Rangers legend Ally McCoist helps Edinburgh contestant win £82,000 on Michael McIntyre's The Wheel

Game show contestant from Edinburgh bags £82,000 jackpot thanks to Rangers legend Ally McCoist
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An Edinburgh nurse has made history and bagged a whopping £82,000 on BBC gameshow The Wheel – despite having answered only one question right.

Oncology nurse Helen has made history on the show, hosted by Michael McIntyre, after she became the first person to win the jackpot after only answering one question correctly. And she may have gone home empty-handed if it wasn’t for Rangers legend Ally McCoist, who guided her to the right answer.

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Having been the last of three contestants to be ‘spun in’ and face the seven celebrity guests and their specialist subjects, Helen said it had felt like a ‘lifetime down there’ waiting to take part. But her experience was short-lived after she was shut down on her first question, having landed on Bake Off star John Whaite.

Edinburgh nurse Helen bagged £82,000. Picture: BBCEdinburgh nurse Helen bagged £82,000. Picture: BBC
Edinburgh nurse Helen bagged £82,000. Picture: BBC

It wasn’t over for Helen, however, who was spun back into the wheel at the end of the show and given the chance to win either £20,500 if she chose to enlist the help of the top player Ed Balls, or £82,000 if she placed her fate in the hands of McCoist, who had come last on the leader board.

Michael McIntyre told her: “You would be the first person ever on the wheel to answer one question and win the show,” to which Helen replied: “I like to make history.” She added: “You know what, I came with nothing, I’ve done nothing so far so I think I need to stick with my fellow Scot.”

The Scottish pair were then faced with a question on the subject of lost civilisations, which asked them to identify which modern day country the ancient city of Troy is located in. And while Helen was tempted to go with Egypt as her final answer, the former Rangers manager persuaded her to change the answer to Turkey – a move which saw her walk away with the highest amount possible.

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Helen, who told the celebrities that her sister also worked as a doctor, said she would spend her winnings on a trip to Canada to visit her extended family. “Unfortunately we lost my grandma last year and because it was Covid, we couldn’t have the proper send off she deserved and I have got family over in Canada that we have not seen since she passed away so I would love to take my mum over to Canada to see my family over there and celebrate her in the way she deserved.”

Ally McCoist hugs Helen after the pair answered the final question correctly. Picture: BBCAlly McCoist hugs Helen after the pair answered the final question correctly. Picture: BBC
Ally McCoist hugs Helen after the pair answered the final question correctly. Picture: BBC

She added, after hugging her now-hero, that she would buy McCoist a pint as a thank you, to which he replied “that’ll do for me”.

"To be able to finally have a break and celebrate and just celebrate my gran in the way she deserved to be celebrated, just thank you so much,” she said.

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