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$1m win like a dream for quiz king

Andrew Skarbek has come a long way from winning the weekly trivia night at his local pub.

Last night, the 47-year-old walked away with the biggest cash prize in Australian TV history when we he won $1,016,000 on Million Dollar Minute.

Over 23 episodes, Mr Skarbek defeated 46 contestants and answered more than 589 questions.

"This is going to take an awfully long time to process," Mr Skarbek told _The Weekend West _.

"It doesn't feel real. It feels dreamlike. I keep expecting to wake up at any moment."

Mr Skarbek was given the all-clear from cancer the same week he was selected to take part on the hit Seven Network quiz show.

He had been having twice-weekly blood transfusions over a six-month period to help fight MALT lymphoma, which had exhausted his family's finances.

The business analyst said his cancer battle had given him the patience and tenacity to take on the quiz show's mammoth prize.

"The cancer really taught me a lot about patience, which I think played a big part of the show," Mr Skarbek said.

"Just learning to be patient and to get through something so bleak really changed me.

"That experience became a real skill on the show because the cancer had taught me tenacity and self-belief."

The Melbourne man said he would use the money to pay off his medical expenses and buy a home with his wife of 19 years, Jenny, after a lifetime of renting.