Jeremy Clarkson, the popular host of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” was left in shock recently when a contestant’s attempt to win big money ended in disappointment due to a botched Phone A Friend lifeline with her father. This dramatic turn of events unfolded on the iconic ITV game show, which had only recently celebrated a jackpot victory when Roman Dubowski secured a cool £1 million.
This week’s contestant, Jen Essery Lillikakis, had high hopes as she settled into the hot seat, dreaming of a substantial win that would fund an exotic honeymoon with her new husband, Kyri, who watched supportively from the audience. Jen confidently navigated the initial questions, which spanned topics such as art, Shakespeare, sportswear brands, and cookery, showcasing her broad knowledge base.
However, her journey took a turn when she encountered a challenging question. Upon reaching the £32,000 mark, Jen decided to use her Ask The Audience lifeline to identify which musical instrument has been closely associated with Hawaii since the 1880s. The options were steel drum, ukulele, kazoo, or washboard. The audience guided her correctly to the ukulele, allowing her to secure a safety net at £64,000.
Despite this success, Jen’s luck ran out later in the game, leading to a loss of £186,000, marking her as the second-biggest loser in the show’s history. Her experience serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the game, where fortunes can shift dramatically with a single question.
Upon reaching £32,000, Jen opted to Ask The Audience which musical instrument is closely associated with Hawaii since the 1880s – steel drum, ukulele, kazoo or washboard.
The audience correctly pointed her to ukulele, with the contestant setting her safety net to £64,000.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host Jeremy Clarkson was stunned as a contestant lost out on £186,000 after a disastrous Phone A Friend attempt with her dad
Jen Essery Lillikakis became the second-biggest loser in show history after taking to the hot seat hoping to win big to pay for an exotic honeymoon with her newlywed husband Kyri
Jeremy told her: ‘Oh my god you have just lost £186,000! It is unbelievable you took a punt on that. You need a bravery award for that.’
On the £125,000 question, Jen utilised the 50/50 and Ask The Host lifelines.
It asked: ‘Which of these multiple winners of the best actor Oscar has only been nominated twice for the award but won on both occasions – Sean Penn/Daniel Day-Lewis/Adrien Brody/Anthony Hopkins?’
She correctly answered Adrien Brody, followed by also successfully advancing past the £250,000 question.
Unfortunately, Jen’s luck took a big downturn on the £500,000 question.
This asked her: ‘According to Guinness World Records, which of these has travelled at over 260 miles per hour during a competitive game or match? Tennis ball, ice hockey puck, badminton shuttlecock or table tennis ball.’
She used the sole remaining lifeline, Phone A Friend, to ask her dad Chris, but he didn’t know the answer.
Host Jeremy issued a stern warning: ‘You are now completely on your own and have no more lifelines. If you get this wrong, if you go for it and get it wrong, you lose £186,000.’
Jeremy also pointed out to Jen that she could choose to not answer the question and walk away with £250,000.
She responded: ‘Would I be more annoyed at giving it a go and getting it wrong… or not giving it a go?’
Jen selected ice hockey puck, only to soon discover the correct answer was badminton shuttlecock.
Reacting to the big loss, Jeremy said: ‘Oh my god you have just lost £186,000! It is unbelievable you took a punt on that. You need a bravery award for that.’
Taking it on the chin, Jen said: ‘Well, that’s fine. I have won £64,000.’
She now holds the title of the show’s second-biggest loser, surpassed only by Nicholas Bennett, who answered the £1million question incorrectly last year and lost out on £375,000.
Last week, retired IT consultant Roman Dubowski became only the seventh winner ever in the game show’s UK history.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
