'It was surreal': Hornchurch personal trainer wins £10k with family on TV gameshow
Kate Mills (third from right) and Michael Baah (second from right) with (from left to right) Kate's dad John Mills, her step-dad Bradley Mace, mother Gill Nicholson and Family Fortunes host Gino D'Acampo. - Credit: Michael Baah
A Hornchurch personal trainer and his family landed £10,000 after being victorious on a TV gameshow.
Michael Baah appeared on ITV programme Family Fortunes last Sunday alongside his girlfriend Kate Mills, her mother, father and step-father.
Kate's mum Gill and dad John earned enough points in the final to bag the family £10,000.
They missed out on the £30,000 top prize after failing to find the most popular answer among 100 people surveyed in the category of naming a word that follows fairy.
Michael said winning on the show "doesn't feel real" and described the moment they won the money as "amazing".
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He added: "It was one of those jump up and punch the sky moments. It was surreal, everything happened quite quickly."
One comical moment from the show saw Michael offer up the answer of an aubergine when asked to name 'a commonly-used emoji'. The vegetable represents a penis when used in this way.
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Kate decided to ignore her boyfriend's answer and go with the flame emoji, which was not in the most popular answers, while Michael's suggestion was on the leaderboard.
Despite this faux pas, the family still reached the finale of the show, hosted by Gino D'Acampo.
It was filmed during the first lockdown and Michael said it was hard to keep their success a secret.
"People were asking what we were getting up to so we had to tell them what we weren't getting up to."
On host Gino, he added: "The guy is so energetic, it's unbelievable. He's making jokes left, right and centre and is an amazing guy. It made the environment just that much better as well."
Michael works as a personal trainer for a number of celebrity clients, including Love Island stars, model Demi Rose and Gary Lineker's brother Wayne.
He has been using online tools such as Zoom and Instagram for his training during the pandemic.
Though he relocated from Hornchurch to Colchester to live with Kate just before the start of the first lockdown, Michael will soon be back in the area working at the new Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre.
He has had a tour of the new facility, adding: "It's absolutely incredible. Literally can't wait for Covid restrictions to be lifted so we can invite the general public."