10 Tragic True Stories of Game Show Winners And What Happened Next
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VOICE OVER: Tom Aglio
WRITTEN BY: Don Ekama
unexpected and tragic turns after their moments of televised glory. From murder to fraud, these tales will leave you stunned! Our countdown includes heartbreaking stories of winners like Cindy Stowell, who battled cancer during her Jeopardy! run, Michael Larson's Press Your Luck scam, and the chilling story of Rodney Alcala from The Dating Game. Which of these surprised you most? Let us know in the comments.
10 Tragic True Stories of Game Show Winners: What Happened Next
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most notable instances of game show or reality competition winners whose lives took tragic turns after their victories.
In 2006, Hector Joberteh bested his competitors and emerged as the winner of the third season of the Nigerian survival reality series “Gulder Ultimate Search.” His victory came with a grand prize of five million naira and a Ford Explorer SUV. After his win, Joberteh got married to a fellow contestant and settled on the mainland area of Lagos State. Sadly, his life came to an unfortunate end in September 2017 when he was attacked in his home by unidentified gunmen. The assailants reportedly followed Joberteh from the airport, where he had picked up his sibling, and opened fire, killing him and injuring his father. Following weeks of investigation, police arrested Ismaila Adeyemi, whom they believed was responsible for the attack.
Alan Smith was a soul singer with the Motown-inspired Jersey Shore group Sensational Soul Cruisers. In 2019, Smith showcased his musical talents when he appeared on the Fox game show “Beat Shazam” alongside Taheem Taj Jay[b], his fellow band member. The duo excelled in their category, correctly identifying a variety of hit songs, which won them $260,000 and advanced them to the next week’s episode. However, Smith never got the opportunity to enjoy his winnings, as merely two weeks after filming, he passed away due to a sudden heart attack. Ironically, the last song Smith correctly identified to clinch the grand prize was “How to Save a Life” by The Fray.
In 2011, Sushil Kumar became the first contestant to win the top prize of 50 million rupees on “Kaun Banega Crorepati,” the Indian adaptation of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Before this life-changing win, Kumar was a computer operator and teacher who earned a modest income. This dramatic change in his fortunes led to him being dubbed the real-life Slumdog Millionaire. But after the whirlwind victory, the hero in this real-life movie didn’t have the happiest of endings. Kumar reportedly made poor investments and excessive charitable donations, rapidly depleting his prize money. The mounting pressure led him to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism, further complicating the situation. Eventually, Kumar went bankrupt and had to return to teaching to make ends meet.
Cindy Stowell became one of 2016’s best performers on the game show “Jeopardy!” raking in over $120,000 across a six-episode winning streak. Unfortunately, she never got to watch her impressive run with the rest of the country, as she passed away just about a week before her taped episodes were broadcast. A science content developer from Austin, Texas, Stowell competed while she had Stage 4 colon cancer, determined to fulfill her dying wish of appearing on the show. Filming was grueling, as she endured a fever and had to rely on painkillers to push through. But in a final, heartwarming gesture, Stowell donated all of her earnings to cancer research.
At the turn of the century, Fox brought 50 women from across the country, one from each state, to compete for the heart of an anonymous multi-millionaire. In the end, the millionaire, Rick Rockwell, chose Darva Conger of California and married her on the spot. However, whatever dreams of a fairytale ending Conger had were quickly shattered. It wasn’t long after the show aired that people began questioning Rockwell’s background. The supposed multi-millionaire turned out to be far less wealthy than he claimed, and even had a restraining order against him from a previous relationship. Conger was heartbroken, but she wasted no time. Right after their honeymoon, she filed for an annulment and sold off Rockwell’s engagement ring.
The password is fraud. Or at least it was for Patrick Quinn, who appeared on NBC’s “Super Password” in 1988 and won $58,600 across four episodes. When a bank manager in Anchorage, Alaska watched the episodes, he recognized Quinn as Kerry Ketchem, a fugitive wanted in Alaska and Indiana for fraud. The manager reported these suspicions to the Secret Service, who then arranged with the show’s producer to arrest Ketchem when he came to claim his winnings. Ketchem had used the “Patrick Quinn” alias, which belonged to his college professor, to commit several fraudulent acts, including illegally collecting a life insurance policy on his ex-wife. He was sentenced to five years in prison, and NBC refused to pay him the prize money.
Between 1969 and 1982, Michael Larson was arrested three times in Ohio for theft and other fraudulent acts. Larson had always had a knack for scams, but his largest grift came in 1984 on “Press Your Luck.” Larson had studied the show extensively and discovered that its supposedly random gameboard actually only followed five predetermined patterns. Armed with this knowledge, he managed to get on the show and pulled off a dramatic win, earning a record $110,237. CBS executives were convinced Larson cheated, but unable to prove it, they were forced to pay him. Larson quickly reverted to his fraudulent ways afterwards. In 1995, he was implicated in a pyramid scheme and went into hiding in Florida, where he died four years later.
In 2020, Tim Bliefnick appeared on “Family Feud” with his family members, where he jokingly answered that saying “I do” was the biggest mistake anyone could make at their wedding. This seemingly harmless remark would take on a sinister meaning just three years later. By February 2023, Bliefnick’s estranged wife, Becky, was living separately with their three sons, when an intruder broke into her home and shot her dead. Investigators later linked the crime to Bliefnick, after discovering online searches like “how to break into a window with a crowbar” and “how to create a homemade gun silencer.” It appears he killed Becky upon learning she had begun seeing someone else after their separation. Bliefnick was ultimately convicted and handed three life sentences.
In 2001, British Army Major Charles Ingram became only the third contestant ever to win the £1 million jackpot on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”. But he never saw a penny of that money. Ingram, along with his wife, Diana, and an accomplice, Tecwen Whittock, allegedly cheated by using a coughing signal to point him to the correct answers. Although Ingram denied the accusations, he was found guilty of deception, fined £115,000, and given a suspended sentence. The scandal derailed his life. Ingram was dismissed from the military and found himself involved in another fraud case, involving an illegal insurance claim. Since then, he has published two novels and appeared on shows like “The Weakest Link” and “Wife Swap.”
This popular dating game show featured Rodney Alcala in 1978, as one of three bachelors vying for the affection of Cheryl Bradshaw. Alcala charmed his way into a date with Bradshaw, but she declined, as she found him “creepy.” Her instincts proved spot on. What the show’s producers and audience didn’t know was that Alcala was a serial killer in the middle of a prolific spree. Between 1968 and 1979, he killed at least eight people, though the actual toll is believed to exceed 100. He was eventually arrested in July 1979 and convicted of five murders in California, and two more in New York. Alcala was sentenced to death, but he succumbed to a heart attack in 2021, while on death row.
Are you a fan of any of these game shows? Did we miss any other tragic cases involving their winners? Let us know in the comments below.
NYE-ruh https://www.dictionary.com/browse/naira
LAW-goass https://www.dictionary.com/browse/Lagos
I also can't find this name so let's assume:
iss-MY-luh https://www.howtopronounce.com/ismaila
ah-day-EMMY / adday-EMM-mee https://www.howtopronounce.com/adeyemi
[b]taw-HEEM https://youtu.be/DGPHMNt9_LU?si=ep_nLrz7Q5yT2cfV&t=29
I presume "taj" is "tawzsh" like taj mahal
[c]soo-SHEEL koo-MAR https://youtu.be/js3g26dNtU4?si=dAQ3QTRLtjFQr459&t=3
con bah-NAY-gah cah-ROPA-tee
https://youtu.be/XDtWv5Jryxg?si=4KvYbDOEmQoiGfqt&t=40 OR https://translate.google.ca/?sl=hi&tl=en&text=Kaun%20Banega%20Crorepati&op=translate
[d]STOH-wull / stole https://youtu.be/vFaBVVeH-aE?si=olYY0Xs3oaYGNH5W&t=29
[e]DARR-vuh CONG-ur https://youtu.be/rv_yfA1fPuM?si=pFhXpKDTMu7R1Rt3&t=6
[f]CARE-ee KETCH-um https://youtu.be/hZ_ZUkay664?si=_aGnXRoKzV9V3cM-&t=122
[g]BLEEF-nick https://youtu.be/CDhYOUCEfQw?si=LfRszUnD-WsL4kOR&t=6
[h]Ingram = ING-rum
Tecwen Whittock = TECK-wun WIT-tuck
Charles Ingram = https://youtu.be/2SaPf6g87Zc?t=200
Tecwen Whittock = https://youtu.be/2SaPf6g87Zc?t=2622
£ = pounds
[i]al-CAL-uh https://youtu.be/V4G1FNFGHXA?si=YKxSIzzleXLvVBP5&t=334
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most notable instances of game show or reality competition winners whose lives took tragic turns after their victories.
Hector Joberteh
“Gulder Ultimate Search” (2004-21) [a]In 2006, Hector Joberteh bested his competitors and emerged as the winner of the third season of the Nigerian survival reality series “Gulder Ultimate Search.” His victory came with a grand prize of five million naira and a Ford Explorer SUV. After his win, Joberteh got married to a fellow contestant and settled on the mainland area of Lagos State. Sadly, his life came to an unfortunate end in September 2017 when he was attacked in his home by unidentified gunmen. The assailants reportedly followed Joberteh from the airport, where he had picked up his sibling, and opened fire, killing him and injuring his father. Following weeks of investigation, police arrested Ismaila Adeyemi, whom they believed was responsible for the attack.
Alan Smith
“Beat Shazam” (2017-)Alan Smith was a soul singer with the Motown-inspired Jersey Shore group Sensational Soul Cruisers. In 2019, Smith showcased his musical talents when he appeared on the Fox game show “Beat Shazam” alongside Taheem Taj Jay[b], his fellow band member. The duo excelled in their category, correctly identifying a variety of hit songs, which won them $260,000 and advanced them to the next week’s episode. However, Smith never got the opportunity to enjoy his winnings, as merely two weeks after filming, he passed away due to a sudden heart attack. Ironically, the last song Smith correctly identified to clinch the grand prize was “How to Save a Life” by The Fray.
Sushil Kumar
“Kaun Banega Crorepati[c]” (2000-)In 2011, Sushil Kumar became the first contestant to win the top prize of 50 million rupees on “Kaun Banega Crorepati,” the Indian adaptation of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Before this life-changing win, Kumar was a computer operator and teacher who earned a modest income. This dramatic change in his fortunes led to him being dubbed the real-life Slumdog Millionaire. But after the whirlwind victory, the hero in this real-life movie didn’t have the happiest of endings. Kumar reportedly made poor investments and excessive charitable donations, rapidly depleting his prize money. The mounting pressure led him to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism, further complicating the situation. Eventually, Kumar went bankrupt and had to return to teaching to make ends meet.
Cindy Stowell[d]
“Jeopardy!” (1984-)Cindy Stowell became one of 2016’s best performers on the game show “Jeopardy!” raking in over $120,000 across a six-episode winning streak. Unfortunately, she never got to watch her impressive run with the rest of the country, as she passed away just about a week before her taped episodes were broadcast. A science content developer from Austin, Texas, Stowell competed while she had Stage 4 colon cancer, determined to fulfill her dying wish of appearing on the show. Filming was grueling, as she endured a fever and had to rely on painkillers to push through. But in a final, heartwarming gesture, Stowell donated all of her earnings to cancer research.
Darva Conger[e]
“Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?” (2000)At the turn of the century, Fox brought 50 women from across the country, one from each state, to compete for the heart of an anonymous multi-millionaire. In the end, the millionaire, Rick Rockwell, chose Darva Conger of California and married her on the spot. However, whatever dreams of a fairytale ending Conger had were quickly shattered. It wasn’t long after the show aired that people began questioning Rockwell’s background. The supposed multi-millionaire turned out to be far less wealthy than he claimed, and even had a restraining order against him from a previous relationship. Conger was heartbroken, but she wasted no time. Right after their honeymoon, she filed for an annulment and sold off Rockwell’s engagement ring.
Kerry Ketchem[f]
“Super Password” (1984-89)The password is fraud. Or at least it was for Patrick Quinn, who appeared on NBC’s “Super Password” in 1988 and won $58,600 across four episodes. When a bank manager in Anchorage, Alaska watched the episodes, he recognized Quinn as Kerry Ketchem, a fugitive wanted in Alaska and Indiana for fraud. The manager reported these suspicions to the Secret Service, who then arranged with the show’s producer to arrest Ketchem when he came to claim his winnings. Ketchem had used the “Patrick Quinn” alias, which belonged to his college professor, to commit several fraudulent acts, including illegally collecting a life insurance policy on his ex-wife. He was sentenced to five years in prison, and NBC refused to pay him the prize money.
Michael Larson
“Press Your Luck” (1983-86; 2019-)Between 1969 and 1982, Michael Larson was arrested three times in Ohio for theft and other fraudulent acts. Larson had always had a knack for scams, but his largest grift came in 1984 on “Press Your Luck.” Larson had studied the show extensively and discovered that its supposedly random gameboard actually only followed five predetermined patterns. Armed with this knowledge, he managed to get on the show and pulled off a dramatic win, earning a record $110,237. CBS executives were convinced Larson cheated, but unable to prove it, they were forced to pay him. Larson quickly reverted to his fraudulent ways afterwards. In 1995, he was implicated in a pyramid scheme and went into hiding in Florida, where he died four years later.
Timothy Bliefnick[g]
“Family Feud” (1976-85; 1988-95; 1999-)In 2020, Tim Bliefnick appeared on “Family Feud” with his family members, where he jokingly answered that saying “I do” was the biggest mistake anyone could make at their wedding. This seemingly harmless remark would take on a sinister meaning just three years later. By February 2023, Bliefnick’s estranged wife, Becky, was living separately with their three sons, when an intruder broke into her home and shot her dead. Investigators later linked the crime to Bliefnick, after discovering online searches like “how to break into a window with a crowbar” and “how to create a homemade gun silencer.” It appears he killed Becky upon learning she had begun seeing someone else after their separation. Bliefnick was ultimately convicted and handed three life sentences.
Charles Ingram[h]
“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” (1998-2014; 2018-)In 2001, British Army Major Charles Ingram became only the third contestant ever to win the £1 million jackpot on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”. But he never saw a penny of that money. Ingram, along with his wife, Diana, and an accomplice, Tecwen Whittock, allegedly cheated by using a coughing signal to point him to the correct answers. Although Ingram denied the accusations, he was found guilty of deception, fined £115,000, and given a suspended sentence. The scandal derailed his life. Ingram was dismissed from the military and found himself involved in another fraud case, involving an illegal insurance claim. Since then, he has published two novels and appeared on shows like “The Weakest Link” and “Wife Swap.”
Rodney Alcala[i]
“The Dating Game” (1965-2021)This popular dating game show featured Rodney Alcala in 1978, as one of three bachelors vying for the affection of Cheryl Bradshaw. Alcala charmed his way into a date with Bradshaw, but she declined, as she found him “creepy.” Her instincts proved spot on. What the show’s producers and audience didn’t know was that Alcala was a serial killer in the middle of a prolific spree. Between 1968 and 1979, he killed at least eight people, though the actual toll is believed to exceed 100. He was eventually arrested in July 1979 and convicted of five murders in California, and two more in New York. Alcala was sentenced to death, but he succumbed to a heart attack in 2021, while on death row.
Are you a fan of any of these game shows? Did we miss any other tragic cases involving their winners? Let us know in the comments below.
[a]I can't find his name anywhere, but let's assume it's the same as this: JOH-BUR-tay / JOBER-tay https://www.howtopronounce.com/sona-jobarteh
GOOL-dur ultimate search https://youtu.be/t-9Um-je7Us?si=buFBBxMychRmOBzM&t=1NYE-ruh https://www.dictionary.com/browse/naira
LAW-goass https://www.dictionary.com/browse/Lagos
I also can't find this name so let's assume:
iss-MY-luh https://www.howtopronounce.com/ismaila
ah-day-EMMY / adday-EMM-mee https://www.howtopronounce.com/adeyemi
[b]taw-HEEM https://youtu.be/DGPHMNt9_LU?si=ep_nLrz7Q5yT2cfV&t=29
I presume "taj" is "tawzsh" like taj mahal
[c]soo-SHEEL koo-MAR https://youtu.be/js3g26dNtU4?si=dAQ3QTRLtjFQr459&t=3
con bah-NAY-gah cah-ROPA-tee
https://youtu.be/XDtWv5Jryxg?si=4KvYbDOEmQoiGfqt&t=40 OR https://translate.google.ca/?sl=hi&tl=en&text=Kaun%20Banega%20Crorepati&op=translate
[d]STOH-wull / stole https://youtu.be/vFaBVVeH-aE?si=olYY0Xs3oaYGNH5W&t=29
[e]DARR-vuh CONG-ur https://youtu.be/rv_yfA1fPuM?si=pFhXpKDTMu7R1Rt3&t=6
[f]CARE-ee KETCH-um https://youtu.be/hZ_ZUkay664?si=_aGnXRoKzV9V3cM-&t=122
[g]BLEEF-nick https://youtu.be/CDhYOUCEfQw?si=LfRszUnD-WsL4kOR&t=6
[h]Ingram = ING-rum
Tecwen Whittock = TECK-wun WIT-tuck
Charles Ingram = https://youtu.be/2SaPf6g87Zc?t=200
Tecwen Whittock = https://youtu.be/2SaPf6g87Zc?t=2622
£ = pounds
[i]al-CAL-uh https://youtu.be/V4G1FNFGHXA?si=YKxSIzzleXLvVBP5&t=334
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