Ananova :

Police are investigating whether a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? jackpot winner was helped by someone coughing.

Scotland Yard were called in after Army major Charles Ingram, 38, won £1million on the ITV quiz show.

Programme makers became suspicious after hearing somebody coughing from the audience as the Major was about to reply to a question.

ITV alerted police four days after Major Ingram's win, which has not yet been screened. The Royal Engineers officer's wife Diana, who herself won £32,000 on the show and has written a book about how to win, was in the audience.

The show's makers Celador Productions refused to comment, reports the Sun. But Scotland Yard confirmed its Special Inquiry Team is investigating the claims.

A Yard spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that the Special Inquiry Team are investigating."

Major Ingram of Devizes, Wilts, said: "I have no idea why they are investigating me. I don't know what there is to investigate." The dad-of-three floundered on several early questions, using his "phone-a-friend" and "ask-the-audience" lifelines as he struggled to reach the £4,000 mark.

But Major Ingram managed to get through to the final question, which was: "What is the name of a number that is a one followed by 100 zeros?" He correctly answered: "Googol."

Major Ingram has not yet been allowed to cash his £1 million cheque. Mrs Ingram's brother, 40-year-old computer consultant Adrian Pollock, also won £32,000 on the programme earlier this year.

Mrs Ingram said she knew nothing of the police investigation. "I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about," she said.

Story filed: 07:36 Thursday 20th September 2001

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