A contestant on Simon Cowell's new game show Red or Black?, broadcast by ITV in the U.K., was awarded £1.5 million ($2.3 million) Monday night, the biggest winnings in British game-show history. (It pales compared to the $3.2 million won by Brad Rutter on Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions in 2005.) The contestant was referred to only by his first name, Graham. The show has been plagued with embarrassing difficulties for Cowell. Last September it was revealed that one of the winners had spent two and a half years in prison for assaulting an ex-girlfriend. Three other finalists were later ousted following background checks. The British Gambling Commission ruled that a giant roulette wheel used on the show glamorized gambling and therefore had to be removed. The upshot is that the show is no longer broadcast live, and the winning contestant will have to wait until August, when it finally airs, to collect his prize.

27/06/2012