Fifteen-to-One - Records

Highest Winning Score
The Highest ever winning score is the famous perfect 433 by Bill McKaig. This amazing achievement, the result of having to survive rounds one and two with all of his lives intact, and then go on to answer 40 successive questions correctly with the first three on the buzzer was thought to be near impossible.

Try you luck at his top score, with The 433 Challenge.

On this occasion, the losing contestants were Martin Penny ('A train driver who has a small son called James') and Alison Shand ('who is in charge of a colony of Beaver Scouts'). Both Martin and Alison were invited back to appear together on a show in the next series as they had been unfortunate to come up against such a a masterful performance. From what I can remember, Martin made it to the last three, but didn't win.

Lowest Winning Score

The lowest ever winning score is 10, achieved by Mila First (unsure of the spelling) in the first ever series in 1988. This was when the lives each contestant had left over at the end of round two were not carried over to the final round - this began in series 3.

First Ever Winner

Gareth McMullan from Ardglass, Co. Down won the first ever televised episode. His score was 230 (in the days before lives were carried over from round one) and headed the leader board for about six weeks, finally finishing at number five and taking part in the first Grand Final. He also won in series 2 and has subsequently set questions for the show.

Highest and Lowest Winning Scores in Grand Finals
We think these are 221 and 52 (not counting lives remaining) - both by Nick Terry. We are unsure if the rule regarding extra lives applies in a grand final. William G. Stewart often says that "it doesn't matter", and usually, it doesn't.

Highest Score failing to make the Grand Final
The record for the highest score to fail to make the Grand Final was broken in series 27 (early 2000) when Andrew Auger was removed from the finals board with a score of 203. Prior to this series, the record was held by Dennis Collinson who, with a score of 201 just missed out, being beaten by Tim Glynn's 202. On this occasion, a score of over 200 missed out for the first time.

Lowest Score to make the Grand Final
The lowest score to make the grand final was 111 in 1989 sometime.
(Sean Richardson).

Drawn Games
According to William G. Stewart there have been less than 6 drawn games in the history of Fifteen to One. As winners, both contestants are invited back (usually on the same show).

Most contestants eliminated in the first round
On the show broadcast on 21 September 2000, the situation at the end of round one was 11 down, 4 to go. William G. Stewart stated that from memory, this was the most contestants ever eliminated in round 1. Angela Wilson, Austin McQuaid, Gena Davies succeeded in the unusually easy task of making the last three. All of whom had three lives at the end of round one. Gena Davies won a sensational final with a score of 243 after electing to take questions from a long way out, because Angela had also taken enough questions to amass 143 points in its early stages. In this final, only two questions failed to be answered correctly.

The former record: "When Bill McKaig got his 433, the show was 10 down, 5 to go after Round 1, which William G. Stewart said was the joint worst it had ever been."
(Robert J Linham, President, Oxford University Quiz Society.).

Both trophies
Seven Grand final winners have also won Finals Board trophies. Mike Kirby, Mal Collier, Anthony Martin, Barbara Thompson, Martin Riley, Bill McKaig and Daphne Fowler.

Anthony Martin (series 5), Martin Riley (pictured, Series 18), and Daphne Fowler (series 30) have won both trophies in the same Series. (Mike Kirby may also have done this).
(Sean Richardson).

Highest score attained before going out
It is also possible to be invited back in the next series, if before losing all three lives, you attain a points total that would otherwise have given you a place in the grand final. This is rare, and the joint highest examples of this are scores of 272 by Liam Maxwell in series 29, and by Alan Gibbs (pictured) on 18 Jan 2001 (series 30). The rule seems to have had a big impact on the history of Fifteen to One:

Although Anthony Martin won 15 to 1 three times, he may never have won at all. In series 4, he made it to the last three in his heat, but was knocked out after accumulating over 200 points. In series 5, William G. Stewart took the unusual step of inviting back the highest scoring losers as well as the winners. Hence Anthony Martin was invited back and went on to win!
(Howard Pizzey).

Youngest Contestant
As far as we are aware, the minimum age restriction for Fifteen to One contestants is 15. Unsurprisingly given the selection procedure and questions asked, there have been very few very young contestants (including those in the Schools series, and certainly no pre-teenagers unlike Countdown, which has had many exceptional youngsters.

The youngest age of contestant we are aware about is 17. We know of only two people who appeared on the show at this age. Olav Bjortomt (pictured, right) appeared in 1996 aged 17 after auditioning in 1995; and Anna Knight from Bristol who appeared in 1998 aged 17 years and 9 months.

Best Interruption

There are many candidates for the best interruption record, this section will list a few of the best examples.

Kevin Ashman in the Millennium Quiz:

WGS: 'Ships and the Sea, When it was comissioned by the Royal Navy in 1906'
KA: [Buzz]
WGS: 'Kevin?'
KA: 'Dreadnought' (said quickly and slightly out of breath)
WGS: 'Wow!... It's name meaning Fear Nothing'

Ajay Gudka (Haberdasher's Aske's) in a Fifteen to One Schools heat:

WGS: 'Music, What was unusual about Israel'
AG: [Buzz]
WGS: 'Ajay?'
AG: 'It's not in Europe'
(refering to Israel's win in the Eurovision Song Contest)

Most Livid Contestant
In the game in series 30 when Alan Gibbs scored 272 before going out (see above), Stuart Solomons appeared to be one of the most livid contestants ever seen on Fifteen to One. After every incorrect answer he gave, he was visably annoyed, and when he finally lost all of his lives, finishing 4th overall, his frustration continued into the break.

This was clearly captured since, at position 9, he was visable behind William G. Stewart. He also caught the attention of two of the other contestants who were seen to be amused by his reaction.

Longest question
We think this is the longest question ever on Fifteen to One, it occurred in the Millennium Quiz, and was answered correctly by Mal Collier:

Category: Famous crimes of the 20th century
Ian Wynn-Mackenzie: Number 17
Q. 'Look at this Mal, it's an invoice from the Canadian-Pacific Railway Company to the Police Service, Scotland Yard, London; dated September the 2nd 1910. It is a telegram sent by wireless from the SS Montrose. The total is two pounds, 5 shillings and threepence, which includes the cost of handcuffs, 1 pound 7 shillings and fourpence halfpenny. Handcuffs for whom?'
A. 'Cripen'

Best answer to any question
The Om-buds-mun. (ombudsman) by Michael Penrice
In response to the question: 'His correct title is parliamentary commissioner for administration (Penrice Nods), How is this officer for the House of Commons more popularly known?'

Most impressive beard / Best Father Christmas likeness
The best example we can find is that of Richard Ellender from Canterbury. Congratulations go to him.