Hillal Sanderson who recently appeared on ITV’s The 1% Club walked away from the studio having won almost £100,000 but five months on, she still doesn’t have the cash
A recent winner of ITV’s The 1% Club still hasn’t received her cash but explained the reasoning.
Hillal Sanderson was left speechless when she cashed in on the life-changing amount of £98,000. Her clever response to one question also blew away host Lee Mack. During the final round of the popular quizzing show, she was faced with a question which could send some into a sweat.
Hillal, 30, from Crewe, Cheshire responded: “I’ve put Y. So it’s seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years.” “Let’s have a look, for £98,000,” said Lee, before it emerged that she was, in fact, correct, meaning she won the life-changing amount. But five months on, Hillal still hasn’t received her winnings but revealed why.
Hillal revealed why she still hasn’t received her ITV winnings
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, she said: “It’s made very clear from the beginning that you don’t receive the winnings until 30 days after it’s aired, I’ve still not got that yet. But it is made very clear, that’s what the process is, I’m waiting patiently now.
“It’s not a surprise once you’ve won, you’re not blindsided by that at all, it’s very clear what the process is. The team are really good and really supportive as well.” While some may argue that the days of filming quiz shows can be extremely long, Hillal admits it is a “little bit of a long day” but every moment, from meeting Lee backstage, to chilling with her co-contestants was more than relaxing.
“The show did take a couple of hours to film, but it didn’t feel like it was overly long,” she explained. But before finding herself in the filming studio, Hillal applied for the programme on a whim as she and her husband were frequent viewers. Discussing the audition process, she explained: “I got a quick call for a telephone interview, then a Zoom with a little bit of a run-through where you play the game and then another call and got told I was going to be on.”
But this gruelling interview process worked in Hillal’s favour as the producers she had spoken to on the phone and on video call were the first people to greet her when it came to filming and allowed her to relax. “They were all there on the day,” she commented, adding: “It was just really nice to be honest.”
The 30-year-old from Cheshire walked away with £98,000(Image: itv)
While many would purchase their dream car, Hillal admits that she will be spending her winnings wisely (Image: Daily Mirror/Supplied)
Hillal joked that getting up close with Lee was “overwhelming” and she had strict orders from her husband to say they were fans but the pressure of the environment soon took over. “Once you were getting into the game, it was an out-of-body experience where you just feel like you’re watching the show.
“He came and gave me a hug after I’d won, that was really nice.” Five months on from filming, Hillal still hasn’t processed winning such a significant amount of cash. “When we watched it again, it was like being back there, it’s all fresh again,” she stated. Although she and her husband dropped subtle hints to their family, Hillal never once told them she had won.
“We had our family around to watch it, they didn’t know so that was a big surprise,” she laughed, adding: “I had to keep a straight face all the way through watching it but I was shaking inside, just wanting to scream and get excited. It was a good moment.” “We were joking with my mother-in-law I’d had a scratch card,” she commented, before saying they joked that they’d not won a single penny.
She said: “My grandparents and everyone didn’t know, so it was nice to see their faces and the surprise but it was very, very hard to keep it a secret.” But she won’t be going out and splashing the cash on a sports car any time soon. “We don’t want to blow it in one go, we’ll probably use it for a few holidays over the next few years,” she said of spending her cash.
Hillal continued: “We wouldn’t spend it on something we wouldn’t ordinarily spend money on, it just makes you feel a bit more comfortable in life. I’ll go out and spend a little bit.” However, there is one thing that Hillal would like – something that isn’t even on sale. A tour of the EastEnders set.
The BBC One soap lover joked that she would “bribe” the team of EastEnders to get a private tour of the Walford-based soap. “I don’t think that would be possible, but we can hope,” she said through laughter.
