ONE second - that was the time it took for Steve Packer to lose the chance of winning a cool £1 million!

Steve is a business development manager with Veka PLC, Farrington Road, Burnley. Last night viewers to the hit TV quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire saw Steve miss a place in the hot seat by just one second.

And in the last show of the current series, presenter Chris Tarrant gave away the least amount yet in any of the show's programmes - just £2,000.

But if Steve, of Hebden Bridge, had got through it would all have been so different because he knew all the answers to the last contestant's questions. Steve entered on the advice of son Richard, who is eight on Saturday, after he kept on answering the questions correctly. When he rang he had to answer a qualifying question and then on Monday at 6.10pm the producers rang back to say he was in the top 100. He was asked a further question and told to take the 8.02am train from Hebden Bridge to Kings Cross the next day because he was on the show.

Steve and wife Sharon, travelled to London for rehearsals before the filming on Tuesday night.

He said: "It was a great experience, but I don't think I will go in for it again.

"I have never been a fan of Chris Tarrant but seeing him in action was totally different - what a nice guy.

"He really tries to help the contestants, as much as the programme allows him to.

"When the show was over the floor manager came up to me and said I should have another go because he had money on me winning through in their sweepstake.

"Missed it by just one second - that will always be my claim to fame."

He added: "OK, so I didn't get a chance to win some money, but they paid for the train fare, the hotel accommodation overnight and it was an experience I won't forget."

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