Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host Jeremy Clarkson admitted he would be “sobbing on the floor” after Contestant Nicholas Bennett lost the biggest amount in show history

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Contestant Nicholas Bennett lost the biggest amount of money in the show’s history after making a huge mistake.

The network behind Millionaire released a brief statement acknowledging the “deeply distressing incident” and confirming that filming was immediately suspended. “The wellbeing of our contestants is always our top priority,” the statement read.

“We are working closely with the contestant and their family to provide full support.” Yet critics argue that the show’s design is inherently exploitative, with its dramatic stakes and tension meant to heighten pressure to unsustainable levels.

The disaster has reignited debate about the ethics of high-stakes reality game shows. While Millionaire has always walked the fine line between drama and tension, this incident has left many questioning whether the pursuit of entertainment has gone too far.

In particular, the collapse following such a devastating financial loss has underscored how emotionally crushing the format can be, raising fears that similar tragedies could occur in the future. Some are calling for reforms, such as increased psychological evaluations before contestants appear or caps on how much money can be lost on a single wrong answer.

The show, which has now been running for 30 seasons, saw Nicholas get all the way to 500k without using any of his lifelines, leaving host Jeremy Clarkson hugely impressed. However, things took a turn, and Nicholas ended up losing a whopping £375k.

Next up was the £250,000 question, which read: “Which of these groups never successfully invaded the city of Rome?”. The options were: “a) Visigoths, b) Huns, c) Vandals, d) Gauls”.

Nicholas, looking quite confident, said: “I do like history, I know the Gauls invaded pretty early on. I’m pretty sure the Vandals destroyed the city – that’s why we have vandalism. I don’t think the Huns did, I don’t think they made it that far into Europe, whereas I knew the Visigoths were around. As it’s a free shot, I’m 70-80% sure…”

Clarkson proceeded to remind him that he’s still got all four lifelines and that he doesn’t need to guess, however, Nicholas responds: “I don’t think this is a guess though. Maybe on the next question I’ll need them, so I’m gonna say Huns – final answer.”

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The show, which has now been running for 30 seasons, saw Nicholas get all the way to 500k without using any of his lifelines(Image: ITV)

Lo and behold, the answer was correct, and Nicholas went on to the next question worth £500k.

Host Jeremy Clarkson observed: “You seem quite relaxed”, to which Nicholas responds: “It’s not relaxed inside my head.”

The £500k question read: “Which of these long-running US sitcoms had the most episodes? a) The Big Bang Theory b) Friends c) The Office or d) Seinfeld”.

Unsure on the answer, he asked the audience who thought it was Friends – but only 37% – while 30% thought Seinfeld. Still unsure and not wanting to take chances yet, he used 50/50, which left The Big Bang Theory and The Office (which meant the audience was wrong).

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(Image: ITV)

Nicolas stated that it was difficult to get his words out before revealing The Big Bang Theory as his final answer. The answer was correct and then it was on to the final question, the £1million question.

Clarkson asks: “Which of these words, each coined by a famous writer, was derived from the title of a fairytale about three princes? a)Pandemonium b) Serendipity c) Utopia d) Yahoo.”

Nicholas says: “The one that’s standing out to me is yahoo, but I don’t know.”

He asks host Jeremy, who says he can’t think of a fairytale that’s about three princes and points out that all four words have come from authors. Nicholas then remembers a puppet show he went to recently in Spain, which he thinks was about three princes. He said he doesn’t speak Spanish well enough to know what the story was about. “But I think someone was yelling yahoo”, he said.

He reasons that he’s still got £125k if he gets it wrong, and Clarkson points out that he would lose £375k and that he has another lifeline. Nicholas then used his lifeline, but unfortunately, his friend Meg had no idea of the answer.

“Normally, I’m really averse to any kind of gambling, but I do think I’m going to go for it,” he says, “Yahoo, final answer.”

A shocking scene unfolded on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? when a contestant collapsed on stage after losing £950,000 in a matter of seconds, turning what should have been a thrilling television moment into a medical emergency that stunned both the audience and viewers at home. The incident forced the show to be halted as paramedics rushed to provide immediate care, while the studio was left in complete silence, broken only by gasps and tears from those watching.

The contestant, who had successfully battled through 14 questions and was on the cusp of the ultimate £1 million prize, faced one of the most difficult decisions in the history of the show. With just one question standing between them and the jackpot, they chose to risk their nearly £1 million winnings rather than walk away. But in a heartbreaking twist, their final answer proved to be wrong, instantly dropping their total winnings down to just £50,000. The weight of the moment proved overwhelming, as within seconds of the devastating revelation, the contestant collapsed, shocking the host, crew, and audience alike.

Eyewitnesses described a chilling scene. The contestant first froze in disbelief, hands on their head, before staggering back in their chair and then collapsing to the floor. Audience members screamed, with some reportedly crying openly as the host called urgently for medical help. Producers quickly cut filming, and emergency teams were ushered in to stabilize the contestant before escorting them from the stage. For several minutes, the fate of the contestant remained uncertain, casting a heavy pall over the entire studio.

The host, known for their composed presence, was visibly shaken and left speechless as the events unfolded. Normally the centerpiece of calm authority during tense Millionaire moments, the host struggled to maintain composure, later described by witnesses as “white as a sheet” and “genuinely rattled.” Crew members huddled together backstage, while contestants’ family members in the audience were reportedly in tears, holding each other for comfort. The shocking turn of events transformed the usually electric tension of the game into a scene of heartbreak few will forget.

Social media quickly lit up as fans, many of whom were watching live, shared their shock and heartbreak. “I can’t believe what I just saw,” one viewer wrote. “That wasn’t entertainment, that was tragedy.” Others expressed outrage that the contestant was even put in such a high-pressure situation, criticizing the format for encouraging contestants to gamble life-changing sums with such devastating consequences. The hashtag #MillionaireCollapse began trending within minutes, as the clip spread rapidly online.

Medical experts have since reassured the public that the contestant is in stable condition, though producers have confirmed that the player was kept under hospital observation following the ordeal. Still, questions are swirling about whether the contestant should have been allowed to continue under such visible stress, with some arguing that the high-pressure environment of the show could pose real health risks in extreme cases.

For the audience present in the studio, the night was unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Several attendees later shared that they left the set in tears, unable to shake the image of the contestant collapsing under the weight of their loss. “We came here for excitement, but what we saw was a nightmare,” one fan said. Another described the silence in the studio as “the most haunting moment I’ve ever experienced on television.”

As the contestant recovers and the show grapples with the fallout, the incident will likely go down as one of the most shocking moments in game show history. What began as a night of suspense and potential triumph ended in heartbreak, tears, and a chilling reminder of the immense pressure these contestants endure. Whether remembered

The computer then reveals the answer to be serendipity, coined by Horace Walpole from The Three Princes of Serendip. Nicholas shrugs and says: ”I’ve still got £125k” as Jeremy admits he would be “sobbing on the floor” if he’d just lost that much money.

“Oh my giddy aunt,” Clarkson said afterwards. “Is that the biggest loss in Millionaire history?” and he tells Nicholas: “I don’t think I’ve had a contestant I’ve enjoyed more than you. Well done, enjoy your winnings.”

After the ad break he welcomed viewers back by saying: “We’ve just seen someone lose what we think is the biggest amount in Who Wants to be a Millionaire history”.