As a firefighter Will Basnett is used to a certain amount of drama in his life.
Resuscitating a kitten with emergency oxygen after a fire, that kind of thing.
But nothing could have prepared him for the thrill of netting a £25,000 jackpot on the revamped TV quiz show Celebrity Squares, broadcast last night (Sunday) on ITV.
And the windfall could not have been more timely as he is wedding Samantha Nash later this year as well as looking forward to buying a house in Highburton.
Will, 35, of Lepton who is a veteran of winning madcap competitions but nothing on this scale before, said: “The show was filmed in London on March 3 and although the questions were easy, almost like what had I eaten for breakfast, my heart was in my mouth when I realised I had a chance of winning the jackpot.
“No-one had won the jackpot in the previous series so I think they pleased I did so in the first episode of the new series.
“Travelling back from London I was in a complete daze.
“I wasn’t sure about telling Sam but in the end I couldn’t help myself and told her.
“She thought I was winding her up. It’s great news for us though as we are getting married soon and hoping to buy a house.”
As well as winning the jackpot he also scooped a further £2,500 during the competition when he out-answered a female contestant from Birmingham and won a holiday for two to Jamaica.
After successfully making it through the early questions he won the huge jackpot after naming nine Premier League teams which had been in the league since 1992 in 30 seconds – with a little help from TV entertainer Paddy McGuinness.
