A PIG farmer has pledged to marry his fiancee after winning a million pounds on ITV quiz show Red or Black?

Father-of-two Darren Thompson claimed the top prize with the help of two-year- old daughter Olivia, who picked black for the final game. Mr Thompson, 37, of Bedale, North Yorkshire, was last night congratulated by friends who said no one deserved the good fortune more than Darren and partner Hayley Fox, 24.

The farmer, who looks after about 2,000 pigs at a farm near Bedale, admitted he couldn’t bring himself to watch the spinning roulette wheel, which would decide if he walked away with the top prize – or nothing.

He said: “When the wheel started I pushed the buzzer but didn’t look. I looked at the ceiling and the floor and focused on the sound of the crowd, then when I looked up it was on black.

“I did tell my boss that if I win the million don’t expect me in on Saturday, but I will go back in on Sunday and I won’t be giving up work.”

The farmer has now promised to marry Miss Fox, after being engaged for nearly seven years, and will also buy 365 pairs of socks.

He said: “I’m in wellies ten hours a day and poor old Hayley’s got some proper stinkers to wash.

“I’m going to get a little plot of land, two little pigs and call them Ant and Dec.

“The wedding’s at the top of the list. I told Hayley don’t get excited, don’t be spending the money because I’ve not won it yet.

“I’ve seen her on the old internet looking at the wedding dresses and all that. She’s already spending it for me.”

Mr Thompson correctly guessed the right outcome in ten rounds during the show, which started with thousands of other hopefuls in Wembley and ended live in front of more than four millions viewers on Thursday night.

The penultimate game of the show saw Mr Thompson beat 22- year-old operating theatre student Hannah Stead, from York.

The farmer has a 14-year-old son called Brad from a previous relationship, who texted him before the show to say good luck. “After I won, he sent me another one saying he wanted a new laptop,” said Mr Thompson. “Hayley is over the moon. She can’t believe it and we’re going to crack on and get married this year. Olivia will definitely be a bridesmaid.

“She’s only two, so hasn’t asked for anything like my son has. I’m sure she’ll be happy with some jelly beans, they’re her favourite.”

The new millionaire said the windfall came after a period of financial problems for the couple.

“A couple of years ago ... I got laid off, Hayley got laid off, the tenancy wasn’t being renewed on the property and then we found out we were pregnant with Olivia.

“My finances literally fell through the floor,” he said. Mr Thompson is a regular in the Waggon and Horses pub, in Bedale.

Landlady Christine Hooley, who used to employ Miss Fox, said yesterday that no one deserved the win more than the couple.

She said: “They’re both lovely.

He’s a real down to earth lad, not flashy at all and I’m sure he’ll spend it wisely. I was right chuffed because I watched it after someone said he was going to be on.”

Mr Thompson became the third winner of the show, which is backed by television mogul Simon Cowell.

The first winner, Nathan Hageman, proved controversial after it emerged he had served time in prison for assault.