Oxfordshire firefighter wins £100,000 on major ITV game show

Gavin Carter from Witney scooped the bumper prize on ‘Beat the Chasers’, a popular Sunday night spin-off from ‘The Chase’. 

The final player on the Series 7 premiere – which was broadcast on August 31 – he has been a firefighter for almost 25 years and has twice won the Eynsham Shirt Race, part of the village’s annual festival.

“You have to have three wheels, non-motorised,” he said describing it to host Bradley Walsh. “You’d love it, you just go around pubs drinking.”

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Mr Walsh jokingly denied it was for him.

In the cashbuilder round which goes on until the contestant gets a question wrong, Mr Carter answered correctly on topics ranging from Napoleon to Muhammad Ali.

The six chasers of Beat the Chasers and presenter Bradley Walsh (Image: ITV) He came unstuck when asked what type of people was The Shambles street in York originally home to.

He plumped for tailors when in fact it was butchers; even so, he secured a respectable £4,000.

Bradley Walsh enjoyed Mr Carter's banter (Image: ITV) At this point he was given a series of choices with more money on offer for the more chasers he was willing to take on.

In addition, the higher the money, the smaller his time advantage.

Mr Carter went for the highest offer meaning he was facing The Beast, The Menace, The Vixen, The Governess and The Sinnerman with a 20 second head start.

This was for a whopping £100,000.

In the chase, the chasers got every question right with Mr Carter slipping up when it came to wine, the fictional Addams family, Bavarian opera and British Royal houses.

Eynsham Carnival revellers enjoy the 60th Shirt Race in 2018 Picture: Ric Mellis With fewer than 10 seconds on his timer, he was asked: “Who is the third gospel in the New Testament?”

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He correctly answered Luke, stopping his clock at four seconds and giving the chasers only three seconds to answer their question.

They didn’t and he won £100,000, hugging Bradley and sinking to his knees in delight.

Asked what he would do with the money, he said: “I’m hoping to take the wife to Sri Lanka.

Firefighter Gavin Carter on duty in 2016 “My dad was born out there and his parents ran a tea plantation near Colombo. I’ve got all the details, I just want to go out there and see it.”

All the chasers applauded him with the Beast – who offered the £100,000 – congratulating him before leaving the set.

Meanwhile, the Menace – referencing Mr Carter’s profession – said: “At least you got the pyromancy one right."

The seventh series of ‘Beat the Chasers’ will continue next Saturday, September 6 at 8pm.