'£1.5m jackpot won' on Cowell show

A contestant on Simon's Cowell's gameshow Red Or Black? has won £1.5 million - the biggest jackpot in UK TV history, according to reports.

The man, reported to be a carpenter called Graham, scooped the prize on the ITV1 show after beating seven other contestants in a series of challenges on Monday.

The winner, believed to be a father-of-three from Berkshire, will not pick up the prize until the pre-recorded show is broadcast in August.

The previous biggest win on TV was £1 million which was first won by Judith Keppel on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2000.

The £1.5 million prize is a result of the show's nightly £500,000 jackpot being rolled over after other contestants failed to win.

Red Or Black returned for a second series after changes were made to the format giving contestants "more control" over whether they win or lose.

The first series of the skill-free show, where success was based on pure luck, ran into trouble over concerns it glamorised betting. It also came under fire after it emerged the first jackpot went to a contestant who had been jailed for a violent attack and several other contestants were removed from further shows after investigations into their backgrounds.

An ITV spokesman said: "We are unable to confirm details from the recording."