ROMAN DUBOWSKI – Q&A
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“I never thought I’d win £1 million” – retired IT Analyst becomes one of Millionaire’s rare winnersThird time lucky: contestant finally makes hot seat after 20 years of trying and wins £1 million“I was thinking a five-figure sum, not £1 million” shock win on Millionaire“I nearly talked myself out of a basic question” winner on early nerves and self-doubt
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Roman Dubowski. I’m originally from Manchester, although I now live just outside Stockport.
I worked as an IT Analyst for 34 years before recently retiring, and I’m now enjoying a slightly slower pace of life. I come from a European background – my father was Polish and my mother, who sadly passed away recently, was Italian.
How many times have you applied for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Three times. The first was many years ago, back in the Chris Tarrant era, and I didn’t hear anything back at all.
I applied again around 2022 and got much further through the process, including auditions and quizzes, and was even given a date. But just before filming, I received a letter saying I hadn’t been selected in the end.
I didn’t apply again until recently, when I saw the show was casting and thought I’d give it one more go. When I got through this time, I was genuinely gobsmacked. Just getting onto the show felt like an achievement in itself.
You used some of your lifelines quite early on, were you nervous?
I’d say I was more annoyed than nervous. Of course, everyone is nervous sitting in that chair, but those early questions were ones I didn’t feel completely sure about.
The mayonnaise question, for example, created a strange bit of self-doubt in my mind. I thought I knew the answer but then started overthinking it. The same happened with the £2,000 question, so I used my ‘Phone a Friend’.
In both cases, I felt it was better to be safe early on. Actually, the audience is most reliable at the earlier levels, so using that lifeline early can be a good strategy.
Did you worry you’d used your lifelines too soon?
Yes, that definitely crossed my mind. At that point, I was thinking realistically about where I might get to. I thought I could probably win a five-figure sum that would have been a fantastic result.
Winning £1 million never really crossed my mind. You apply hoping for a meaningful win, but not necessarily the top prize.
How did you choose your ‘Phone a Friend’?
I chose my sister because I know exactly what she’s good at. She’s very widely read and strong on a lot of general knowledge topics, particularly areas I might be less confident in.
I also had a second option in mind, a younger quiz colleague, who’s very strong on popular culture and more modern subjects. Between them, I felt I had a good balance.
Were there any subjects you were hoping to avoid?
Yes anything like cooking, fashion, shopping and gardening aren’t my strengths. I’m much more comfortable with traditional academic subjects like geography, history and science.
Modern pop culture and influencers would also have been a challenge!
What was going through your mind on the £1 million question?
As soon as the question came up, I thought, “I think I know this.”
One of my strategies was to stay calm and not rush to speak slowly and think things through rather than jump at an answer. The question referenced a painting by Manet, and I immediately remembered seeing it in the Courtauld Gallery. I could picture the barmaid and, crucially, the red triangle of Bass beer in the image.
That was the key. I also remembered that Bass has one of the oldest registered trademarks, which reinforced it for me. I used my 50:50, but in truth I was already confident – it simply confirmed what I thought.
You didn’t use ‘Ask the Host’ why was that?
If a question had come up in one of Jeremy Clarkson’s strong areas such as motoring, engineering, travel or farming, for example, I would definitely have used him.
But none of those topics came up, so I didn’t feel the need.
How hard has it been to keep your win a secret?
Very difficult. I knew people would ask because they were aware I’d applied, so I had to be careful with how I answered. I never lied, I just avoided giving anything away.
Luckily, my sister knew, so I could at least talk to someone about it. But it has been a long time to keep such a big secret.
What are your plans for the prize money?
Initially I mentioned a new kitchen on the show, but as the prize money started to rise, I began thinking bigger.
I’ve lived in the same house for over 30 years, and I was already thinking of moving, so I think a lot of the money will go towards a new home. It feels like the right time in my life to make that change while I still have the energy to enjoy it.
Has winning changed how you see things?
It’s life-changing, but I hope it’s not personality-changing.
I feel incredibly lucky to have been on the show, and lucky to win such a significant amount of money, but I don’t want it to alter who I am. I’ll still have the same friends, and I’ll still do the same things but perhaps with one or two more holidays.
It definitely removes financial stress and gives me security, which is a wonderful thing, but I don’t want it to change the fundamentals.
Where would you like to travel next?
I’ve recently been to New Zealand and absolutely loved it, so I’d like to go back and explore more of the North Island.
Beyond that, I’d love to see South America, Brazil and Peru in particular.
How was Jeremy Clarkson as a host?
Very good, actually. He was friendly and gave some very useful advice before the show, especially about how to use the lifelines.
He confirmed what I already thought about the 50:50 lifeline, that it’s really only useful when you already know one or two of the answers are wrong. If you use it when you have no idea at all, you can still be left with two answers you don’t know.
He was very forthcoming and more helpful than I expected. I came away with a very positive impression of him.
Have you ever won anything before?
Nothing remotely like this. I think the most I’d won before was a bottle of Campari in a raffle once!
So no, nothing life-changing – certainly nothing on this scale!
What would you say to anyone thinking of applying?
Have a go. If you enjoy quizzing, it’s absolutely worth applying.
I’ve always thought of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? as the Rolls-Royce of quiz shows in terms of what you can win, so if you’re interested, or even if you just think you might know a few answers, put yourself forward. You never know what questions will come up.
It could be life-changing and even aside from that, it’s a brilliant experience.
For further information: tamara@bishopp-pr.co.uk
Notes to Editors
Roman Dubowski becomes the seventh winner of the £1 million prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Previous £1 million winners are: Judith Keppel (2000), David Edwards (2001), Robert Brydges (2001), Pat Gibson (2004) and Ingram Wilcox (2006)Donald Fear became the sixth winner on 11 September 2020, and the first contestant to win the top prize in 14 yearsThe programme is hosted by Jeremy Clarkson and the new series airs Sunday 26 April at 7pm on ITV and ITVX
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