I WAS SECRET MILLIONAIRE..
TV jackpot winner finally toasts win
ONE IN A MILLION: Don toasts his big win with family
HOME: The family semi in Telford
THE first Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? jackpot winner in 14 years found it hard keeping his secret until the show aired – because he is a “natural prattler”.
Donald Fear, 57, partied with family and friends while watching his winner episode at home on Friday before neighbours came out of their houses to applaud him.
The teacher did the quiz in just under 20 minutes and his success came a year after brother Davyth won £500,000 on the ITV show.
Clutching a bottle of champagne, Don said: “It’s been fantastic.”
He admitted it has been “very difficult” to keep quiet since filming in July but he managed to hide it from everyone until the day before the episode aired. And he is now looking forward to celebrating with his pupils in class tomorrow.
Don said: “I’m a natural prattler who doesn’t find it easy to keep his tongue under control! The kids in my school and the staff are amazing. I can’t wait to feel the lurve.”
Guests at the celebration at his home in Telford, Shrops, included parents Jim and Pat, wife Debra, their son Chris, 22, and daughters Izzy, 26, Ali, 30, and Cat, 31, as well as their partners. Davyth, 60, watched from his home in Wales.
Debra said: “Some of the family found out on the day because some of them are living in the house. But one of our daughters only found out yesterday. We kept it secret!”
Don, who teaches history and politics, wowed host Jeremy Clarkson by only using one lifeline, the 50-50 at the £32,000 mark. And on the final question he correctly named Blackbeard as the pirate killed off North Carolina in 1718.
Don’s dad Jim, 87, told how he and Pat, 80, celebrated the win with “another cup of tea” after being told of it by an ITV producer on the day. Asked for the secret of Don and Davyth’s success, he said part of it was lots of reading and quizzes as kids as they did not have a TV.
He said: “It’s a childhood of quizzes over the table. And the one thing we do have is lots and lots of books on all sorts of subjects. They’ve been answering quiz questions from the ages of two or three up.”
Don is the show’s sixth millionaire and the first since it returned in 2018 with Jeremy Clarkson replacing Chris Tarrant as host.
The first win was Judith Keppel in 2000, followed by David Edwards and Robert Brydges in 2001. Pat Gibson, a world champ quiz player, won in 2004, followed by Ingram Wilcox in 2006. “Coughing Major” Charles Ingram won in 2001 but was stripped of his prize after being found guilty of cheating.
Don, who will retire this December, is now looking forward to doing more quizzes at a local pub.
And he plans to give most of his £ 1million prize away to loved ones.
His biggest buy will be a £ 60,000 motorhome so he and Debs, a nurse, can tour the UK.
PRIDE: Davyth on show and Don with their parents