Quiz viewers are shocked by the lengths Who Wants to Be a Millionaire cheat Charles Ingram went for the jackpot ‘win’.
So much so that some are finding it hard to believe that the show is based on a true story.
The ITV drama, which follows the Who Wants to be a Millionaire cheating scandal of 2001, has lifted the lid on the lengths that Ingram went to with the help of his wife Diana and coughing audience member Tecwen Whittock.
But it is Ingram's bother-in-law Adrian Pollock who takes centre stage as the mastermind of quiz deception.
The first episode of the three-part ITV drama aired on Monday night, shining a light on what led to Ingram’s deception, and the revelation that the plan had been in the making for months.
The programme shows how Diana and her brother Adrian - who both appeared on Millionaire and won £32,000 each - were instrumental in convincing an apparently reluctant Charles to take part.
The first hour long episode showed how Adrian, in debt with his business, built his own fastest finger first device so he could practise before going on the show.
And it worked - he appeared four times as a contestant, including the time he got through the first round and sat in the hot seat opposite show host Chris Tarrant.
But that wasn’t enough - Adrian was desperate to win, and would seemingly go to any lengths to scoop the top prize.
He first worked out how to get onto the show by answering the phone call question that all potential contestants were asked.
The episode also revealed that Adrian and Diana also formed part of a secret quiz team called The Syndicate, which plotted ways to win the jackpot once a contestant got through fastes finger first.
One was by manipulating the 'phone a friend' round where where a quiz member was on hand to provide the answer.
Shocked viewers spoke of their disbelief on Twitter.
One said: “Just watched #Quiz can’t believe people got so involved and they had a secret gang. That’s just mental!”
A second posted: “Thoroughly enjoyed #quiz. I can't believe the trickery. Middle England in rooms. All kinds of naughty. Who knew.”
A third wrote: “Can’t believe he made his own fastest finger keypad.”
A fourth said: “I both can't believe but also can definitely believe that 'The Syndicate' existed.”
Another agreed: “I can’t believe a quiz created an underground movement, my word how sad.”
“There is no way this can be true. No way. I can't believe this went down,” said another.
Quiz continues tonight on ITV from 9pm.
