Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Winners: Roman Dubowski’s quiet cup of tea after a life-changing jackpot
who wants to be a millionaire winners found a new name this week as Roman Dubowski, a retired IT analyst from Stockport, became the seventh person to take the £1 million prize on the ITV quiz. He said the moment felt “unreal, ” and his first reaction was not a celebration but a cup of tea.
What happened when Roman Dubowski reached the final question?
Dubowski said that when he saw the last question, he thought: “I think I know this straight away. ” It was the 15th and final question, asking which trademarked logo, used since 1876, is described in James Joyce’s Ulysses and shown in works by Manet and Picasso. The possible answers were Bass Ale, The Famous Grouse, Coca-Cola and Stella Artois.
He used the 50/50 lifeline, narrowing the choice to Coca-Cola and Bass Ale. At that point, he decided to take the risk and chose Bass Ale. He later explained that he had seen Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergere at The Courtauld Gallery in London and remembered a red triangle that he linked with Bass beer.
That correct answer made him the seventh winner in the show’s 28-year history. The moment was so intense, he said, that it did not feel like the real world.
Why does this win stand out in who wants to be a millionaire winners history?
This win matters because the new series is already being described as unusual: for the first time, two people reached the edge-of-your-seat million-pound final question in the same series. The exact identity of the other winner has been kept secret until broadcast, but one person does win the £1 million prize. The secrecy has added to the tension around a format that has lasted nearly three decades.
Host Jeremy Clarkson said this may be his favourite series so far, calling the double run to the final question “extraordinary. ” He said the tension in the studio was incredible when contestants were sitting on that last question. That kind of pressure is part of what keeps who wants to be a millionaire winners in the public imagination: one correct answer can change a life in a single minute.
How did Roman Dubowski react after winning?
Dubowski said he had an earlier moment of self-doubt when he faced a question about what is mixed with vinegar, mustard and oil to make basic mayonnaise. After asking the audience, he saw that 93% had chosen egg yolk, and for a moment he feared he might walk away with nothing.
After the jackpot, his celebration stayed low-key. He said he “didn’t get drunk” and instead went home quietly, had a cup of tea, and sat in a quiet room letting the previous 24 hours sink in. He told his sister first, and she was “absolutely thrilled. ” He also said he will give some of the prize money to his niece and nephew.
What will the prize money change for him next?
Dubowski said he plans to buy a new house and hopes to travel, including trips to New Zealand and South America. He has not framed the win as a rush of luxury, but as a change in practical security and future options. That is part of the human side of who wants to be a millionaire winners: the prize is enormous, but the first decisions often stay close to home.
The show’s structure adds to that reality. Contestants who win the jackpot cannot receive the money until after their episode has aired, which means the wait continues even after the final answer is correct. For Dubowski, that means the celebration has been measured, private, and still unfinished. The cup of tea was only the beginning.
