Jasper nets £11m from Millionaire sale

Jasper Carrott has landed an £11million windfall for his stake in quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

The comic and his wife Hazel own a share of TV production house Celador, which yesterday sold worldwide rights to the progamme, and a host others, to a Dutch company.

Buyer 2waytraffic specialises in interactive TV, using text messages and premium phone lines. Boss Kees Abrahams said: ‘Millionaire will benefit from our interactive expertise.’

Paul Smith, the main deviser of the show, will net £40million from the sale.

Millionaire is licensed to more than 100 countries and is currently on air in 39. The new owners confirmed Chris Tarrant, who is paid £2million a year to host the show but owns no shares in Celador, would continue to front the British edition.

Other shows bought by 2waytraffic include You are What You Eat and Mr & Mrs.

Published: 2 Dec 2006