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Fear and abuse were a routine part of Mark Mills’ life growing up.
One of 10 children, he was routinely beaten and emotionally tormented by his father - a start in life which left him feeling worthless and as though he would never amount to anything.
Despite that, the former Maidstone Grammar School pupil, now of Maxton Close, Bearsted, would go on to become a private jet pilot, win big on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and even read a eulogy at his dad’s funeral.
Scroll down to listen to Mark Mills
WATCH: Mark Mills on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
But he says his life would have been very different, had it not been for the intervention of children’s charity, the NSPCC.
It is a far cry from when, at the age of six, the very same man would beat and berate him inside their home, in Perryfield Street, Maidstone.
Now 54, Mark said: “The abuse started so young I didn’t even realise it was abnormal.
“I was doing reasonably well at school and I think that made it worse. I don’t think he could cope that he wasn’t getting any attention from his wife.
“Whenever my father would come home me and my brother and sister would scarper.
“Living in that kind of fear every day is debilitating.
“As soon as I was old enough, that fear became worse. I became convinced I was useless and worthless, that I’d never make anything of my life.”
The beatings began at the age of six, when he was living in Perryfield Street, Maidstone.
Things changed when Mark was 10 years old.
He explained: “I remember one incident when I was in bed with a very bad flu. I shouted downstairs ‘Mum can I have a glass of water, please?’
“My father came upstairs. Instead of giving me a glass of water, he smacked me in the face and broke my nose. But he couldn’t conceal it; there was blood all over my face and sheets.”
The NSPCC intervened, Mark’s father was told to leave the home and the charity started checking on Mark and his two youngest siblings, taking them away on trips.
He said: “As a kid I didn’t understand what was going on. I remember camping trips and weekends away just to get us away from the misery of home.
“It was enormous fun, a load of kids my age all in a similar situation, all breathing a sigh of relief.
“As I got older I set out to prove him wrong. Without the NSPCC things would’ve been very different.”
The former North Borough Primary pupil went on to spend seven years as a business manager for mobile phone networks including Orange and Cellnet, which later became O2.
Upon leaving school, eyesight problems ruled out a military career, so instead he set his heart on becoming a private pilot.
Working as a business manager for various mobile phone networks, and with training to fly far from cheap, the quiz whizz decided to appear on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in 1999.
He made it to the £125,000 question with two lifelines spare, but walked away with £32,000 after saying Tony Christie’s Avenues and Alleyways was the soundtrack to 1970s show The Persuaders, not The Protectors.
Mark said: “It’s a song that’s haunted me ever since. I was convinced I knew it but I’ll put the mistake down to a stress-induced error.”
His appearance opposite Chris Tarrant came days after qualifying as a private pilot, after spending £35,000 on training and working his way up from flying instructor.
Then in 2004, five years after his career took off, Mark received a call saying his father had died suddenly.
He said: “My younger brother said ‘You’ve got to do the eulogy. You’ve got to erase the past.’
“I did it and I’m glad my brother encouraged me to. Before that all I could think of was the hatred and what he did to me.”
“I used it as an opportunity to encourage anybody there if you ever fall out of love with somebody or lose touch for whatever reason, please find them, sit down and talk to them and bury the past, because I wish I had.”
Last month Mark decided to thank the charity he says turned his life around, by completing the London Marathon.
He said: “My brother asked how I felt when I crossed the line.
“I told him ‘I’ve finally shaken off the demons, it’s done’.”
He added: “I want to say, to any kid living in any sort of fear; there is help and there is hope.
“All you have to do is reach out. The work that the NSPCC do is amazing, things would be very different for me if they hadn’t intervened all those years ago.”
