Bookie Wins Seat On Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
| UK Casino Times > Casino News 17 January 2006 Bookie Wins Seat On Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Against all the odds, Ballymena bookies shop manager Peter Clarke won a coveted spot in the hot seat on top telly show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. And although he's sworn to secrecy about his performance, let's just say he'll still be picking up his pay packet every month. When Peter finally met quizmaster Chris Tarrant, he was gobsmacked to hear he was a regular visitor to mid-Antrim. For the affable host of the big-money show is a mad keen fisherman, who's particularly hooked on pike. And he has an in-depth knowledge of the rivers around Portglenone and Rasharkin. Said Peter: "Not many people know it, but he comes over from time to time and says there's no better place to fish than around the Braid Valley. I suppose it's his way of winding down from the pressures of the show - and he's been known to drop in on some of the local hostelries as well." Peter, a regular player at local pub quizzes in his home town, has always been interested in gathering facts. But his dream was to try his luck on his favourite show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. He took a tip from his gambling knowledge and narrowed the odds, by texting the programme twice a day. "And it worked, because I got a phone call from the producer one day out of the blue, to say I was in the last 50," said Peter. "To win a place on the show, I then had to answer a stinker of a question. But my luck held and I was through and on the plane to London. "It was mind boggling just being at Elstree, where Star Wars was filmed." For Peter, sitting across the studio from Chris Tarrant was just as difficult as some of the questions posed on the show. However, his lucky streak continued to hold and he was quickest on the button in the qualifying round - he made it in just four seconds. "And there I was in the famous leather chair, but Tarrant quickly put me at my ease, especially when he got chatting about his passion for pike." The rules of the show prevent Peter revealing how well he did, until the programme is aired later this month. "But I can say, that while delighted with my performance, I won't be giving up the day job just yet." |
