After 14 years without a jackpot winner, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? finally crowned a new champion when 57-year-old Donald Fear from Telford correctly answered all 15 questions and won £1 million. The history teacher became only the sixth person in the show’s history to claim the top prize, impressing host Jeremy Clarkson with his remarkable knowledge and calm approach.
Donald raced through the questions in record time and used just one lifeline—the 50:50—during the entire game. His final question asked which pirate died in battle off the coast of present-day North Carolina in 1718. Thanks to his years of teaching history, he immediately recognized the answer as Blackbeard and secured the million-pound prize.
Rather than spending the money on luxury cars or a new house, Donald revealed that he planned to give at least 70% of his winnings to family members and use the rest for a comfortable retirement. He also hoped to buy a motorhome and travel around Britain with his wife, Debs.
Donald later left his teaching career and celebrated the life-changing win with his brother Davyth, who had previously won £500,000 on the same show. Their success made the Fear family one of the most memorable in the program’s history.