It took more than a year, but The 1% Club winner Daniel O’Halloran has finally received the hefty cash prize he won by being the most intelligent person in the ITV studio.
Daniel's episode of the ITV quiz show aired for the first time towards the end of April this year, an entire year after he travelled to the studio to actually film the episode.
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In the months since his win Daniel managed to keep his success on the show a secret from his family - meaning they 'went crazy' when they watched him proceed through the rounds of the show to the very end, when he won £99,999.
"They couldn’t believe it, it was just the best night celebrating," Daniel told LADbible.
His experience on the show was, understandably, pretty different to what his family saw at home.
In reality, Daniel spent between six and seven hours on the set, having to endure the suspense in the time between the questions and answers.
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"You doubt yourself so much because of the pressure, like I nearly forgot my own name when Lee [Mack] spoke to me," he admitted.
"Before the show there is so much preparation and one was how to apply some makeup they had provided. I couldn’t get it right so I just rubbed it all off thinking I’d only be on screen for a few moments at best… that’s why my forehead is so shiny at one point on the show."
After Daniel was announced as the winner, everyone who knew him was 'very supportive' - though he admitted there were 'lots of people' out there who struggled to wrap their heads around the fact that Daniel was in 'the 1 percent club'.
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"I’ve said before I’m not very academic so don’t come across as very smart," Daniel said.
After his win, a lot of people suggested Daniel should try his luck on some other game or reality TV shows, but he's a little apprehensive about some of the other shows out there.
"I don’t think my mind suits the other ones like The Chase - and I don’t have the body for Love Island," he joked.
Daniel had to wait until the show aired before he received his payment, but it actually ended up arriving a little earlier than expected.
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"It came in a couple of days early so it was a real surprise to see that notification," he recalled. "Me and my dad were painting my house and we immediately dropped the brushes and went for a drink which apparently I had to pay for."
With the £99,999 in his pocket - minus whatever he had to fork out for the drinks with his dad - Daniel has upgraded his car and paid for his family to attend a few festivals this summer.
He still has a lot left to spend, but he's hopeful that the money 'hasn't changed' him.
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Daniel explained: "I’ve always enjoyed being generous to my friends so that’s been a little easier but I don’t like to be flashy or show off."
Looking back, Daniel admitted that he went on The 1% Club in the first place to 'see how well [he] could do', but he never imagined winning 'anything like that amount of money'.
After successfully beating out all of the other contestants and being named winner of the big cash prize, Daniel, like I'm sure any of us would be, was 'beyond elated'.
"I couldn’t keep a smile off my face for days."
Topics: TV and Film, Money, UK News
Emily Brown