Buzz
Game shows tap into our basic instincts. At their finest, they offer life-changing prizes like a down payment on a home or tuition fees for our children. At their worst, you might find yourself violently fighting someone for a Blu-ray box set of The Crown.
Either way, it’s a shady and corrupt business. It’s no wonder so many scammers have found their way into it, each employing a variety of devious methods to cheat, though some eventually end up swapping their winnings for a prison sentence.
10. Charles Ingram Almost Pilfers £1 Million on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
In September 2001, Charles Ingram made an appearance on the UK version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Despite not exuding much confidence, he performed remarkably well, eventually securing the top prize of one million pounds. His approach was erratic, constantly switching between answers, but somehow he always managed to choose the right one.
It was later revealed that Ingram was being assisted by two accomplices: Tecwen Whittock, a college lecturer, and his wife, Diana Ingram. Whittock, who was seated in the Fastest Finger First section, would go on to have his own shot at winning the million, while Diana sat among the audience. She had previously won £32,000 on the show. It seemed that the couple had a deep obsession with the game.
Ingram’s seemingly apologetic hesitation while answering questions was actually a key part of the trio's strategy. During these pauses, either Whittock or Diana would discreetly cough to signal which answer Ingram should select.
Producers of the show became suspicious and took the matter to court. An audio expert testified that 192 coughs had been recorded during the episode, and 36 of them were believed to have come from Whittock.
The trio faced fines and received suspended prison sentences for their actions. A year later, Charles Ingram filed for bankruptcy.
9. The Twenty One Scandal
In 1956, NBC premiered a new quiz show titled Twenty One. Contestants competed directly against each other, answering general knowledge questions, and the first to correctly answer 21 questions would claim victory.
The show was originally intended for true trivia enthusiasts, with challenging questions and a competitive, sporting atmosphere. However, it failed to captivate audiences. In fact, Dan Enright, the producer of the show, famously described the first broadcast as “A dismal failure. It was just plain dull.”
In an attempt to boost the show's appeal, a decision was made to manipulate the outcomes. This ensured that every contest would be exciting. Additionally, Enright wanted memorable personalities for the show—contestants who would draw strong emotions from the audience. Some would be disliked, others cheered for, but the most important factor was that they were familiar faces who people would tune in to watch. It became essential to select a star contestant and provide them with answers to guarantee their continued success on the show.
Herb Stempel was the first star of the show, with a remarkable six-week winning streak. But after that, Enright and his team decided they were done with Stempel and chose to replace him with a younger, more marketable academic—Charles Van Doren.
Stempel and Van Doren faced off across multiple episodes, with each competition ending in a rigged draw. This strategy worked wonders, as it kept the audience captivated. People were eager to see if the reigning champion would finally be dethroned. That moment came on December 5, 1956, and Van Doren’s streak wouldn’t end until March 1957.
The public’s affection for the Twenty One champion came crashing down when mounting evidence from Stempel and other former contestants exposed the truth. This revelation led to the show’s cancellation in 1958.
At the time of the scandal, the producers of Twenty One hadn’t technically broken any laws. However, in 1960, in response to the scandal, the Communications Act of 1934 was amended to explicitly outlaw the rigging of quiz shows.
8. The Dotto Scandal
At the time of Dotto’s cancellation in August 1958, it held the title of the highest-rated daytime television show in history. Having only aired since January 1958, its sudden fall from grace puzzled the public, who remained unaware that the show had been rigged.
However, the mystery didn’t stay hidden for long. On August 28, the district attorney announced an investigation into the suspicious circumstances surrounding Dotto’s abrupt cancellation.
It was soon revealed that a contestant, Marie Winn, had left behind a notebook containing answers and questions for the show’s upcoming taping. This notebook was discovered by standby contestant Edward Hilgemeier Jr., who showed its contents to the losing contestant of the night. To silence them, producers paid $4,000 to the defeated contestant and $1,500 to Hilgemeier.
Ultimately, Hilgemeier broke his silence, contacting the show’s sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive. Just a week later, the sponsor decided the show had to be permanently removed from the airwaves.
The UK version of *Twenty One* was also found to be rigged, resulting in poorly awarded prizes for many years.
The 1950s were a rough period for game shows, with *Twenty One* being a prime example. Not only was the American version revealed to be manipulated, but the UK version was too.
In 1958, UK TV station ITV canceled *Twenty One* after contestant Stanley Armstrong claimed he had received “definite leads” to the answers. These tips came in the form of a recommended reading list for selected contestants.
The public's initial response was somewhat subdued. TV regulators merely decided that quiz show rules must be publicly available from then on, including information about contestant preparation and the prizes awarded.
The incident foreshadowed a significant change for British quiz shows, particularly after the publication of the Pilkington Report a few years later. The report proposed that eliminating large cash prizes would remove much of the public interest, as they were seen as celebrations of greed. It recommended imposing a £1,000 cap on quiz show prizes to address these moral concerns.
The government accepted this proposal, and the cap remained until the mid-1990s. When the cap was finally lifted, it had increased enough to allow the UK version of *The $64,000 Question* to offer a relatively indulgent prize of £6,400.
6. The 'You Say We Pay' Scandal on *Richard & Judy*
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan were the undisputed rulers of British daytime television. Their afternoon show, *Richard & Judy*, became a massive success for Channel 4, and their phone-in game show segment, “You Say We Pay,” attracted millions of eager callers.
Initially, it was a simple matter of first come, first served for contestants. At a certain point, all available slots were filled, meaning no more callers could be selected. However, rather than informing the audience and closing the phone lines, the hosts repeatedly urged viewers at home to keep calling in for a chance to win a large cash prize.
Richard and Judy convincingly argued that they were unaware of the practice, and the blame was placed on Eckoh, the phone-in service operators. In the end, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services imposed a fine of £150,000 on them.
During the show's duration, approximately five million people called in to participate. The committee revealed that about half of those callers were unfairly charged the £1 call-in fee. Consequently, Eckoh was instructed to refund around £1.5 million to the cheated public.
5. The $64,000 Question and the $64,000 Challenge Scandal
Reverend Charles 'Stoney' Jackson Jr. made his first appearance on The $64,000 Question in the late 1950s. He was immediately taken aback by his unexpected success. Before the show, producer Mert Koplin had casually quizzed him, and whenever Jackson couldn’t answer one of Koplin’s questions, the answers were simply provided to him.
During his second appearance, Jackson was content to maintain the profitable charade. Producers fed him questions they were confident he could answer, helping him win $16,000. At that point, he was offered a choice: quit and take his earnings, or face a question he would have no chance of answering. Jackson opted to take the money.
After gaining the producers' trust, Jackson was invited back two months later to participate in the spin-off show The $64,000 Challenge, where winners of over $8,000 from the main show competed against new contestants. Jackson won once again, defeating Doll Goosetree. He later learned that Goosetree had been misled into thinking Shakespeare would be prominently featured on the show.
Jackson’s moral struggle reached a tipping point, and he began reaching out to anyone who would listen. Both The New York Times and Time magazine refused to publish his story. The truth behind Jackson’s claims was only revealed when linked to the ongoing scandals surrounding Twenty One and Dotto.
4. The 'Hello Pappy' Scandal on Wowowee
Willie 'Pappy' Revillame was the host of the light-hearted entertainment show Wowowee, which primarily featured a series of mini-games where fortunate contestants had the chance to win prizes.
The show's games were often revised or even discarded, resulting in sets that sometimes appeared rather makeshift during their early trials. This became central to Revillame’s defense when he faced accusations of participating in the show’s cheating activities.
The controversy arose during a segment called 'Wilyonaryo,' which had rules resembling those of Deal Or No Deal. Contestants had to decide whether to accept the amount offered by Revillame or risk it all by choosing from a large, white, poorly constructed wheel.
Initially, the contestant was inclined to take a risk, but Revillame persuaded her to decline. It later came to light that had she chosen the wheel, she would have lost all her money, implying that Revillame may have known the contents of the wheel in advance.
Adding to the confusion, Revillame claimed that a purple wheel contained the jackpot prize. When he opened the wheel, it showed that the contestant would have lost everything. After tampering with the wheel, Revillame suspiciously peeled off another number, revealing a jackpot win.
The producers argued that it was a genuine mechanical malfunction rather than an indication of foul play. However, the Department of Trade and Industry disagreed and imposed a fine on the show, which was around $5,700 (equivalent to November 2017 US dollars).
3. A Wanted Fugitive Wins Big on Super Password
In 1988, a man named Patrick Quinn appeared on Super Password and won $58,600 over four days. This was a highly risky move, as he was a wanted fugitive with outstanding fraud charges. Among his offenses was orchestrating his wife’s fake death to collect her $100,000 life insurance policy.
It was discovered that Patrick Quinn was actually the name of one of the fraudster’s college professors. The contestant's true identity was Kerry Ketchem. A bank manager recognized him and quickly alerted the Secret Service.
Shortly afterward, Ketchem called the show’s producers, claiming he needed to leave the country immediately for a business trip. He arranged to pick up the prize money in person at their office, bypassing the usual procedure of receiving it by mail.
When Ketchem arrived at the office, local authorities arrested him. Not surprisingly, he was not allowed to keep his winnings. The show’s judges argued that he had broken contestant eligibility rules by using a false identity. Ketchem was later sentenced to five years in prison for insurance fraud.
2. Million Dollar Money Drop Cheats Couple Out Of A Correct Answer Through Poor Research
In the game show Million Dollar Money Drop, participants begin with one million dollars. This entire sum is staked over a series of questions, with contestants keeping whatever money remains at the end of the game.
During the debut episode in 2010, contestants Gabe Okoye and Brittany Mayti lost $800,000 on a question that asked which product—Macintosh computer, Post-it notes, or Sony Walkman—was the first to be sold in stores. Their answer was Post-it notes, but according to the host, the 'correct' answer was the Sony Walkman.
The show did not consider a 1977 test marketing campaign for Post-it notes in four cities, where they were sold as 'Press & Peel.' Despite this, the Walkman was first available in Japanese stores in 1979, two years later than the test market for Post-it notes.
The executive producer of the show extended an invitation for the contestants to return and compete again. Sadly, the show was canceled before they could take up the offer.
1. The Our Little Genius ScandalMark Burnett Cancels His Own Show
Ahead of the premiere of Our Little Genius, the show faced considerable criticism for its premise. Many felt it placed excessive pressure on young children, as they were required to answer trivia questions that could potentially lead to 'life-changing money' for their families.
As it turned out, the show was canceled before airing any episodes. However, the decision had nothing to do with the stress placed on kids. Mark Burnett, the show's creator, explained that the issue stemmed from 'how information was communicated to contestants during preproduction.'
A contestant's parent submitted a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, claiming they were instructed on which subjects to study and had received direct answers to at least four questions. The letter included a statement such as, 'It was crucial to know that the hemidemisemiquaver is the British name for the sixty-fourth note.' If you remember one thing from this article, make it the hemidemisemiquaver.
Contestants were allowed to keep their winnings, and Burnett initially considered reshooting the show. However, due to the ensuing controversy, the show has never made a return.
