Broke backpacker wins $ 250,000

An English backpacker, who was so broke that he slept on a friend's floor, won $250,000 cash in a television quiz. Paddy Spooner who had only a week left in Australia before his visa expires, scooped the biggest prize so far on Channel Nine's Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?

A self described "professional backpacker", Mr. Spooner struck it rich by answering 10 multiple-choice questions. The final question which he answered correctly was to name the year in which the last convicts were transported to Freemantle: 1868. He decided to take the money when he didn’t know the answer to the next question-worth $500,000-which asked him to name the science field in which Australian Sir T.W. Edgeworth specialised geology.

Mr. Spooner borrowed a friends phone to make 215$1 phone calls before successfully registering for the show.

The top prize remains elusive, but Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? Contestant Paddy Spooner may have found a novel way to win the golden sum. Mr. Spooner walked off with £250,000 following his appearance on the top British TV quiz show on Thursday night.

But, he was no rookie. The 33-year-old backpacker from Hampshire had already pocketed a fortune on the Australian version of the show. In April, he made headlines on the other side of the world when he scooped what was then the record prize of 250,000 Australian dollars, And given that Mr. Spooner sees himself as a "hemispheric commuter" who travels the world escaping from winter, there's a good chance he will soon pop up on the American version of the programme.

Clearly his grasp of general knowledge and doggedness-he called the Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? hotline 400 times before being selected - outline him as a budding quiz show professional.

A toss of a coin costs contestant dear
With a toss of an old £1 coin, it all went horribly wrong for a shocked contestant on Gay Byrne's Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? show who left with only €1,000 after winning well over half a million on the British and Australian versions of the show. Patrick Spooner was left in total disbelief after he got a €4,000 question wrong when asked the name of the top Irish actor Pierce Brosnan`s youngest son.

He first asked the audience, 51% of whom gave him the correct answer of "Paris", but decided that this margin was too close and on opting for his "50:50" lifeline was left with "Paris" and "Tyrone". A stunned Gay Byrne looked on as Patrick, Who was born in Britain, produced an old £1 coin from his pocket and said he was going to flip it to decide the answer.

At this stage Gay reminded Patrick that he could still use his "phone a friend" lifeline but the tossed coin was already in midair and he opted for the wrong answer "Tyrone". Gay then helped the speechless contestant out of the chair just as the klaxon sounded to end the show. Patrick has previously scooped $250,000 on the Australian version of the show and another £250,000 on the British version. He moved to Dublin to try his hand at the Irish show, making up 200 phone calls per week to get on. It is understood that his phone bills have reached €900. He now plans to resume his extensive travels which have taken him to 45 countries in four years. He was described as a "professional backpacker" on the show.

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