Who Wants To Be A Millionaire teacher becomes 'school sensation' Published duration 5 March 2019

image copyright Bishop Challoner Catholic College image caption Colleagues of John Robinson (in grey shirt) hugged him and tweeted "he's not going anywhere" after his win

An English teacher who won £500,000 on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire said he did not expect it to create such "a sensation" at his school.

John Robinson, of Birmingham's Bishop Challoner Catholic College, had kept his success secret since January when the episode shown on Monday was filmed.

Mr Robinson, 36, said pupils had clapped him in corridors and "everyone was really supportive and warm".

He became the first person to be asked the jackpot question since 2006.

Mr Robinson said he and girlfriend Chloe watched the ITV show with friends and colleagues "huddled round my small TV".

"I feel relieved to be able to tell people," he said.

image copyright ITV image caption Host Jeremy Clarkson called Mr Robinson "a fabulous player" afterwards

Mr Robinson was unable to answer the £1m question about which former UK prime minister had never served as foreign secretary.

He had used up his lifelines and did not know the correct answer from the four options was Winston Churchill.

"To be honest I have no regrets," he said. "I really didn't know the answer and would have gone for Anthony Eden."

If he had answered incorrectly his winnings would have fallen to £64,000.

Mr Robinson went into work as normal earlier.

His English department tweeted "We are SO proud of John Robinson."

image copyright Bishop Challoner Catholic College image caption John Robinson watched the episode with his girlfriend, friends and colleagues

Mr Robinson, a keen pub quizzer, said: "I expected people to congratulate me but I didn't think it would be this much of a sensation.

"Everywhere I've gone, kids have been clapping me."

He said his "main hobby" of answering quiz questions had paid off.

The teacher plans on taking some holidays with the money.

"I will mainly still carry on plodding on doing the same sort of things," he said. "I will also do boring things like pay off the mortgage.

"I am not planning on anything exciting or rock and roll."

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