Man who won Britain’s biggest game show prize had to leave the country after life-changing win

Back in 2012 Graham Fletcher became Britain's biggest ever game show winner when he scooped a £1.5 million prize on Red or Black.

In the end he bet it all on black and in that moment his life was changed, and he's had a good long chat with LADbible to tell us what's been going on since then.

He didn't even know he was going to be on the show at first, when the call came in late at night his first thought was: "Who the hell rings at this time of night?"

It turns out it was a woman who worked for Red or Black asking if he could come down to London tomorrow for the audition, as his wife Lucy said from the sofa 'I applied for a TV show for you'.

Graham told them he'd turn up for the audition but when he put the phone down he wasn't planning on it, but Lucy told him she thought he'd be 'good on TV' and was 'pretty smart'.

In the end going for the audition turned out to be a very good decision.

Graham Fletcher won Red or Black and picked up a £1.5 million prize, the largest in British game show history (ITV)

At this point Graham was pretty much running his dad's construction company so was able to ring round and say he wouldn't be in that day.

Graham, who now lives in Spain and works as a football agent, explained that in the Red or Black audition 'they make you do little games like The Cube' to test how competitive you were.

Then they put prospective contestants through interviews to be watched by Simon Cowell and Graham started talking about how his wedding had been the best day of his life, he'd later be told the 'genuine love' he had for his wife and family was a huge driving force behind him going on the show.

Listening to Graham speak about his wife, who he says is a 'legend', audible emotion comes into his voice and it's not hard to tell why Simon Cowell took to his interview.

He told us the actual moment of winning £1.5 million was 'surreal', and the main thought in his head were to make sure he slid on his knees if he won and how hot it was in the studio.

The night he won the money ITV put on a party in Graham's hotel to celebrate, but it wasn't long before it seemed like the whole country got wind of his winnings.

Graham Fletcher's wife Lucy put him up for the show, he didn't find out until he got a call asking him to come to the audition (Supplied)

"The next day I was staying at a friend’s house and hardly anyone knew where I lived, my parents could not have told me my address, they could have driven to it but not known my address," Graham told LADbible.

"So literally a handful of people knew where I lived. The next day I had press outside my house and it was in the papers next day.

"No one was supposed to know what had happened but I get out to go in the car and the next thing I know there’s 10 photographers.

"The neighbours were stressing like I’ve done something wrong, I had to explain to them what’s happened."

When you win a gameshow you don't actually get the money until the episode had been broadcast, leaving Graham with photographers on his doorstep and weeks to go before he could officially tell anyone.

Somehow, Graham's status as Britain's biggest game show winner was quickly discovered so he and the family went abroad for a few weeks (Supplied)

"We left the country for five weeks, two weeks in Egypt and three weeks in Cyprus with the family," the Red or Black winner explained, though even abroad he couldn't entirely escape notice.

“When I’d come back it had died down a bit but we had to wait another three weeks for the TV show.

“Even when we were on holiday because of the expats, people were turning up at the resort and there’s me on the front page of The Sun."

His family turned out to be a headline writer's dream because his mum and dad are called Mary and Joseph, and Graham was able to work as a carpenter.

Once he got the money his life really changed, the first thing he did was spend £150,000 on a pair of cars, a Range Rover Evoque Sport and a convertible BMW.

The first thing he did with the money was buy two fancy new cars, he wouldn't recommend it as 'after a few weeks they’re just a car' (Supplied)

To any prospective game show winners out there, he wouldn't recommend it, saying: "I’d never, ever bought a new car and me and my wife spent £150,000 on two new cars, and that was a waste of money because although they were beautiful after a few weeks they’re just a car."

These days the family drives around in a seven seater Ford S Max and a Golf Sport.

He also 'bought a rundown property' for £600,000 and was able to sell it for £880,000 'after a year or so', and his family moved out to the countryside.

It was here that something happened which really put life into focus for Graham as one of his sons was kicked in the head by a horse when he was 18 months old, putting him in a coma.

The family were told to 'prepare for the worst' but the little lad survived, with his dad calling him a 'very fun, loving and caring' boy.

Graham said: "He'd come through everything, survived everything.

"Now that was one of the best life experiences in my life, because it puts everything in perspective."

Graham said that one of his sons being seriously injured at 18 months helped put his life into perspective (Supplied)

Sometimes a windfall like the one Graham won on Red or Black can change a life in less positive ways.

That sort of money can change the relationships of those around you and the nature of his win meant he couldn't really keep it a secret, but he says his win never changed him.

Graham added: "I know that feeling when I’ve had to borrow money before, I know that feeling of panic where you need to borrow money to pay your rent or mortgage.

"I never chased it up, if they pay it back they pay it back and it’s only money.

"If I had the mentality of ‘that’s my money and I want it back’ I’d have lost a few family and friends.

"I would definitely advise someone that wins a massive amount of money to never go public, but don’t not help people. There’s no point being the wealthiest man in the grave."