Bachelor scoops biggest prize on US TV

A 42-year-old bachelor was today celebrating after winning the biggest prize in American television history as he scooped $2.18m (£1.7m) on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Kevin Olmstead used all three lifelines to get the $1m jackpot - and then picked up an extra $1.18m from a bonus pool which had been mounting up because nobody has won the top prize in 118 shows.

His win comes as the American version of the hit show faces a new threat from The Weakest Link, the British show hosted by Anne Robinson, which crosses the Atlantic next Monday.

A ratings battle is looming between ABC, which has trounced the opposition with Millionaire but now faces a real fight from NBC with The Weakest Link.

Mr Olmstead’s win was actually taped on March 21 and heavy hints have been dropped on a series of ABC’s other shows that a double-millionaire was likely to be created this week - leading to suspicions of a bid to steal the thunder from The Weakest Link.

The man himself was modest about his win, which comes as the latest in his quiz show earnings, which have already included $27,000 on another programme.

"I will be giving some to charities that are near and dear to me and a lot will be invested with an eye toward early retirement - and some will be mad money to purchase a car and some electronic toys," said the environmental engineer from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

"I won’t be quitting my jobs."

He scooped the jackpot by correctly naming Otto Sikorsky as the inventor of the first mass-produced helicopter.

"He was a nice guy and he was thrilled to receive the prize - he was literally shaking," said American host Regis Philbin.

"There hasn’t been anyone in 188 shows.

"There’s been a drought, but that’s changed. Suddenly, there’s more excitement." His win comes as as reports emerged that a former Mastermind champion had become the second person to scoop the British jackpot.

David Edwards, from Denstone in Staffordshire, won the ITV quiz’s million jackpot during a show recorded on Monday, according to reports.

Mr Edwards was a former Mastermind champion in 1990 and the 54-year-old physics teacher also won Brain of Britain, run by high-IQ society Mensa in 1985.

The £1m question was: "If you planted the seeds of the Quercus Robur what would grow?" to which he correctly answered: "Trees".

According to the reports, the father of two is head of science at Staffordshire’s Denstone College and was watched in the audience by his wife Viv.

However a spokeswoman from programme maker Celador said: "We cannot confirm anything at all. We will not confirm any information about any contestant before a show is transmitted.

"We are taking this very seriously indeed and we are flabbergasted. We maintain our stance that we will not discuss contestants before shows.

"We do not even know when the show is going to be transmitted as we don’t have one on Easter Monday."