'Millionaire' case major dismisses claims of pager plot as 'absolute rot'
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The army major accused of cheating to win the top prize in Who Wants to be a Millionaire dismissed claims of dishonesty yesterday as "absolute rot''.
Appearing in the dock for the first time, Major Charles Ingram said in his defence that, until the trial, he had never met or spoken to the man alleged to have prompted him in the studio by repeated coughing.
Dressed in a black pinstripe suit, complete with handkerchief in his breast pocket, the Royal Engineers officer told Southwark Crown Court that he was inspired to apply for the show after his wife, Diana, and his brother-in-law Adrian Pollock had won £32,000 as contestants.
The production company Celador alleges that Major Ingram was helped in answering the most difficult questions on 9 September 2001 by strategic coughs in collusion with a college lecturer, Tecwen Whittock, who was in the audience.
Major Ingram, 39, insisted yesterday that he did not know Mr Whittock, although his mobile phone records showed his wife made calls to him over a period of four months before the show. Under questioning from his QC, Sonia Woodley, he said: "The first time I became aware of Mr Whittock was on 25 September 2001 [when the allegations were printed in The Sun]. I did not know they were in touch. She did not tell me. With the exception of here in this court I have never met Tecwen Whittock or spoken to him.''
Major Ingram said he was unaware his wife was making numerous calls to pagers in the months before the show and during recording at the studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. He dismissed suggestions that he had planned to hide vibrating pagers in his clothing to help him answer multiple-choice questions, as "Absolute rot. Absolute rubbish.''
Major Ingram, Mrs Ingram, 38, and Mr Whittock, 53, each deny fraud. The trial continues.