Hobart teacher Charlie Gard wins $50,000 on Millionaire Hot Seat

While most quiz show winners splash their cash on a luxury holiday or fancy new car, this Hobart teacher is using his big cheque to buy his terminally ill father-in-law more time.

Hobart teacher Charlie Gard won $50,000 on Millionaire Hot Seat. Picture: CHANNEL 9

HOBART Millionaire Hot Seat contestant Charlie Gard was overcome with emotion the moment his wife Liv was called on stage by host Eddie McGuire.

The Corpus Christi Catholic School teacher, 31, had watched the quiz show enough times to know it meant he had won the $50,000 cash prize. But it was the reason behind him signing up for the show that brought him to tears.

His father-in-law was first diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in May 2018. He is now 57.

About four months ago it spread to his bones and doctors gave him only a few months to live.

But Mr and Mrs Gard refused to give up, wanting their two young daughters — Ivy, 3, and Pia, 1 — to grow up knowing their grandpa.

Charlie and Liv Gard, of Howrah, couldn’t hide their excitement or tears after winning $50,000 on Millionaire Hot Seat. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

The determined pair eventually came across a targeted radiation treatment called Lutetium, which costs about $10,000 a round.

“Liv convinced me to try out for the show because she knows how much I want to help her dad,” Mr Gard told the Mercury.

“He’s a pretty good father-in-law — you couldn’t get any better.

“To know we can now help pay for treatment, or give him a holiday, is an amazing feeling.”

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Lutetium is used for managing metastatic prostate cancer when other therapies are poorly tolerated or have failed.

Mrs Gard, 28, who is also a teacher at Corpus Christi, said her dad has undergone two rounds of Lutetium treatment so far, but up to four rounds can be required.

“It’s terminal, so unfortunately there is no cure,” she said.

“We don’t know exactly how long the treatment will give him, but we know we will probably have more years with him because of it.

“Mum and dad mean the world to me, and my husband is pretty amazing to not even question helping them financially. He is a very special human.”

Charlie and Liv Gard holding the $50,000 cheque with host Eddie McGuire. Picture: CHANNEL 9

The touching episode aired on Channel 9 on Monday night.

Mr Gard was the first person in the hot seat, answering four questions correctly before choosing to pass on a question about crocheting.

He returned just in time to answer the final $50,000 question — “Known as ‘The Fortress City’, Valletta is the capital of which country?”

The options were Thailand, Malta, Cyprus and Venezuela. Malta was the correct answer.

“I was inclined to choose Malta because I knew there was a little bit of history with World War II and the landscape is fortress like, but I wasn’t convinced,” he said.

“We’ve watched it so much that we know when the partner, or whoever is in the audience, gets called down, that means you’ve won. So when Eddie said, ‘Liv, come down to the floor’, I lost it a little bit.”

Mr Gard described McGuire as “very empathetic and supportive”.

After the win, McGuire said: “Let’s hope everything goes as well as it possibly can, and our hearts and prayers are with you and your family.”

Mr Gard said he had received lots of praise from students, parents and fellow teachers in recent days.

In 2018, Mr Gard broke the Guinness World Record for the most chest-to-ground burpees in an hour — a staggering 851 — and raised $8000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. To donate visit: www.prostate.org.au

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY CHARLIE

Q. According to a common saying about middle age, what ‘begins at 40’?

A. Life

Q. A common term to describe a catchy song is an ‘ear’ what?

A. Worm

Q. In Australia, which of these days comes first in the calendar year?

(Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Queen’s Birthday holiday or Remembrance Day)

A. Mother’s Day

Q. The name of the consumer watchdog ACCC stands for ‘Australian what and Consumer Commission’?

A. Competition

Passed on the fifth question before returning for the final question

Q. Known as ‘The Fortress City’, Valletta is the capital of which country?

A. Malta