A teenager from Bridgend has become one of the the youngest ever contestants on ITV’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Ben Jones, 19, took to the famous chair on Monday night and caused Jeremy Clarkson to laugh after his voice appeared to break on national TV.
Host Clarkson made several references to the Welsh contestant’s youth - including, on a question about alcohol, joking that Ben hasn’t been allowed to buy drinks in a pub for that long.
The highlight came when, in trying to win £4,000, Ben was asked the question: What indication from the Vatican officially signals that a new Pope has been elected?
Clarkson outlined four possible answers: cannon fired, flag hoisted, choir sings, white smoke rises.
In response to the question, Ben said: “What I thought it was has come up. I don’t think it has anything to do with a flag; I don’t think it’s as exciting as a cannon being fired and I don’t remember a choir singing when Pope Francis was elected, but I do remember there being....”
At this point the tone of Ben’s voice rises and he says “sorry” while raising his hand to his throat.
Jeremy Clarkson then says: “Your voice is breaking. Live on TV.”
The other would-be contestants sat in the studio and members of the production crew begin to laugh before Clarkson adds: “They are actually dropping.”
At this point Ben and Clarkson also laugh, before the Bridgend teenager goes on to give option D - white smoke rises - as his final answer.
He was correct and that answer earned him a tidy sum of £4,000.
When asked where he got his general knowledge skills from, Ben said: “Watching Millionaire - I’ve loved it since I was a kid,” and when asked what he would do if he won a considerable amount of money, he said: “I would love to go to Iceland, once Covid clears up.”
With £8,000 on the line, Ben was posed with the following question: A Mimosa is a cocktail most similar to which of these other drinks - Piña colada, Cosmopolitan, Buck’s fizz, or Mojito?
Ben asked Clarkson for help as part of the Ask the Host lifeline, but the former Top Gear presenter was himself unsure and advised the economics and politics student to use his 50:50 option. He did that but was still undecided as to the correct answer, so he ended up using a Phone a Friend lifeline, calling his pal David.
At this point Ben made a joke which impressed the host and referenced Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz - “I’d better start making my mind up!” - which led Clarkson to say that, had there been a studio audience, they would have loved the gag.
David advised Ben to go with Buck’s Fizz as his final answer, which secured him the £8,000.
For £16,000, Ben was then asked the following: This is Me was a 2018 UK Top 10 single from which recent film - A Star is Born, The Greatest Showman, La La Land, or Les Miserables?
As there is no studio audience due to Covid-19 restrictions, contestants are allowed two Phone a Friend lifelines. Knowing this, Ben contacted another friend (also called David) - who did not know the answer.
Rather than risk losing £7,000, the Welsh student deciding to take the money.
“Take the money, final answer,” he said. “I would pick Greatest Showman but I am going to walk away.”
His instinct was correct, as Clarkson revealed that had Ben played on he would have secured £16,000 - the next cash prize up the ladder.
As it was, one of the youngest ever contestant in the show’s history was more than happy to walk away with £8,000.
Monday night’s episode was the first of a new series of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, with episodes airing every night this week at 9pm on ITV1.
Show bosses have already revealed that one contestant in the series will go all way, answering all 15 questions correctly and becoming the sixth £1m jackpot winner in the show's history.
