This is the transcript of the LIVE CHAT with Charles Ingram on This is London, Wednesday 21 January 2004
moderator Good afternoon and welcome to today's live web chat with Major Charles Ingram.
Famed for cheating on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Major Ingram has taken to his new-found notoriety like a duck to water.
At the end of last year viewers watched Charles and his wife Diana take part in Celebrity Wife Swap with Jade Goody and her partner Jeff Brazier.
Now the Major is in training for Channel Four's The Games. Charles is currently undergoing an intensive training programme to be fit for the show...
As if competing in The Games wasn't enough Charles is also training to run the London Marathon. He has pledged to raise over £26,000 for Sense - the National Deafblind and Rubella Association.
Thanks for joining us today Charles - how are you?
charles_ingram I'm very well thank you, if not a little a little sore after all the training over the past few weeks!
moderator I'll bet! Let's get to our first question...
reynolds_g Charles, do you still deny cheating on Millionaire? We all saw you do it...
charles_ingram There's a big one. Yes I do and it's a subject against the appeal, against the conviction. And if I might also say, the question of 'we all saw you do it' refers to the Trevor McDonald programme shown on Easter Monday. I think it's important that everyone realises that this programme was broadcast by ITV and indeed produced by Celador, the other complainant, and was merely presented by Tonight with Trevor McDonald.
The programme did not represent the true facts submitted in court. I have complained formally to the British Standards Authority who cannot investigate until after the appeals are heard.
In short, the programme was unrealistic, in terms of sound, timing and editing and was designed to do three things: one, con the British public; two: crush us;
three: maximise on profit.
monty92 Are you comfortable with the knowledge that you are becoming a celebrity only through being exposed as a cheat? If you are, what is your view regarding the notoriety and celebrity status of criminals? Surely a criminal should be frowned on by society, not celebrated?
charles_ingram Thanks for this question. It's a difficult one that I’ll attempt to answer...
Say for one moment that I am a criminal, like any other criminal you are sentenced and therefore punished by the court on behalf of society. I do not believe that society itself, through witch-hunt or otherwise, should impose any further punishment.
I also see no reason why a criminal should not, in trying to recover his life, become an entertainer or personality.
Simple economics dictate supply and demand and we, as a society, have a demand, a big demand, for seeing into other people's lives and I see no reason why the demand should be curtailed in any way at all.
As far as my personal situation is concerned, I find it very difficult to think of myself as a celebrity. Employment, definitely until after the appeals, is very difficult but I somehow have to try and put food on the table.
I only hope that the interest shown in me is met by the entertainment that I provide.
There are a huge number of celebs who have criminal convictions, have been to jail - for example Lord Brocket on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here...
I see no reason why these former criminals, whether they be Lords, popstars or army officers, should not be entertainers.
And another reason, however bizarre, is that we all have a fascination with the criminal mind, therefore by definition making them interesting characters as celebrities, albeit at one extreme rather than the other.
mrbeast * So, are the convictions to be appealed?
charles_ingram Yes, as the Prime Minister says, I refer you to the answer I gave a couple of moments ago.
moderator Nicole emailed this question in:
Did you start spending the million you won before the court case and have you paid back all the debts from the show and the trial?
charles_ingram I think the questioner must be working for the other side!
As for the £1 million, the cheque was bounced and therefore I had not spent any of my prize money. In my mind I planned to buy my own home, safeguard my children’s' education, give £100,000 to family friends and charity and also buy myself some flying lessons.
As for the debt, as a result of my civil action against Who Wants to be a Millionaire Ltd (jointly owned by Celador and ITV), I am some £280,000 in debt. On top of that, we have fines and costs totalling £115,000 and negligible assets.
We are in no position to pay off these debts and I am facing bankruptcy.
hhurricane Hi Charles. What did you learn from living with Jade on Celebrity Wife Swap and have you seen her since the show?
charles_ingram I think I learnt three things from her that I would like to retain. The first is the togetherness that she demonstrates with her partner, secondly how she has dealt with the national newspapers and thirdly how to relax and chill out - act as if I’m 29 not 49!
I should say that Jade believes that she learnt how to listen to her partner, the pointlessness of tantrums and a degree of family responsibility.
We have met several times since the show for various photo shoots and otherwise.
moderator This question was emailed in earlier today:
You are training for Channel Four's The Games - what is your best event and are you worried about doing a Bobby Davro belly flop?
charles_ingram I am officially unable to confirm or deny that I am taking part in The Games 2004 until after Channel 4 have publicised the event. However, were I to take part, I would find all of the events horrific and I am only amazed that they don't have the pole vault. The only thing that worries me about Bobby Davro is some comments that he once made about me...
evano Did you try and get involved in the new I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here?
charles_ingram No, but even if I had been asked I wouldn't have been able to take part on this occasion due to other commitments.
susiepetersham How do your children cope with your notoriety and all the attention?
charles_ingram It has been extraordinarily difficult for all of my family and in particular my children who have not been able first-hand to tackle any causes of their situation.
However, we are a very close family and we have found that the best way to deal with everything that has happened to date is to be entirely frank with them. They have complete faith in me and I know that in time, I will be able to turn the tables on what has happened to me and set their minds at rest.
Meanwhile, between their parents and their schools, they are very well safeguarded.
moderator Michelle wants to know:
Why have you chosen to run for Sense in the London marathon?
charles_ingram I have never run a marathon, yet I have always wanted to and although I have the time on my hands this year to train and run a marathon independently it seems ridiculous not to run for a charity and make use of my notoriety.
I discovered that the London Marathon has two official charities: Sense and the British Heart Foundation. Whilst my family have a number of ties with the BHF, I am particularly keen on children, as obviously they represent the future of our country and two of my children suffer from dyslexia and autism.
Sense is the National Deafblind and Rubella Association with a focus on children and the sheer enormity of what deafblind children must face fills me with horror.
Although there are a huge number of deserving charities, on this occasion I particularly liked the affinity with children.
moderator We understand you've raised £7,000 for Sense so far - who has it come from?
charles_ingram My target on the marathon for Sense is £26,385 which represents £1,000 for each painful mile.
The public can make donations through my official London Marathon website: www.justgiving.com/charlesingram
This site is 100% secure and also provides links to both the official London Marathon, and Sense website. It also includes details of where all the money has come from to date, which currently sits at approximately. £7,500.
Most donations are from newspapers, tv companies and magazines and also several radio stations and the public. You can also gain further information from my own website at www.theingrams.co.uk
moderator This next question will have to be our last for today...
Dave asks:
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
charles_ingram It is simply too difficult to answer that question. My aim, which I’d like to complete in 5 years, is to get back to the position that I would otherwise have been in should the whole Millionaire saga have not come about.
At the moment, with the appeals pending, and dependent on the appeals, bankruptcy and my wish to avoid reliance on the DSS, it is very difficult to be any more exact about what may happen.
At the end of the day, we are a very close family and that, at least, nobody can take away.
moderator I'm afraid that's all we have time for. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and to Charles for joining us today. Best of luck with the London Marathon!
charles_ingram Great, thanks!
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* mrbeast during the chat was the nickname of grandmaster James Plaskett who gave us his kind permission to open this secret.
Read the article by James Plaskett
Major Fraud, or just Playing The Game?
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