Jeremy Clarkson was left gobsmacked during a recent episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire when a contestant lost a record-breaking sum of £186,000. The host even renamed the episode 'Who Wants To Win Nothing At All' after a string of struggling contestants, including one who became the second biggest loser in the show's history.
Product manager Jen Essery Lillikakis from Stratford had hoped to win money for a honeymoon with her husband Kyri. She sailed through early rounds, correctly answering questions on sportswear brands, English phrases, art, Shakespeare and cookery. She reached £32,000 and used Ask The Audience to identify the ukulele as the instrument associated with Hawaii since the 1880s.
Jen set her safety net at £64,000 and used lifelines on the £125,000 question, correctly identifying Adrien Brody as the answer. She then secured £250,000 by choosing Cassandra as the figure from Greek mythology cursed to utter true prophecies never believed.
However, on the £500,000 question, she faced: 'According to Guinness World Records, which of these has travelled at over 260 miles per hour during a competitive game or match? Tennis ball, Ice hockey puck, Badminton shuttlecock, Table tennis ball.' Her phone-a-friend could not help, and Clarkson warned she would lose £186,000 if wrong. She gambled and chose ice hockey puck, but the correct answer was shuttlecock. The audience gasped as she lost the sum.
Clarkson told her: 'Oh my god you have just lost £186,000! It is unbelievable you took a punt on that. You need a bravery award for that.' Jen replied: 'Well, that's fine. I have won £64,000.' She now holds the title of the show's second biggest loser, after Nicholas Bennett who lost £375,000 last year.
The episode also featured contestant Arunan Jeyakumar from Newbury Park, who left with just £1,000 after struggling with basic questions and using all his lifelines. Clarkson joked he had 'come on the wrong show' given his woeful general knowledge.
