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New series of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' will crown its sixth million pound winner

Jeremy Clarkson hosting Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ITV (Stellify Media)
Jeremy Clarkson hosting Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ITV (Stellify Media)

ITV has revealed that the new season of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? will make a new top prize-winning contestant a millionaire.

The as-yet-unnamed contestant will be only the sixth person to ever win the top prize in 22 years of the UK quiz show. They answered all fifteen multiple-choice questions, posed by host Jeremy Clarkson, correctly to scoop £1 million.

The new six-episode season, set to air on ITV in September, was filmed without a studio audience due to COVID-19 and strict government guidelines around social distancing. Contestant still have their four lifelines, however, they will be 50:50, Ask The Host and two opportunities to Phone A Friend.

Read more: The true story of the Coughing Major millionaire fraud

"Well, I'm absolutely thrilled and delighted that we've found someone who seems to know just about everything,” Clarkson said. “I can't wait for the viewers to see it and I want to watch it back too. I was just in awe of this contestant and think they are probably the best the show has ever had in its 22 year history. It was a joy to sit and watch it unfold.”

Who Wants to Be A Millionaire winner Judith Keppel (right) receiving a cheque from Chris Tarrant at a photo call at Elstree studios in London.  She has become the first contestant to scoop the  1million jackpot on the hit quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?  *... Viewers have already seen Mrs Keppel - who is a relative of Camilla Parker Bowles, the partner of the Prince of Wales - win  16,000. But later, a show insider confirmed, the garden designer, who used up her Ask The Audience lifeline when she was stumped by the question asking her in which country was Prime Minister Tony Blair born, will go all the way to  1 million.   (Photo by Peter Jordan - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
Who Wants to Be A Millionaire winner Judith Keppel (right) receiving a cheque from Chris Tarrant at a photo call at Elstree studios in London. (Peter Jordan - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)

Jeremy added, “It felt like we whizzed through the 15 questions and all of a sudden, confetti was falling from the ceiling and I was saying 'You've just won one million pounds'. I wasn't sure I'd ever get to utter those immortal six words and I'm not embarrassed to say, it was a little emotional but boy did it feel good."

The original series of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, hosted by Chris Tarrant, aired for 30 series from 1998 to 2014, with five people winning the top prize: Judith Keppell (2000), David Edwards (2001), Robert Brydges (2001), Pat Gibson (2004) and Ingram Wilcox (2006).

Major Charles Ingram answered all 15 questions correctly in 2001, but was found guilty of cheating and never received his million pound prize.

The show was revived in 2018 with Jeremy Clarkson as the quiz master.