contestant’s wild guess on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Come on, we’ve all been there—shouting the right answer, smug and safe from Jeremy Clarkson’s laser stare, as someone sweats it out in the Big Chair. It’s almost a rite of passage, like mispronouncing quinoa or queuing for a Greggs pasty. Since 1998, Millionaire has served up unforgettable moments—head-scratchers, heart-stoppers, even the odd cheating scandal (no, I’m not pointing fingers… but you know who you are, Mr. Ingram).

Now, imagine getting so close to life-changing cash you can practically feel the caviar between your teeth—only to have your dreams squashed by a fairytale question. That’s exactly what happened to Nicholas Bennett, who gambled it all before a nation of armchair experts (and yes, Jeremy, we’re still wondering if being “as much use as a chocolate teapot” is a uniquely British compliment). Is the line between legendary win and historic loss thinner than a supermarket carrier bag? Maybe—and, in the marvelous world of quiz shows, that’s exactly why we can’t look away .

Curious about what tripped up Nicholas, or just hungry for more delicious quiz show drama? LEARN MORE.

If you’re British then at one point or another in your life, you’ve probably sat down to watch an episode of the classic quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

The ITV classic has been running on and off since 1998 now, with Jeremy Clarkson stepping away from his ongoing farm duties to host the show, replacing Chris Tarrant back in 2018.

Quiz shows have served us up some memorable moments over the years, whether you remember a contestant’s ‘head exploding‘ during Lee Mack’s quiz show on Inside No.9, or the more refined comedy of Amol Rajan saying: “I can’t accept drum ‘n’ bass, we need jungle, I’m afraid,” on University Challenge.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was, of course, thrown back into the public spotlight when a dramatised version of one particular contestant’s win revealed that he’d been cheating.

However, when appearing on Sunday’s episode (25 May), it was clear that contestant Nicholas Bennett didn’t need to cheat to progress far, as he sailed through the questions without any real help.

Jeremy Clarkson is the current host of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire (ITV)

He quickly reached the £1 million question, and looked set to claim the life-changing amount, until the notoriously tough question seriously tripped him up.

Mr Bennett was asked: ‘Which of these words, each coined by a famous writer, was derived from the tale of of a fairytale about three princes?’

His options were A) Pandemonium, B) Serendipity, C) Utopia and D) Yahoo.

Having stormed through much of the game thus far, he still had two of his helplines remaining, which you would have thought would have helped see him over the line and claim the jackpot.

At first, he used his ‘ask Jeremy’ helpline, but the host was about as much use as a chocolate teapot, so Mr Bennett decided to use the last lifeline – Phone a Friend – but his friend also ended up not knowing the answer.

Before he answered, he was reminded that he could quit now and claim the £375,000 he’d already won – but that clearly didn’t fit in with the contestant’s brazen approach that had taken him this far, and he opted to risk it by selecting D) Yahoo.

Nicholas Bennett risked it all which unfortunately didn’t pay off in the way he’d hoped (ITV)

Unfortunately for him, the correct answer was actually B) Serendipity, which sadly meant he wouldn’t be claiming the show’s jackpot.

Despite the devastating loss, which is one of the show’s biggest ever, Nicholas remained upbeat and reminded the audience (and perhaps himself) that he would still win £125,000 from his appearance on the show.

‘Oh my giddy aunt,’ Jeremy said afterwards, before wondering: ‘Is that the biggest loss in Millionaire history?’

At least he can go home knowing he did better than celebrity Fred Sirieix, who made history in another way with his appearance on the ITV show, as he became one of the first to require help on the notoriously easy first question.