Who Wants To Be A Millionaire fans left in tears as Donald Fear bags the top prize

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire fans have shared their reactions after history teacher Donald Fear won the top prize during Friday night’s episode of the show.

Host Jeremy Clarkson, 60, was also unable to hide his delight for the ‘genius’ contestant as he fought back tears after announcing he had won £1milllion.

Shortly after it was revealed that Donald, 57, was the first person in 14 years to enter the the 1million club, viewers took to Twitter to express their joy for him.

One impressed fan wrote: ‘Omg what a performance from Donald Fear. Is there anything that man doesn’t know? Just riveting #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire

Another wrote: ‘Wow! He was brilliant, well deserved win!’

A third said: ‘@Jeremy Clarkson nearly brought to tears. What a performance from Donald and what a nice bloke. Deserved winner.’

Another said: ‘What an incredible man on #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire tears streaming down my face. Best TV this year. Wow wow wow.’ 

A couple of other viewers also referenced the fact that Jeremy was overwhelmed after Donald became the first winner on the show during his tenure.

One social media said he was the ‘best ever contestant’, and gushed: ‘The boy who just won million on #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire is hands down the best contestant who has ever been on the show.

‘Jeremy Clarkson in tears and all sorts.’ 

Another fan commented on Jeremy’s reaction and said: ‘Jeremy’s reaction!!! Omg he is purely elated for the bloke. Love it! Tears!!’ 

A different person said: ‘I’m in awe of his man.’

While another said: ‘In awe of this guy who is going to win a million! Knew all the answers up to the whale mind you. Off to apply for WWTBAM.’

Other dazzled viewers said: ‘This guy’s like the Oracle! He’s sailing through it.’

And: ‘He makes it look easy!’

One other said: ‘How is this man just gliding through who wants to be a millionaire.’ 

Donald’s win came a year after his brother Davyth, 60, took home the second biggest prize – £500,000 – this time last year on the show.  

The contestant even admitted he was able to answer the £1million question – ‘In 1718, which pirate died in battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina?’ – before he’d seen it properly.

It was at this point in the show – the final question – on September 1 last year that his retired geography teacher brother stumbled and chose to walk off with his half million.

But as a history buff, Donald, from Shropshire, knew the answer to his question instantly.

‘The first thing I spotted was that there was a date in there… then a microsecond later I saw that it was 1718,’ he said. ‘Then synapses went, ‘That’s got to be Blackbeard’. That was the only thing it could be. I’m a dates man.’

The day after his win in the recorded show, Donald handed in his notice as head of history at Haberdashers’ Adams grammar school in Shropshire, which the former Labour leader attended.

He will see out the school term, then begin his retirement two years earlier than planned.

He intends to give 70 per cent of his winnings away to family members and to charity and leave himself with just enough for a ‘comfortable retirement’.

The father-of-four and grandfather hesitated on only two questions, using his 50/50 lifeline for one of them.

‘I was so fortunate,’ he said. ‘Of the 15 questions, I probably knew 13 immediately before the options appeared.’ He added: ‘A quiz is very easy if you know the answers and I did know the answers.’

He said he is ‘happy’ in the house he shares with Deb, his wife of 33 years. The couple are parents to Kat, 31, Ali, 30, Izzy, 26, and 22-year-old Chris.

The last £1million winner on the show was retired civil servant Ingram Wilcox in 2006.  

When Donald was speaking with host Jeremy Clarkson after reaching the £1,000 milestone, he spoke of his brother Davyth’s time on the programme.

‘When I applied to the show I didn’t know how much he won,’ Mr Fear said. 

‘I said my aim is to get one step further than my brother has. When I found out where he got to I thought ah, maybe not.’

Speaking of when they would play from home, he added: ‘He has three years on me, I would say Dave would win 90 per cent of the time.’ 

During his 20 minutes on the programme – thought to be a possible new record -Jeremy said it was like ‘sitting next to the internet in a pink shirt’. 

Just before answering his final question, he said: ‘I taught piracy one year at a special unit.

‘I do remember Blackbeard died in 1718 off the coast of North Carolina. Blackbeard, final answer.’

Mr Clarkson then announced: ‘Donald fear, you’ve just won a million pounds!’

The contestant, who still had three lifelines left, responded: ‘That was absolutely incredible, how easy was that!’ 

When asked how he knew the answer, Donald said: ‘Well I taught it!’  

Jeremy said: ‘You’ve beaten your brother – how does that feel?’  

But he sweetly retorted: ‘He’ll be very pleased for me, that’s the sort of person he is.’