Tipping Point contestant 'banned' from enjoying luxury holiday they won on ITV show
Tipping Point viewers were left outraged as a winner was reportedly 'banned' from enjoying the £2.5k luxury holiday she bagged on the popular ITV quiz show.
Maxine Longmuir, 69, couldn't believe her luck when she won the £2,500 getaway to Portugal, but her joy turned to frustration when she was allegedly told she couldn't rebook the trip following a heartbreaking health diagnosis. The quiz show champ was gutted to learn that she couldn't reschedule her much-anticipated holiday after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, which meant she needed surgery and was unable to fly for several weeks post-operation.
The holiday was supposed to be a blissful retreat at the Domes Lake Algarve resort in Portugal, where Maxine and her husband Graham Hewson, 67, were looking forward to celebrating their week-long break starting April 19.
Atrial fibrillation, defined by the NHS as a condition that causes a fast or irregular heartbeat, threw a wrench into her plans last month, and Maxine claims the resort refused to budge on changing her booking.
Opening up about the disappointment, Maxine shared with MailOnline how the trip was meant to mark her milestone 70th birthday and wedding anniversary, saying: "It was one of the mystery prizes, it was the best prize I'd ever seen on the show", reports the Daily Star.
"It was a fantastic feeling to win. It's out wedding anniversary and I turn 70 this year so it was supposed to be the perfect celebration. We haven't been able to take a holiday for five years and I'd booked coach tickets to the airport and arranged for a friend to come and look after our dogs. I'm so disappointed."
"It's maddening because they've had the PR from it, but I haven't got anything. I went back and told them some other dates I could do but the holiday company Destinology just said no."
When contacted by the Daily Mirror, a Destinology spokesperson said: "Our customers' experience with us is of the highest importance, and we can confirm that we have been in talks with Mrs Longmuir since last week around new dates so that we can rearrange her holiday. The prize that was offered on Tipping Point was given by both Destinology and Domes Lake Algave (Destinology covering the flight element).
"When Mrs Longmuir initially contacted us to let us know that she could no longer go on her holiday, our team contacted the hotel to try and move her dates, but unfortunately this is was outside of the terms and conditions of the hotel prize offered by the hotel.
"After explaining Mrs Longmuir's circumstances, the hotel has now agreed to move her stay to a date in the future, and Destinology will be rearranging her flights."
Tipping Point, an enduring favourite on our screens since 2012, sees contestants flex their general knowledge muscles for the chance to win some epic prizes. The game's major draw? You could bag the £10,000 jackpot if you master the arcade-style coin push machine.
Journeying through six painstaking screening calls and a marathon hour-long Zoom session with other potential contestants, Maxine finally managed to land a spot on the beloved show, filming an episode in April last year over in Bristol. But her victory moment was quickly quashed when she stumbled on a question while competing.
Regardless of the somewhat disappointing result, Maxine was still chuffed to meet the king of daytime TV and Tipping Point host himself, Ben Shephard, 48. Revealing all on her nerve-wracking final showdown, she said: "I got through to the final two but answered a question wrong, it was about the Chancellor of Exchequer and my mind just went blank."
But Maxine wasn't too fussed about the loss, confessing: "I still got what I wanted I only went on there to get a hug with Ben. I'd never been on a TV show before."
Tipping Point is broadcasted on weekdays from 4pm on ITV1, or you can catch up on ITVX.
