Lost £218k? It's only money - Helicopter pilot on Millionaire
Guest
Posts: n/a
Lost £218k? It's only money - Helicopter pilot on Millionaire
He might not know much about UK aviation history, but at least he has style! From today's Telegraph...
------------------
Happiness is a warm L1011
A PILOT competing on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was philosophical
last night after losing a record amount of money when he got a question wrong
about Amy Johnson's solo flight to Australia.
An estimated 13 million people were watching the
ITV gameshow on Saturday as Duncan Bickley tried
to double his £250,000 and go on to become the
first contestant to scoop the coveted £1 million top
prize.
His run of 13 correct answers came to an end when
he was asked: "What was the name of Amy
Johnson's plane in which she flew solo to Australia in
1930?"The right answer would have left him just one
step away from the jackpot.
After he decided to gamble, Chris Tarrant, the presenter, told him he could
either win a joint record £500,000 or become the programme's record loser,
forfeiting £218,000. Faced with the choice between "Pegasus" and "Jason",
Mr Bickley, 39, wrongly chose Pegasus and saw his winnings fall to £32,000.
Mr Bickley, a helicopter pilot and flying instructor, said he decided to gamble
because his aim from the outset had been to be first player in the British
version of the gameshow to win the top prize.
He said: "I'm totally happy. I always said I wanted to win £1 million not
£250,000. My decision to gamble was made on the basis of what I would be
able to handle better afterwards: being wrong and losing £218,000, or being
right and not having gone for it and living with the fact that I hadn't seized the
day."
Mr Bickley, from Brentwood, Essex, added: "Because I am single I can
afford to be cavalier. There is no one to nag me about it. My friends are
proud of me because they know it was what I said I would do." He said that
he had gone out to "celebrate" on Saturday night and watched the programme
in a pub. The show was recorded last Tuesday.
He said: "It was like watching a penalty shoot-out with the difference that
everyone knew the result." Mr Bickley was initially faced with the
mythological names "Achilles", "Pegasus", "Hercules" and "Jason" but was left
with just two choices when he used his "50-50" lifeline. He had already used
his "phone a friend" and "ask the audience" lifelines.
He said: "I asked myself, what would you name an aeroplane after? A winged
horse or a man who rode a boat?" The aircraft was actually named Jason
after the registered trademark of her father's company which imported herring
in Hull.
Ruth Settle, a spokesman for Celador, which produces the programme, said
Mr Bickley had been "as happy as Larry" despite losing so much money. She
added: "He was very determined to be the first £1 million winner."
Mr Bickley said that he did not feel that he should have known the answer to
the question because he was a pilot. He said: "I'm a helicopter pilot not a
fixed-wing pilot. There is a different history and a different way of flying."
Peter Lee, a Welshman, is the British programme's most successful
contestant. He won £500,000 in January.
last night after losing a record amount of money when he got a question wrong
about Amy Johnson's solo flight to Australia.
An estimated 13 million people were watching the
ITV gameshow on Saturday as Duncan Bickley tried
to double his £250,000 and go on to become the
first contestant to scoop the coveted £1 million top
prize.
His run of 13 correct answers came to an end when
he was asked: "What was the name of Amy
Johnson's plane in which she flew solo to Australia in
1930?"The right answer would have left him just one
step away from the jackpot.
After he decided to gamble, Chris Tarrant, the presenter, told him he could
either win a joint record £500,000 or become the programme's record loser,
forfeiting £218,000. Faced with the choice between "Pegasus" and "Jason",
Mr Bickley, 39, wrongly chose Pegasus and saw his winnings fall to £32,000.
Mr Bickley, a helicopter pilot and flying instructor, said he decided to gamble
because his aim from the outset had been to be first player in the British
version of the gameshow to win the top prize.
He said: "I'm totally happy. I always said I wanted to win £1 million not
£250,000. My decision to gamble was made on the basis of what I would be
able to handle better afterwards: being wrong and losing £218,000, or being
right and not having gone for it and living with the fact that I hadn't seized the
day."
Mr Bickley, from Brentwood, Essex, added: "Because I am single I can
afford to be cavalier. There is no one to nag me about it. My friends are
proud of me because they know it was what I said I would do." He said that
he had gone out to "celebrate" on Saturday night and watched the programme
in a pub. The show was recorded last Tuesday.
He said: "It was like watching a penalty shoot-out with the difference that
everyone knew the result." Mr Bickley was initially faced with the
mythological names "Achilles", "Pegasus", "Hercules" and "Jason" but was left
with just two choices when he used his "50-50" lifeline. He had already used
his "phone a friend" and "ask the audience" lifelines.
He said: "I asked myself, what would you name an aeroplane after? A winged
horse or a man who rode a boat?" The aircraft was actually named Jason
after the registered trademark of her father's company which imported herring
in Hull.
Ruth Settle, a spokesman for Celador, which produces the programme, said
Mr Bickley had been "as happy as Larry" despite losing so much money. She
added: "He was very determined to be the first £1 million winner."
Mr Bickley said that he did not feel that he should have known the answer to
the question because he was a pilot. He said: "I'm a helicopter pilot not a
fixed-wing pilot. There is a different history and a different way of flying."
Peter Lee, a Welshman, is the British programme's most successful
contestant. He won £500,000 in January.
Happiness is a warm L1011
