Bristol medical student wins £64,000 on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

By Megan Evans, News Subeditor

Second-year medical student Mainga Bhima gave an astonishing performance on the February 7 episode of the ITV quiz show.

Mainga Bhima, a medical student at the University of Bristol, was the last contestant to appear on the programme, and went on to win £64,000 using only two of her four lifelines.

Her final question had a fortunate link to Bhima’s former job, and she correctly answered the question ‘In 2013, Penguin merged with which other company to form the world’s largest book publisher?’

Bhima beamed at the question, exclaiming to host Jeremy Clarkson: ‘I can’t believe this, I used to work there. I was there when they merged!’

The now-medical student explained that she had ‘spent a good few years working in the children’s fiction editorial team’ of Penguin Random House.

She then placed a safety net to secure the £64,000, meaning she went home with the full amount after answering the £125,000 question incorrectly.

Bhima states that she plans to pay off her tuition fees with her winnings: ‘The money is a life-changing amount for me … As a mature student doing medicine as a second degree, I'm not entitled to a tuition fee loan. The money means I can focus on my studies and put more time into opportunities that will boost my medical CV, which I hope will set me up for my future career as a doctor.’

Speaking to Epigram, Mainga described the experience as ‘beyond surreal - to be sitting in the chair opposite Jeremy Clarkson was like something out of a fever dream.

‘As the stakes got higher, so did the adrenaline - and by the time it was finished, I was having an out-of-body experience.

‘Everyone has been so supportive and kind since the show went out, I feel very lucky to have so many people rooting for me.’

Featured Image:Twitter/MillionaireUK

Could you have answered the £64,000 question correctly?