Man invited back to game show after failing $16,000 question for surprising reason won $1.86 million

A man was invited back onto a game show after failing a question worth $16,000 and, on their return, managed to earn a life changing $1.86 million.

The bizarre incident occurred almost 25 years ago on the American version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

A man named Ed Toutant first appeared on the TV show in January of 2001 playing for a bonus $860,000 in addition to the regular $1,000,000 in prize money.

Ed made a quick run to $16,000 where he was asked the following question: “Scientists in England recently genetically altered what vegetable so it glows when it needs water?”

After using a lifeline to narrow things down he went with tomatoes, something which was judged to be incorrect leaving him with just $1,000 in prize money.

He won $1,000 the first time round (ABC)

The issue however is that Ed was actually right due to an error in the question. Whilst the ‘correct’ answer was potatoes this was not in fact true.

It was found that the experiment the question referred to was actually in Scotland and that there had been a scientist in Oxford who had indeed been working on glowing tomatoes, so his answer had technically been correct, even if unintentionally.

If you really dig into it both answers were wrong since tomatoes are a fruit but, recognising the potential good TV in bringing someone back, Ed returned to the show a number of months later.

Making his comeback on September 7, 2001, he started at the same stage he lost out on from the previous attempt.

He was competing for $1.86 million in the second go round (ABC)

Even though they had ended the jackpot bonus on regular showings, they decided in the name of fairness to reinstate it.

He went on to require two lifelines on the $16,000 question the second time round, but managed to get it right, proceeding to get a further six questions right on his second try.

His final question was ‘During WWII, U.S. soldiers used the first commercial aerosol cans to hold what?’ and, after a 50/50 he answered insecticide which was correct.

He walked out with $1,860,000, the second biggest winner in the history of the show.

Toutant was a big fan of trivia, also earning $10,000 on Jeopardy in 1989.

Toutant won $1.86 million (ABC)

He did not use the money for anything overly flashy according to friends, stating that he held celebratory parties with family and friends and would travel the world ‘quizzing’.

Toutant died at 66 in 2018 after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

Judy Julian, a friend who accompanied him to the show after his death, said after tributes poured in: “It’s kind of amazing to see how many people appreciate him.

“I hope he sees just how appreciated he is.”