A retired doctor could have been a millionaire today thanks to the Isle of Man TT.

Former Scottish GP Andrew Townsley was on the verge of becoming only the sixth person to scoop the ultimate prize in ITV’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

But faced with a motorsport question in which the TT was the answer Mr Townsley played it safe and said it was too much money to lose and he went home with £500,000.

Amazingly Mr Townsley later told the show’s host Jeremy Clarkson, himself a former island resident, he would have guessed the correct answer.

The crucial 15th and final question asked: ’Which of these iconic races was held first?’

The options were A. Le Mans 24 Hours B. Monaco Grand Prix C. Indy 500 or D. Isle Of Man TT.

Mr Townsley still had a final lifeline, phone a friend, which he used, but she did not know the answer.

Mr Townsley, from Glasgow, who appeared on the show in a wheelchair and has progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), said he would use some of his half-a-million-pounds winnings on a family trip to Niagara Falls

After the show, which was recorded before the coronavirus crisis, he was asked on how tempted he was to answer the million-pound question, and he said: ’I thought it probably was the TT. But was I prepared to risk it?’

Many might speculate how many people from the island, watching the popular show on Tuesday night, would have known the correct answer.

The 1907 Isle of Man TT was the inaugural Tourist Trophy races for motorcycles.

The event was held on Tuesday, May 28 over the St John’s Short Course.

The race was 10 laps of the 15 mile 1,430 yards course, a total race distance of 158.125 miles.

This year’s festival has been cancelled due to Covid-19.