A young man who won £99,000 on an ITV game show has recalled the moment he "lost control" of his body after securing the cash. Daniel O'Halloran, 24, said he found himself "running around" the stage after scooping the winnings on The 1% Club.
The show, which focuses on reasoning, logic and maths, aired on ITV last Saturday. It is hosted by Lee Mack and sees 100 contestants compete against each other.
As reported by the LiverpoolEcho, Daniel's mum applied for him as his parents are huge fans of the show. The episode was filmed last July and winning the top prize did not even cross his mind.
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Daniel said: "I was quite confident in getting to the latter stages of the show, but I never in my wildest dreams imagined taking home that much money. I thought if I got to £10,000 with no money to fall back on, I’d take the £10,000 and wouldn't gamble."
Initially, he was going to play it safe and take the £10,000. However, he eventually decided to gamble and go for the whopping £99,000 instead.
Despite his doubts, Daniel's answer to the last question on maths was correct. He said: "I lost control of my body.
"I was running around celebrating on stage in total shock. I never thought I’d be standing there on the show, let alone winning it."
Since winning the show, the 24-year-old has had to keep his win a secret from his family. He said: "It was very difficult, there were some moments I nearly blurted it out or my family would ask me and I couldn’t keep the smile on my face. I only told my grandma and a few friends."
Daniel's family gathered around the TV last Saturday to watch his appearance. He has recalled their reaction to the winning moment, describing at as the "best thing to see".
He said: "When they were watching it, they couldn’t believe I’d done it. It was the best thing to see.
"They were in total shock - they said some things you probably couldn’t print in the paper. They couldn’t believe I’d kept it secret."
Since the episode broadcast, Daniel said he feels like a "minor celebrity". He said: "It’s been crazy.
"People in shops and in the streets have been asking me about it. I’m overwhelmed by how kind everyone has been."
Daniel also thanked the whole show for the experience. He said: "All the other contestants were great and probably got me through it. Lee Mack was lovely too."
Although a lot of people would be planning for several holidays, Daniel is trying to be level-headed. He said: "I’ve got to be sensible, maybe look towards the house, pay the mortgage off.
"But I’ve got to enjoy it as well. I can’t take this for granted."
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