A Fakenham car salesman proved he was far from The Weakest Link when he triumphed on the popular television quiz show and scooped almost �2,000.Paul Cutter faced the stern glare and barbed comments of host Anne Robinson on the BBC One programme and kept his nerve to win the contest.

A Fakenham car salesman proved he was far from The Weakest Link when he triumphed on the popular television quiz show and scooped almost �2,000.

Paul Cutter faced the stern glare and barbed comments of host Anne Robinson on the BBC One programme and kept his nerve to win the contest.

The 41-year-old father-of-two, from Thorpe Marriott, works as a car salesman for Busseys in Fakenham, but viewers last week saw that his knowledge extends beyond the specifications of Mondeos and Fusions.

He managed to outwit his fellow contestants on the show after demonstrating his knowledge of Irish novelist James Joyce and architect Sir Christopher Wren - although he was tripped up by questions about Mount Everest and Tom Cruise.

Mr Cutter, who is married to Rita and has a 19-year-old son Jamie at the University of East Anglia and a 16-year-old daughter Ellie at Taverham High School, admitted coming face to face with the fiery Ms Robinson during filming at Pinewood Studios was an intimidating experience.

He said: “The lights all go out and all of a sudden Anne Robinson walks in and, to be honest, it is quite scary. She puts everyone off guard and really is quite terse towards people.

“Before the show they tell you she's going to insult you and that you shouldn't be offended by it.

“I had my fair share from her. She asked me what I would say to sell her a car and took the mickey out of my grey hair, asking if I'd considered using Just For Men.

“And, because I've got quite an athletic build, she wanted me to show her my six pack. I lifted my shirt up and she just said 'meh!'”

“But when I'd won she was really nice and came over to congratulate me and asked me how far I'd had to travel to get there. It's all an act for the show, but it is still scary.”

Mr Cutter, who used to work for Bob Basted cars before joining Busseys, and honed his general knowledge skills at pub quizzes, added: “It felt really good to win because it is nine against one, so you do feel you've achieved something.