Roman Dubowski has just become the seventh contestant to walk away from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? with the coveted jackpot. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. A tricky question about eggs nearly scrambled his chances at the £1,000 mark.
The retired IT analyst was left momentarily stunned when asked for the missing key ingredient in mayonnaise. If he had answered wrong, he would have walked away with nothing. Luckily, he pulled through.
Roman admitted that when the mayonnaise question came up, he was momentarily confused. “I bought egg mayonnaise sandwiches before, and I thought, ‘Why would we call it that if mayonnaise already has egg in it?’” he said. “That moment of uncertainty was nerve-wracking—it was £1,000 on the line.”
Roman, a quiz enthusiast who competes in local quiz leagues in Manchester, used his Ask The Audience lifeline to help with the egg question, and later turned to Phone-a-Friend when asked about a Japanese fashion retailer for the £4,000 question.
Roman, who had hoped to win enough for a new kitchen, went on to secure enough for a whole new house—and a few more trips abroad. He’s already crossed 58 countries off his bucket list, with plans to jet off to South America or Japan next.
But it wasn’t just the tough questions that made Roman’s journey so memorable. Host Jeremy Clarkson was impressed by Roman’s knowledge, even calling him “an encyclopaedia in a shirt” by the end of the show.
By the final £1 million question, Roman was down to his last two lifelines: 50/50 and Ask Jeremy. Fortunately, he used the 50/50 lifeline to help him pick the correct answer and win the jackpot.
Roman’s path to the Millionaire hot seat wasn’t easy. After applying multiple times, he finally made it onto the show. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when his mother, Teresa, passed away just before filming. He credits his Polish father, Wiktor, with inspiring his love of knowledge.
In an effort to maintain some privacy after winning, Roman’s even grown a beard, hoping it will be a good disguise when he’s out and about.
Would you have answered Roman’s questions correctly? Test your own knowledge with the questions he faced on the show:
Roman’s Millionaire Questions
£100: The planet Saturn famously has seven what?
A) Rings
B) Necklaces
C) Bracelets
D) Anklets
£200: At which of these locations is ice hockey traditionally played?
A) Rink
B) Range
C) Court
D) Field
£300: If you respond to an opponent’s attack with the same method, you are said to fight…?
A) Fire with fire
B) Smoke with smoke
C) Embers with embers
D) Cinders with cinders
£500: What is the name of the famous mansion in Memphis that was Elvis Presley’s home from 1957 to 1977?
A) Paisley Park
B) Graceland
C) The Troubadour
D) Dollywood
£1,000: What is mixed with vinegar, mustard, and oil to make basic mayonnaise?
A) Plain flour
B) Salted butter
C) Egg yolk
D) Double cream
£2,000: In the Harry Potter books, which term is used to describe a non-magic person?
A) Muggle
B) Moomin
C) Munchkin
D) Minion
£4,000: Which of these fashion retailers was founded in Japan?
A) Zara
B) Uniqlo
C) Urban Outfitters
D) FatFace
£8,000: Which of these major historic events took place in the middle of the 14th century?
A) English Civil War
B) Norman Conquest
C) Black Death
D) Wars of the Roses
£16,000: Which of these sea creatures is not classed as cartilaginous?
A) Shark
B) Ray
C) Dolphin
D) Skate
£32,000: Which word refers to a metal that can be stretched into a thin wire without breaking?
A) Sonorous
B) Conductive
C) Ductile
D) Lustrous
£64,000: Which of these plays is part of the 20th century theatrical movement known as The Theatre of the Absurd?
A) Death Of A Salesman
B) The Glass Menagerie
C) The Seagull
D) Waiting For Godot
£125,000: The Rhone River begins its journey in which mountain range?
A) Alps
B) Pennines
C) Carpathians
D) Pyrenees
£250,000: Which of these figures from Greek mythology is not known for slaying a monster?
A) Theseus
B) Perseus
C) Adonis
D) Bellerophon
£500,000: Presented in 1901, the first Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for the discovery of what?
A) Wireless telegraphy
B) X-rays
C) Cosmic radiation
D) Quantum mechanics
£1,000,000: Used since 1876, which trademarked logo is described in the James Joyce novel Ulysses and depicted in works by Manet and Picasso?
A) Bass Ale
B) The Famous Grouse
C) Coca-Cola
D) Stella Artois
