My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark · Podcast summary

550 - Short and Problem-Based

Karen and Georgia discuss the bizarre cheating scandal that rocked the British version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and the French father who took extreme measures to avenge his daughter's death.

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark · September 17, 2026 · 79-min episode · 4-min read

Key takeaways

🇬🇧Karen and Georgia discuss the bizarre cheating scandal that rocked the British version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
💰Charles Ingram, a British Army Major, appeared on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" in 2001 and won £1 million through a bizarre coughing scheme.
🤫Ingram's wife, Diana, and another contestant, Tecwen Whittock, would cough strategically to signal the correct answers to Charles.
🇫🇷André Bamberski spent 30 years fighting for justice after his daughter, Kalinka, died under suspicious circumstances in Germany.
💊Kalinka's stepfather, Dieter Krombach, a cardiologist, was suspected of drugging and assaulting young women, including Kalinka.
🕵️André hired two Russian gang members to kidnap Krombach from Germany and bring him to France for trial.

Chapters

2:05Karen and Georgia's Intro
4:26Hunking Hoorays
19:56The Avenging Father
1:23:19The Millionaire Scandal

The digest

This episode of My Favorite Murder features two wild stories: a bizarre cheating scandal on the British version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the tale of a French father who took justice into his own hands.

The Millionaire Scandal: A Coughing Conspiracy

Karen and Georgia dive into the infamous "Coughing Major" scandal that rocked the British game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The story begins in 2001, just two days before 9/11, when British Army Major Charles Ingram appeared on the show. He quickly burned through his lifelines on early questions, but then his game took a bizarre turn.

Ingram's strategy became incredibly slow and hesitant. He would read out the multiple-choice answers, mulling them over, and adding commentary that made him seem less than brilliant. Yet, he consistently chose the correct answer, eventually reaching the £1 million question.

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