Winner of Britain’s biggest ever game show prize forced to leave country after victory

The winner of Britain’s biggest ever game show prize was forced to leave the country after his incredible win. Graham Fletcher won a record-breaking sum of cash when he soared to victory on ITV competition Red or Black, presented by Ant and Dec. The show only ran for a year, with two series being broadcast between 2011 and 2012, but the whopping prize was enough to change Graham’s life for good.

He scooped an epic £1.5million on the show, which tasked contestants with choosing red or black each round, with those that choose the incorrect colour being eliminated. Four players became millionaires in the first series, with Nathan Hageman, Kevin Cartwright, Darren Thompson and Gary Brocklesby each taking home a million each.

In the second series, it was Graham Fletcher who beat that record, scooping the biggest prize in UK game show history. While his fellow competitor Kris Danns managed to win £1million, and Christine Stalker and Sophie Shaw both took home £500,000, it was Graham who took the top prize.

He had a party thrown by ITV for him the night of his big win to celebrate, but was later forced to flee the UK when the world got word of his winnings. He told LADbible: “[Only] a handful of people knew where I lived. The next day I had press outside my house and it was in the papers next day.”

His neighbours were “stressed” that he had done something wrong, forcing Graham to tell them about his prize money. So he fled to Egypt for two weeks, followed by three weeks in Cyprus, to get away from the media storm – but even ex-pats living abroad recognised him in the papers.

He said: “When I’d come back it had died down a bit but we had to wait another three weeks for the TV show.”

Graham decided to spend £150,000 on two brand new cars, splashing out on a Range Rover Evoque Sport and a BMW convertible. He also purchased a “rundown” property for £600,000 and was able to sell it for £880,000 a year later, moving his family out into the countryside.

But he reflected: “I’d never, ever bought a new car and me and my wife spent £150,000 on two new cars, and that was a waste of money because although they were beautiful after a few weeks they’re just a car." Now he and his wife have a Ford S Max and a Golf Sport instead.

He added to the publication: “I would definitely advise someone that wins a massive amount of money to never go public, but don’t not help people. There’s no point being the wealthiest man in the grave."