Coughing Major was a cheat.. I don’t know why TV questions it
Chris Tarrant on new ITV drama
That moment saw a bumbling Ingram change his multiple choice answer to ‘who had a hit UK album with Born To Do It in 2000?’ seemingly out of nowhere. “Ingram says ‘I am pretty sure it is A1… Yes A1. Then he changes his answer to Craig David,” says Chris, 73.
Chris had on an earpiece and only heard the cough from the wife that did the trick when he heard the tape.
“There were so many all the way through. At one point he says ‘I am sure it is Berlin. I think it is Berlin… I suppose it could be Paris’, then Tecwen Whittock (the couple’s accomplice) coughs and Paris becomes the final answer. “I will never forget the noise in that studio. The guy defied logic.”
But when the cameras stopped rolling on the popular 19-million viewers show, Chris began to have doubts. “There was a guy sat alongside Tecwen who refused to clap, saying, ‘he was cheating’. Then a researcher girl told me the Major had told her to f*** off when she was putting his champagne on ice. I
TARRANT ON DRAMA HINTS THAT MAJOR WAS INNOCENT
thought that was weird. And my manager also heard him and his wife arguing. Why, when he’d just won a million?”
Chris’s theory is that Diana – who herself had won £32,000 on the show – wasn’t happy he’d pushed their luck. “I reckon if he had got to £125k or maybe even £250k and had gone ‘that’s it, let’s get out of here’ it might have been OK. But she said, ‘You’ve blown it’. They disappeared and they didn’t buy a drink for anybody.”
Police were called in and Ingram, his wife and Whittock were convicted by a jury for procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception.
The Ingrams got 18 months and Whittock 12 months suspended. Each were fined £15,000. With costs, the Ingrams had to pay £115,000.
Writer Graham argues: “Charles was painted in the press as an idiot, but he had been accepted into Mensa, putting him in the top 2 per cent of IQs.” The defence QC in Quiz, played by Helen McCrory,
says: “Chris Tarrant didn’t hear the cough, people either side didn’t, yet for some reason the Major heard the cough. I mean, really?”
But Chris – who admits he likes Michael Sheen’s portrayal of him – fumes: “They don’t use the prosecution sum-up at all which is bending the rules.
“Then when the credits come up saying ‘The Major and Diana are considering an appeal’ you think no way!”
■■Three-parter Quiz begins tomorrow at 9pm on ITV