Rob Mitchell, a database administrator from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, was a contestant on series 14 of the UK version of the show on 25 October & 1 November, 2003. He walked away with £32,000 after incorrectly answering his £500,000 question, and became the second and most recent contestant in the UK, after Duncan Bickley, to lose £218,000, which is currently the highest amount of money ever lost on the British version of the show.
He also became the sixth person on the show after Martin Skillings, Ben Bartle, Gerry Lennon, Diane Hallagan and Dougie Wilson and before James Plaskett to get up to £125,000 with all 3 lifelines still remaining.
He, alongside Alan Lofts, originally appeared on Fastest Finger First on 18th January 2003, but didn’t get into the hot seat.[1]
15 years later, on the 20th anniversary, Eleanor Ayres also answered the £500,000 question incorrectly, losing £125,000 in the process, and walking away with £125,000.
WWTBAM Run[]
Fastest Finger First[]
Fastest Finger First Question | |
Starting in America and working east, put these items in order of the country with which they are most associated. | |
⬥ A: Gondola | ⬥ B: Stetson |
⬥ C: Boomerang | ⬥ D: Shamrock |
3 from the 9 contestants correctly answered B-D-A-C, but Rob did it the fastest (5.09 seconds), making it into the Hot Seat. He also appeared in a FFF Round on January 2003, but failed to make it into the Hot Seat.
Rob's Run to the Million[]
£100 (1 to 15) - Not Timed | |
Which of these is a Native American ceremony for feasting and dancing? | |
⬥ A: Kowtow | ⬥ B: Powwow |
⬥ C: Hownow | ⬥ D: Browncow |
£200 (2 to 15) - Not Timed | |
Which word describes a schoolchild who spends a lot of time studying? | |
⬥ A: Swot | ⬥ B: Slot |
⬥ C: Scot | ⬥ D: Shot |
£300 (3 to 15) - Not Timed | |
At what type of bus stop will the vehicle only stop if signalled to do so? | |
⬥ A: Beg stop | ⬥ B: Plead stop |
⬥ C: Appeal stop | ⬥ D: Request stop |
£500 (4 to 15) - Not Timed | |
A 'tremor' is a small... what? | |
⬥ A: Avalanche | ⬥ B: Tornado |
⬥ C: Tidal wave | ⬥ D: Earthquake |
£1,000 (5 to 15) - Not Timed | |
Where in the body are the muscles known as 'abs'? | |
⬥ A: Thigh | ⬥ B: Back |
⬥ C: Stomach | ⬥ D: Legs |
£2,000 (6 to 15) - Not Timed | |
Which TV character is associated with the phrase “Who loves ya, baby?”? | |
⬥ A: Lovejoy | ⬥ B: Bergerac |
⬥ C: Kojak | ⬥ D: Seinfeld |
£4,000 (7 to 15) - Not Timed | |
With which athletics event is Ashia Hansen most associated? | |
⬥ A: Triple jump | ⬥ B: 400 metres |
⬥ C: Javelin | ⬥ D: 800 metres |
£8,000 (8 to 15) - Not Timed | |
A 'tournedos Rossini' is a steak topped with which of these ingredients? | |
⬥ A: Spinach | ⬥ B: Smoked salmon |
⬥ C: Carrot | ⬥ D: Foie gras |
£16,000 (9 to 15) - Not Timed | |
Freddie Eynsford-Hill is a character in which musical? | |
⬥ A: West Side Story | ⬥ B: My Fair Lady |
⬥ C: The Sound of Music | ⬥ D: Kiss Me Kate |
£32,000 (10 to 15) - Not Timed | |
In which British city was Cary Grant born? | |
⬥ A: Leeds | ⬥ B: Manchester |
⬥ C: Birmingham | ⬥ D: Bristol |
£64,000 (11 to 15) - Not Timed | |
The reign of which ruler features in Tennyson's book of verse 'The Idylls of the King'? | |
⬥ A: Henry VIII | ⬥ B: William the Conqueror |
⬥ C: Arthur | ⬥ D: Richard the Lionheart |
£125,000 (12 to 15) - Not Timed | |
The Ogaden is a desert region on which continent? | |
⬥ A: North America | ⬥ B: Africa |
⬥ C: Australia | ⬥ D: South America |
The klaxon called time, and Rob would return on £125,000 with all 3 lifelines still available. |
£250,000 (13 to 15) - Not Timed | |
Which of these comics celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2003? '50:50' and 'Ask the Audience' lifelines used | |
⬥ A: Beano | ⬥ B: Eagle |
⬥ C: Marvel | ⬥ D: Hotspur |
Ask the Audience Results: A: 68% ⬥ C: 32% |
£500,000 (14 to 15) - Not Timed | |
How many inches tall is an Oscar statuette? 'Phone-a-Friend' lifeline used | |
⬥ A: Eight and a half | ⬥ B: Eleven |
⬥ C: Thirteen and a half | ⬥ D: Sixteen |
Rob didn't know, so he phoned his sister-in-law Moira, who didn't know either. Rob decided to play the question anyway and go for B: Eleven, but this was incorrect and he lost £218,000.
Total Prize: £32,000 |
Notes[]
- Just before revealing that Rob had lost £218,000, Chris said that Rob's sister up in the audience had said C: Thirteen and a half before announcing that she was right.
Trivia[]
- From the 10th Anniversary DVD Game - Best bits 2003, Chris said that Rob was the first person to get up to £125,000 without using a lifeline. This was a mistake, as 5 contestants had also done the same before him.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
References[]
Preceded by Paul Walker |
UK Contestant (Series 14) Rob Mitchell |
Succeeded by Gavin Freeguard |