Due to the lockdown, many people will be watching more TV than normal, with many currently enjoying the three-part drama series ‘Quiz’ in which former British Army Major of the Royal Engineers, Charles Ingram allegedly cheated the system along with his wife Diana and an accomplice Tecwen Whittock whose 19 strategic coughs led to a successful win of the million-pound jackpot.
The case is intriguing, and those interested in looking deeper will see valid reasons, which could imply cheating did happen but valid reasons cheating did not. The Ingrams know the only real answers.
Hello Magazine shows footage of the final 15th question and the alleged cough that suggests gave Charles the winning edge following a lengthy trial at Southwark Crown Court; Charles Ingram was only ever convicted on a single count of procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception.
Did Charles Ingram have balls of steel to risk £468’000 on a question he didn’t know? Taking that kind of risk to win a million pounds or drop to £32K could have been a grasp at fame and wealth, which would have surely led to a successful career outside the Army. No charges led to a jail sentence, and to this day, the Ingrams protest their innocence.
Using today's spy technology back in 2001
Indeed, technology has evolved these days, and cheating by coughing would never be considered a primary factor; most likely, misdirection and using smart electronics would be the chosen method today. Sending back the spy technology of 2020 to Charles Ingram in 2001, we reveal how it would have been made possible without detection.
Using a smartphone and a Bluetooth Invisible Earpiece would allow a person to communicate discreetly with another person without giving any indication to people around.
Furthermore, this type of technology negates distance limitations so the person with the answers could easily pass the correct answers from the comfort of their armchair hundreds of miles away.
This tiny ball bearing fits inside your ear canal using the same technology as TV presenters who use an earpiece to receive information from the studio. However, its advantage is that it is impossible to see even when looking inside the ear and doesn't take batteries. The Invisible Earpiece is supplied with an induction loop plugged into a smartphone and worn around your neck, hiding the loop and smartphone underclothing and out of sight.
The person with the internet-searched answers sitting hundreds of miles away can hear the questions and then reply with the answers by speaking into their smartphone, which passes the information through the induction loop and wirelessly to the earpiece. The information passed back and forth is silent and would be very effective because smartphone detection in 2001 was unavailable.
Of course, this earpiece technology used today is squarely aimed at legitimate uses, especially by Law Enforcement, where discreet information and instructions are passed back and forth to aid sensitive operations.
The final episode of the Quiz can be watched tonight on ITV at 9 pm.