A LISKEARD pub quiz enthusiast proved to be the strongest link when he took part in Anne Robinson's hit BBC show, 'The Weakest Link' – he walked away with the top prize.
Richard Matthews, the practice manager at Liskeard's Rosedean Practice, entered the show after receiving an application form, and facing pressure from sons Jonathan and James. They were confident in his abilities, but he said his largest fear was that he would be the one voted off straight away, and so first to face Anne Robinson's first full sarcastic comments.
However, as revealed on the show which was broadcast on Wednesday, Richard, 43, stayed to the very end, and picked up prize-winnings of £3,110.
He said, nevertheless, that he would not wish to go through the experience again, jokingly terming parts of it 'very frightening'. He said the contestants hardly met Anne Robinson - who he described as 'extremely brusque' - away from the set itself.
Initially she quickly introduced herself, just wearing plain clothes such as a brown cardigan. But the next time they saw her was when they were facing her in front of cameras - when she was completely in black, and totally unsmiling.
The show took two and a half hours to film, and during breaks she left for a room on her own, never setting up a rapport with the contestants.
Richard said the fact that there is a clock in the background, ticking down to the second questions have to be answered by, only adds to the tension which builds up.
Richard, who said he hadn't thought he would win, took the top prize after saying correctly that vanilla pods were linked to orchids. But he, his sons, and his wife Jane, have enjoyed being able to buy odds and ends with the money.
His one regret was that he had to say he was from Cornwall. He wanted to say he was from Liskeard, to promote his home town, but those in the studios, in London, were unable to pronounce it!