Tipping Point winner 'banned' from going on £2.5k holiday they won on ITV show

A Tipping Point winner has been left seething after being 'banned' from enjoying a £2,500 holiday prize won on the ITV quiz show.

Maxine Longmuir, 69, was overjoyed to win a trip to Portugal on the gameshow, hosted by Ben Shephard, but was left gutted when she couldn't rebook following a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.

She was advised against flying and had to cancel the planned seven-night stay at the Domes Lake Algarve resort with her husband Graham Hewson, 67, set for April 19, the Mirror reports.

Maxine, who was looking forward to celebrating her 70th birthday and wedding anniversary with the trip, expressed her frustration: "It was one of the mystery prizes, it was the best prize I'd ever seen on the show.

"It was a fantastic feeling to win. It's our wedding anniversary and I turn 70 this year so it was supposed to be the perfect celebration."

The couple, who hadn't had a holiday in five years, had everything arranged, including coach tickets and dog-sitting.

Maxine's disappointment is palpable as she recounts: "We haven't been able to take a holiday for five years and I'd booked coach tickets to the airport and arranged for a friend to come and look after our dogs.

"I'm so disappointed. It's maddening because they've had the PR from it, but I haven't got anything. I went back and told them some other dates I could do but the holiday company Destinology just said no," as reported by MailOnline.

A spokesperson for Destinology, who spoke to the Mirror, emphasised their customers' satisfaction as their top priority.

They mentioned: "Our customers' experience with us is of the highest importance, and we can confirm that we have been in talks with Mrs Longmuir since last week around new dates so that we can rearrange her holiday."

The spokesperson shed light on the prize origins, saying: "The prize that was offered on Tipping Point was given by both Destinology and Domes Lake Algarve (Destinology covering the flight element).

"When Mrs Longmuir initially contacted us to let us know that she could no longer go on her holiday, our team contacted the hotel to try and move her dates, but unfortunately this was outside of the terms and conditions of the hotel prize offered by the hotel."

They also revealed that a resolution was reached following a discussion about Mrs Longmuir's circumstances. "After explaining Mrs Longmuir's circumstances, the hotel has now agreed to move her stay to a date in the future, and Destinology will be rearranging her flights."

ITV has not commented on the situation.

Tipping Point, which first started airing in 2012, draws in viewers fascinated by general knowledge questions and features an arcade-style coin push machine gameplay which players use in an attempt to land the £10K jackpot.

Maxine Longmuir engaged in six preliminary screening calls and logged an hour on Zoom with other hopefuls before crossing paths with the show in Bristol that April.

The only downfall was that despite all efforts, Maxine didn't bag any winnings due to an incorrect response.

Still, the encounter with Ben Shephard, 48, the face of Tipping Point, sparked joy in her.

She recounted: "I got through to the final two but answered a question wrong, it was about a Chancellor of the Exchequer and my mind just went blank.

"I still got what I wanted - I only went on there to get a hug with Ben. I'd never been on a TV show before."

Meanwhile, in another ITV quiz show twist, a Saturday Night Takeaway winner expressed her devastation after her paralysed dog was excluded from a family holiday prize.

Charity worker Tammy Fox, 43, who advocates for disabled animals through Pumpkin and Friends, was overjoyed upon winning a dream holiday for four.

But her excitement turned to disappointment when she discovered that her cherished dog, Pumpkin, was not permitted to join because the airline's policy only accommodates assistance dogs.

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