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A history and politics professor has been crowned the first winner of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 14 years.
Donald Fear, 57, now plans to spend part of his £ 1 million prize on a motor home for a UK holiday.
The father of four, who lives in Telford, correctly answered the last question number 15 about the death of a famous pirate in 1718.
Mr Fear, who has been married to his wife Debs for 33 years, is the sixth champion in the 22-year history of the ITV program.
The lucky streak runs in the family, as his older brother Davyth won £ 500,000 as a contestant on the same show last year.
Mr. Fear and his wife embarked on a caravan trip down the Northumberland coast with his wife after their victory.
The couple previously planned to visit Santander, Bilbao and Pamplona in Spain before heading to the Pyrenees, but were frustrated by COVID-19.
When asked how he would spend his next vacation, Fear revealed that he intended to buy an RV and visit “wonderful Britain.”
He said, “As much as I would love to take the next plane to the States or something like that, it just isn’t an option.
“So at the moment it’s wonderful Britain, probably Wales first and foremost, so a motor home in Wales is what I’m going to spend my million pounds on.”
Mr Fear is seen the moment he found out he had won £ 1 million
Jeremy Clarkson, the host of the show, said Mr Fear was like “having the Encyclopaedia Britannica in front of me” and added: “It’s Google, in one head.”
Fear, who described himself as “a bit of a democratic socialist,” said he planned to give at least 70% of his earnings to members of his family and spend the rest on a “comfortable retirement.”
He also rejected the idea of buying an Aston Martin sports car or moving house, saying, “It’s in a beautiful area and I’ve been there for 27 years.”
After winning the second fastest finger in the first round of Friday’s program, Mr. Fear said he was “in the zone immediately.”
However, he admitted: “So the next thing I had to negotiate was to get on the chair because I was a little worried that I was going to fall … because my legs are quite short.
“I was concentrating, I was sitting as absolutely still as I could, so the thing about (being) quiet and calm is actually trying not to become a complete idiot on national television.”
The last question he answered correctly was: “In 1718, what pirate died in a battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina?”
The answer was: Blackbeard.
“I’m a dating man,” he said.
“You haven’t been a history teacher for 33 years without knowing some dates, and the date 1718 and Blackbeard caught my eye instantly.”
Jeremy Clarkson compared Mr Fear to ‘Encyclopaedia Britannica’
Mr Fear only used one of his lifelines, 50:50, to win the jackpot, leaving his two options “call a friend” and “ask host” unused.
The episodes were pre-recorded without a studio audience due to COVID-19, and contestants had the option of a double “phone a friend” rather than asking the audience.
Fear, who was born in Bristol, said he had since quit his job teaching at Haberdashers Adams High School in Newport, Shropshire, whose students include former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn.
But he said, “The rules are that you have to go to the end of a period.
“I never actually investigated the possibility of whether it would be possible not to return at all, but how unfair would that be to my A-level students?”
Mr. Fear added: “I was planning to go in two years anyway, just before my 60th birthday.
“As it is, I’m just after my 58.”
Haberdashers’s Adams Grammar shared his congratulations on Twitter.
A post from the school’s account reads, “What a cool cucumber performance Mr. Fear! Congratulations from everyone at Adams! ‘I taught it to the Year 8 kids!'”
Mr Fear celebrated his victory with his brother, who claimed he was the smartest brother.
Said, “He is so pleased with me.
“We went to spend a night in a hotel with our wives last week and we were absolutely drunk and he kept prodding me telling me how pleased and happy he was about it.”
Ingram Wilcox was the last winner of the first prize, going all the way in 2006.
In total, five contestants previously won the £ 1 million prize in the UK version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
The first was Judith Keppel in November 2000.
For his final question, then-host Chris Tarrant asked, “Which king was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?”
Mrs. Keppel answered Henry II correctly.
The 15 questions Mr Fear answered correctly to win £ 1 million
1 – £ 100
In the UK, the abbreviation NHS stands for National what Service?
Humanity / Health / Honor / Home
Correct answer: Health
2 – £ 200
Which Disney character leaves a glass slipper at a royal dance?
Pocahontas / Sleeping Beauty / Cinderella / Elsa
Correct answer: Cinderella
3 – £ 300
What name is given to the rotating belt machinery at an airport that delivers checked baggage from the plane to baggage claim?
Hangar / Terminal / Concourse / Carousel
Correct answer: Carousel
4 – £ 500
Which of these brands was primarily associated with the manufacture of domestic locks?
Phillips / Flymo / Chubb / Ronseal
Correct answer: Chubb
5 – £ 1,000
The hammer and sickle is one of the most recognizable symbols of which political ideology?
Republicanism / Communism / Conservatism / Liberalism
Correct answer: Communism
6 – £ 2,000
What toys have been marketed with the phrase “robots in disguise”?
Bratz / Sylvanian Families / Hatchimals / Transformers Dolls
Correct answer: Transformers
7 – £ 4,000
What does the word talkative mean?
Angry / talkative / beautiful / shy
Correct answer: Talkative
8 – £ 8,000
Obstetrics is a branch of medicine that cares especially about what?
Childbirth / Bone fractures / Heart conditions / Old age
Correct answer: Birth
9 – £ 16,000
In Doctor Who, what was the characteristic appearance of the fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker?
Bow tie, suspenders and tweed jacket / Wide-brimmed hat and extra long handkerchief / Suit and pinstripe sneakers / Cloak, velvet jacket and ruffled shirt
Correct answer: Wide-brimmed hat and extra-long scarf
10 – £ 32,000
Which of these religious observances lasts the shortest period of time during the calendar year?
Ramadan / Diwali / Lent / Hanukkah
Correct answer: Diwali
11 – £ 64,000
At the closest point, which group of islands is just 50 miles southeast off the coast of Florida?
Bahamas / US Virgin Islands / Turks and Caicos Islands / Bermuda
Correct answer: Bahamas
12 – £ 125,000
Which of these famous monuments was completed first?
Empire State Building / Royal Albert Hall / Eiffel Tower / Big Ben Clock Tower
Correct answer: Big Ben clock tower
13 – £ 250,000
Which of these cetaceans is classified as a “toothed whale”?
Gray whale / Minke whale / Sperm whale / Humpback whale
Correct answer: Sperm whale
14 – £ 500,000
Who is the only British politician to have held all four “Great Offices of the State” at some point in his career?
David Lloyd George / Harold Wilson / James Callaghan / John Major
Correct answer: James Callaghan
15 – £ 1 million
In 1718, what pirate died in battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina?
Calico Jack / Blackbeard / Bartholomew Roberts / Captain Kidd
Correct answer: Blackbeard
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