Judith Keppel
| Judith Keppel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 August 1942 |
| Known for | First winner of the British television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Eggheads |
Judith Cynthia Aline Keppel (born 18 August 1942) [1] was the first one million-pound winner on the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom.
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[edit] Personal life
Keppel's father was a Lieutenant Commander in the Fleet Air Arm, who moved with the family to various naval postings around Britain until they settled in London when she was 17. Although she took A-levels and completed a secretarial course, she was groomed for marriage, rather than a career. Her first husband was Desmond Corcoran, an art dealer. The couple went on to have three children, Sibylla, Alexander, and Rosie, but divorced in 1980. In 1985 she married comedy script writer Neil Shand. They separated in 1987. [2]
Keppel is the granddaughter of Walter, 9th Earl of Albemarle. Her great-grandfather, the 8th Earl was brother-in-law of Alice Keppel, the mistress of King Edward VII and was the great-uncle of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.[3] The Duchess of Cornwall is therefore her third cousin.
[edit] Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
| £1 million (15 of 15) - no time limit | |
| Which King was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine? | |
| • A: Henry I | • B: Henry II |
| • C: Richard I | • D: Henry V |
| Keppel's £1,000,000 question | |
Keppel appeared on the 20 November 2000 episode of the UK edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, becoming the 12th winner in the world and the first in the UK to win one million pounds. There was speculation at the time that the win was fixed so that ITV would draw ratings away from BBC One which was showing the last episode of One Foot in the Grave in the same timeslot. However, the Independent Television Commission cleared Celador and ITV of the allegations.[4] Keppel's victory was achieved exactly a year after the first Millionaire winner was broadcast, when John Carpenter became the first winner of the US version of the show as well as becoming the first winner worldwide.
Keppel now appears on the BBC Two quiz show Eggheads, where she and four other quiz champions are pitted against members of the public.
[edit] References
- ^ Charles Mosley (ed.), Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (London: Burke's Peerage, 1999)
- ^ Woods, Judith (4 August 2001). "Thank God, I don't have to move to France". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4724890/Thank-God-I-dont-have-to-move-to-France.html.
- ^ Sir William Coutts Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle thePeerage.com
- ^ "Millionaire? cleared of ratings 'fix'". BBC News. 15 January 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1118212.stm. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by First winner |
Top prize winner on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (UK) 20 November 2000 |
Succeeded by David Edwards |
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