Tecwen Whittock's Complete Run - Part 2 of 2

We all know the story of Charles Ingram and the Major Fraud, don't we. Well what about Ingram's accomplice, Tecwen Whittock?

On 10 September 2001, Major Charles Ingram won the £1,000,000 prize. During the recording it was noticed that a suspicious pattern of coughing could be heard. The Major's unusual behaviour in the hot seat also drew attention. Analysed, it was believed that another contestant sitting behind him was offering him prompts in the form of coughs, indicating the correct answers. On some of the questions the Major read aloud all of the four answers, until a significant cough was heard, before choosing his answer. In one case he dismissed an answer, read aloud the answer again, and then picked the answer which he had earlier dismissed. It also appeared on the tapes that one of the contestants, possibly Tecwen Whittock, said 'No!' while someone was coughing at the same time as Ingram was repeating an incorrect answer.

After the Major won the million, Tecwen Whittock won the next Fastest Finger game and so took to the hotseat.

The Prosecution suggested that the Major's wife, Diana (who had won £32,000 on a previous show, as had his brother-in-law), had organised the scam. Pager telephone records revealed what appeared to be a practice session for another plan to cheat the system that was not subsequently carried out. The Prosecution claimed that this, the first, plan was for Major Ingram to hide four pagers on his body that would vibrate when an accomplice called the pager indicating the correct answer.

Following a trial at Southwark Crown Court lasting seven weeks, Major Ingram, his wife Diana and Tecwen Whittock were convicted of "procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception" on 7 April 2003. Major Ingram and his wife were each given suspended 18-month prison sentences and fined £15,000, while Tecwen Whittock received a 12-month suspended sentence and was fined £10,000. Together with legal costs, the Ingrams had to pay £115,000.

Despite the conviction, the Ingrams and Tecwen Whittock continue to deny that they colluded or acted dishonestly. They appealed the conviction. An ITV documentary entitled Millionaire: A Major Fraud, presented by Martin Bashir, was broadcast in Britain on 21 April 2003 with a follow-up two weeks later, Millionaire: The Final Act. The first advert in the first advertisement break in Major Fraud was for cough medicine, after a brainwave in the broadcaster's advertising department. Excerpts from the recording were broadcast but with enhanced audio highlighting the coughs emanating, the Prosecution alleged, from Tecwen Whittock. Immediately after Major Fraud the uncut recording but again with enhanced audio was broadcast on ITV2. Major Fraud included additional video recorded during the programme of Mrs Ingram sitting in the audience and apparently prompting Major Ingram with her own coughing and making glances in the direction of Tecwen Whittock. Major Fraud also contained interviews with production staff and some contestants present at the recording describing how they felt that something unusual had been happening. Notably, none of the defendants were interviewed. Major Ingram described Major Fraud and the programme broadcast on ITV2 as "one of the greatest TV editing con tricks in history".

And for those curious people, the contestant after Tecwen Whittock was named John Norton, who went on to win £125,000

Category:

Entertainment

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• 2

[fentdog84]

Jeez those were tough questions.. maybe it was because the previous guy won the million..

[MillionaireMoments]

@fentdog84: Or maybe he was just thick as ****

[MillionaireMoments]

The contestant after Whittock was John Norton

[Billiam95]

1000 pounds will buy you a lot of cough syrup.

[lnelson]

I've never even seen Star Wars and even I knew it was Jabba the Hutt

[FortMinorsBiggestFan]

Did anybody notice that Charles Ingram failed to coughNO! 4:20

[Jenkins1155]

his cough is miraculously gone!!!

[SuperKnight1010]

didn't seem to be too unhappy at loosing after getting just 1000. for obvious reasons

[k0spe]

The first time I've cheered at someone loosing.

[Alan10018]

@lnelson Yeah, me too!!! 

[WestBromSte]

@TheBeethovenlove

he didnt know them lmao, he must have been getting info

[MatthewDavidParr]

Well he went away with more than the one who won £1,000,000 that same evening - even though he was involved in the plot.

[ringwormts115]

i hate the way he say "sweet pastries" ugh the idiot

[megstephin]

when he chose to phone a friend i thought he would phone charles ingram haha