Fastest finger first

Appearing on ITV quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as a way of ticking one item off her bucket list, led to a colleague walking away with an incredible £16,000 in prize money.

Doxford customer adviser Louise Gourley said: ‘I’m usually the last person who would do anything like that. I’m really shy but I thought it’s my turn, I’m going to do it.’

On the day of filming, Louise and her Doxford colleague Ann-Marie Bell, who was in the audience, were picked up from their hotel and taken to the studios. 

‘I was so nervous, I didn’t think I could do it but the thought of An- Marie telling me off for quitting kept me going,’ Louise admitted.

After ‘messing up’ during the fastest finger first round – ‘I pressed cancel instead of enter’ – Louise went through on her second attempt, answering the first five questions to £1,000 without a hitch.

At the £4,000 question, she asked the audience. Then, at £8,000, she used up two lifelines on a question asking for the English name of the herb known as cilantro in Spanish.

‘If I’d been at home, I would have been screaming at the TV but it’s a whole different ball game when it’s for real,’ said Louise. ‘I know the answer’s coriander but I stumbled on it and it completely knocked my confidence.’

The show returned with a revised format for a week of special programmes, marking its 20th anniversary. Led by new presenter Jeremy Clarkson, contestants were able to choose where to set their second safety net, which meant Louise walked away with £16,000 after failing to answer the £32,000 question about jazz musician Dave Brubeck.

She plans to spend her prize money on a new bathroom, kitchen and a holiday.