FAMILY SECRETS
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? winner Donald Fear didn’t tell his daughter he won £1m – and will go to work tomorrow
A DAD who won Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? didn't tell his daughter he scooped the £1million jackpot - and is set to go into work tomorrow.
Donald Fear, who became the sixth person to win the ITV jackpot said it was “very difficult” to keep it a secret after filming the episode in July.
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Donald - a history and politics teacher from Telford, Shropshire - showed no fear as he went all the way to £1million - using just one of his lifelines.
He also managed to keep the news from his daughter - letting her and the majority of his family find out as they watched the show on Friday.
Donald's wife Deborah said: “Some of the family found out on the day because some are living in the house, but one of our daughters only found out yesterday. We kept it secret.”
Don watched his winning episode at home with his parents Jim and Pat, wife Debra, their son Chris, 22, and daughters Izzy, 26, Ali, 30, and Cat, 31, as well as their partners.
Clutching a bottle of champagne, 57-year-old Donald told the : “It’s been fantastic.”
“I’m a natural prattler who doesn’t find it easy to keep his tongue under control."
He is now looking forward to celebrating with pupils, who were also left in the dark, when he returns to school tomorrow.
“The kids and staff in my school are amazing. I can’t wait to feel the love.”
MILLIONAIRE FAMILY
Don’s brother Davyth, 60, who won £500,000 on the show last year, watched his brother win on telly from his home.
Asked for the secret behind Don and Davyth’s success, Don's dad Jim said: “It’s a consistent childhood of quizzes over the table. They’ve been answering quiz questions from the age of two or three.”
Donald, who teaches history and politics at Jeremy Corbyn’s old school sped through the quiz in record time to bag the seven-figure prize.
Host Jeremy, 60, was staggered by the speed and certainty with which Donald answered.
But it was all such a blur that Donald can’t remember what banter the pair shared after the win.
He intends to give 70 per cent of his winnings to his family.
Many of them suffered when lockdown came into force in March and the economy went off a cliff.
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Donald said: “There are some in my family who are struggling financially. Well, not now they’re not. Money isn’t everything, by any means, but you can put people in the cocoon against life’s misfortunes. And this is my chance.
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“My daughter’s partner lost his job and she has gone down to part-time hours. It’s pretty clear that once furlough payments end, she will probably be out of a job as well.
“Many of the family are struggling under very high mortgage payments, my sister for instance is, she just turned 60 and she still has a mortgage which has got about eight years to run on it.”
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