Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was an Australian game show based off the original British format of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. It aired from 18 April 1999 to 13 May 2021 on the Nine Network and was hosted by Eddie McGuire. The top prize was A$1,000,000.
The series spun off the daytime series Millionaire Hot Seat, also hosted by Eddie McGuire; both series combined represent a run from 1999 to 2023 for Eddie hosting Millionaire in Australia. After Chris Tarrant left the UK version in 2014, McGuire became the longest-serving continuous host of the format.
In 2025, Australian showbiz news site TV Blackbox broke an exclusive that Network Ten was set to revive the show with a new host, having just finished casting.[1] McGuire gave the revival his blessing, saying that he "always said it was a hiatus, not the end... It'll come back. It's too good a format not to."[2] However, this was later unveiled to be a reboot of Hot Seat instead original format.
History[]
11-question format[]
From 1999 to 2000, the show had an 11-question format starting at $1,000, the first instance in the Millionaire franchise of a money tree with less than 15 questions. The logo of the show at the time was also drastically different compared to the original. The money tree was later changed to 15 questions and offered a top prize of $1,000,000.
16-question format[]
The series ran for its scheduled 6 episodes from October 22 to November 26, 2007. The most notable change to the format is the addition of a bonus 16th question, which is worth $5,000,000. After answering question 15 correctly, they have the option of going for the bonus question. If the contestant gives the correct answer, they will win $5,000,000, which was at the time, the largest top prize in the history of Australian TV game shows, as well as one of the largest top prizes ever offered in the entire Millionaire franchise, even surpassing that of the original British version. However, if an incorrect answer is given, then their winnings will plummet down to only $32,000; a devastating $968,000 loss.
Whizz Kids Special[]
- On 27 February 2010, a prime time special called Whizz Kids: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was broadcast in which teams of students tried to win up to $1,000,000 for their school. It includes crosses to the students armed with keypads, and segments hosted by Scott Cam, Shane Crawford and Charli Delaney. Students from Engadine High School in Sydney, and Blackburn High and Frankston High in Melbourne appeared.
- On 6 March 2010, a second episode aired. Students from Engadine High School in Sydney, and Blackburn High and Frankston High in Melbourne appeared.
In total, three schools won $258,000.
Special Events[]
- In January 2021, this version returned as the classic format titled Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Special Events.
- In specials, celebrities Ella Hooper, Samuel Johnson, Rachel Griffiths, Stephen Curry, Will McMahon and Red Symons appeared.
Series[]
- Series 1 (11 episodes, 18-30 April 1999)
- Series 2 (15 episodes, 7-25 June 1999)
- Series 3 (10 episodes, 20 September - 1 October 1999)[3]
- Series 4 (12 episodes, 7-19 February 2000)
- Series 5 (5 episodes, 18 March - 10 April 2000)
- Series 6 (19 episodes, 22 May - 4 September 2000)
- Series 7 (7 episodes, 9 October - 20 November 2000)
- Series 8 (43 episodes, 12 February - 26 November 2001)
- Series 9 (42 episodes, 11 February - 25 November 2002)
- Series 10 (42 episodes, 10 February - 24 November 2003)
- Series 11 (42 episodes, 9 February - 22 November 2004)
- Series 12 (27 episodes, 7 February - 12 September 2005)
- Series 13 (9 episodes, 26 September - 21 November 2005)
- Series 14 (8 episodes, 13 February - 3 April 2006)
- Series 15 (6 episodes, 22 October - 26 November 2007)
- Series 16 (2 episodes, 27 February - 6 March 2010)
- Series 17 (4 episodes, 25 January - 13 May 2021)
Between 1999-2021, in total 304 episodes aired.
Lifelines[]
In this version, these lifelines are used:
- 50:50
- Switch the Question (after 10th question - 2007; all questions - 2021)
- Ask the Host (2021)
Former Lifelines[]
- Phone-a-Friend (Phone the Teacher in 2010)
- Ask the Audience (Ask the School in 2010)
Money Trees[]
18.04.1999 - 10.04.2000[]
The first money tree.
| Question No. |
Correct Answer Value |
Walk Away Value |
Miss Answer Value |
Amount Lost for a Wrong Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | $1,000,000 | $500,000 | $32,000 | $468,000 |
| 10 | $500,000 | $250,000 | $218,000 | |
| 9 | $250,000 | $125,000 | $93,000 | |
| 8 | $125,000 | $64,000 | $32,000 | |
| 7 | $64,000 | $32,000 | $0 | |
| 6 | $32,000 | $16,000 | $1,000 | $15,000 |
| 5 | $16,000 | $8,000 | $7,000 | |
| 4 | $8,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 | |
| 3 | $4,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | |
| 2 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $0 | |
| 1 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
22.05.2000 - 03.04.2006, 27.02 - 06.03.2010, 25.01 - 13.05.2021[]
The revival money tree.
| Question No. |
Correct Answer Value |
Walk Away Value |
Miss Answer Value |
Amount Lost for a Wrong Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | $1,000,000 | $500,000 | $32,000 | $468,000 |
| 14 | $500,000 | $250,000 | $218,000 | |
| 13 | $250,000 | $125,000 | $93,000 | |
| 12 | $125,000 | $64,000 | $32,000 | |
| 11 | $64,000 | $32,000 | $0 | |
| 10 | $32,000 | $16,000 | $1,000 | $15,000 |
| 9 | $16,000 | $8,000 | $7,000 | |
| 8 | $8,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 | |
| 7 | $4,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | |
| 6 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $0 | |
| 5 | $1,000 | $500 | $0 | $500 |
| 4 | $500 | $300 | $300 | |
| 3 | $300 | $200 | $200 | |
| 2 | $200 | $100 | $100 | |
| 1 | $100 | $0 | $0 |
22.10 - 26.11.2007[]
| Question No. |
Correct Answer Value |
Walk Away Value |
Miss Answer Value |
Amount Lost for a Wrong Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | $5,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $32,000 | $968,000 |
| 15 | $1,000,000 | $500,000 | $468,000 | |
| 14 | $500,000 | $250,000 | $218,000 | |
| 13 | $250,000 | $125,000 | $93,000 | |
| 12 | $125,000 | $64,000 | $32,000 | |
| 11 | $64,000 | $32,000 | $0 | |
| 10 | $32,000 | $16,000 | $1,000 | $15,000 |
| 9 | $16,000 | $8,000 | $7,000 | |
| 8 | $8,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 | |
| 7 | $4,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | |
| 6 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $0 | |
| 5 | $1,000 | $500 | $0 | $500 |
| 4 | $500 | $300 | $300 | |
| 3 | $300 | $200 | $200 | |
| 2 | $200 | $100 | $100 | |
| 1 | $100 | $0 | $0 |
Comedies[]
Russell Gilbert Live[]
In the comedy show Russell Gilbert Live, there were several parody questions:
- With Russell Gilbert as a contestant and Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$32,000 (10 of 15) - Not timed | |
| Are you fidgeting in your chair at that moment because... | |
| ⬥ A: You’re nervous | ⬥ B: You have worms |
| ⬥ C: You need to go to the toilet | ⬥ D: Your undies are riding up on you |
- With Paul Collidge as a contestant and Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$1,000,000 (15 of 15) - Not timed | |
| In chemical terms what does PVC stand for? | |
| ⬥ A: Polyvinyl chlorine | ⬥ B: Polyvinyl cellulose |
| ⬥ C: Polyvinyl chloride | ⬥ D: Polyvinyl carbonate |
| Paul was the third contestant to look at the $1,000,000 question. Russell in the audience doubted that Paul would win a million dollars because he blew everything. When it came to this question, Paul thought it was Polyvinyl chloride, but when Russell yelled out “IT'S B, PAUL!”, it made Paul sure that he knew the answer, so he goes with that. Unfortunately, that was the wrong answer, as the correct answer is C. Polyvinyl chloride. Russell laughed loudly and revealed that he tricked him about that. It's unusual that Eddie said he lost $968,000 instead of $468,000. |
- With Russell Gilbert as a contestant and Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$16,000 (9 of 15) - Not timed | |
| How far is the moon from the Earth? | |
| ⬥ A: 565,000 kms | ⬥ B: 240,000 kms |
| ⬥ C: 385,000 kms | ⬥ D: 212,000 kms |
| Russell said that he liked to buy a vowel. Eddie told him that was not a part of his show. Also, with $16,000, Russell would like to buy something from the gift shop. Eddie told him that he did not have a gift shop. Also, Russell said he would take the home viewer in, which Eddie also did not have. Eddie then read out the question and answers. When Russell said 240,000, Eddie said higher, which messed him up. The correct answer not revealed is indeed B: 240,000. |
| A$32,000 (10 of 15) - Not timed | |
| Which London street has been associated with the press? "Phone a Friend" lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: Harley Street | ⬥ B: The Strand |
| ⬥ C: Savile Row | ⬥ D: Fleet Street |
| Russell took to phone a friend who turned out to be Lolita. Russell knew that he would get the question wrong, so he thought he would get a phone call for free.
The correct answer not shown was D:Fleet Street. |
- With Russell Gilbert as a contestant and Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$500,000 (14 of 15) - Not timed | |
| According to a recent survey, which word do most people use when they haven’t heard something properly? Is it..... | |
| ⬥ A: What | ⬥ B: Ay |
| ⬥ C: Huh | ⬥ D: Pardon |
- With Russell Gilbert as a contestant and Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$125,000 (12 of 15) - Not timed (According to the cue played during the question) | |
| Who is the current king of Spain? "Phone a Friend" lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: King Hussein | ⬥ B: King Carlos III |
| ⬥ C: Juan Carlos the First | ⬥ D: Jose Ramos Horta |
| Russell decided to use his last lifeline, which was "Phone a Friend" and called Glenn Ridge from "Sale of the Century", who was a bit busy with his show. Russell asked him "Who is the king of Spain?". Glenn asked the contestants the question, Brett buzzed in and said Juan Carlos the First, Glenn then told Russell that the answer is Juan Carlos the First. The correct answer not revealed is indeed C: Juan Carlos the First. |
- With Russell Gilbert as a contestant and Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$?,000 (? of 15) - Not timed | |
| What is the only disease eliminated from this century? "Phone a Friend" lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: Tuberculosis | ⬥ B: Bubonic Plaque |
| ⬥ C: Smallpox | ⬥ D: Polio |
| Russell decided to phone one of his friends and wanted to be the one to answer the phone. But, instead, he rang Eddie.
The correct answer not shown was C:Smallpox. |
- With Russell Gilbert as a contestant and Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$?,000 (? of 15) - Not timed | |
| What is Elton John’s real name? "Phone a Friend" lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: Ronald Devlin | ⬥ B: Tristram Prosonby |
| ⬥ C: Clark Grisward | ⬥ D: Reginald Dwight |
| Russell decided to ring his girlfriend, Rochelle, who didn't seem to be in the mood to help him. After the call ended, Russell asked if he could call a different person, only to hear the klaxon calling time.
The correct answer not shown was D:Reginald Dwight. |
The Late Shift[]
In the comedy show "Comedy Inc. The Late Shift" were a few of comedies, with all comedies featured by fake Eddie McGuire (casted by Paul McCarthy):
- With Trevor and Lenny as the contestants and fake Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$100 (1 of 15) - Not timed | |
| The eucalypt is a type of... | |
| ⬥ A: Tree | ⬥ B: Fern |
| ⬥ C: Bush | ⬥ D: Weed |
| Fake Eddie: "The eucalypt is a type of..."
Lenny: "Lock in A, Eddie!" |
| A$200 (2 of 15) - Not timed | |
| In which country would you find the Taj Mahal? | |
| ⬥ A: Pakistan | ⬥ B: Thailand |
| ⬥ C: Burma | ⬥ D: India |
| A$125,000 (12 of 15) - Not timed | |
| The trigeminal nerve supplies sensory fibers to the... "Phone a Friend" lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: Face | ⬥ B: Hands |
| ⬥ C: Feet | ⬥ D: Chest |
- With Henry Killock as the contestant and fake Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$100 (1 of 15) - Not timed | |
| To give someone the go-ahead is to give them... | |
| ⬥ A: The white light | ⬥ B: The green light |
| ⬥ C: The red light | ⬥ D: The night light |
| Henry wanted to take $100 because he was satisfied with that and the music was a bit scary to him. |
- With Greg Ashley and Tim as the contestants and fake Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$100 (1 of 15) - Not timed | |
| Which of these men sang for the rock band Queen? | |
| ⬥ A: Freddie Mercury | ⬥ B: Peter Allen |
| ⬥ C: Liberace | ⬥ D: Elton John |
| They thought that this was a liberty gay question, so they wanted another question. |
- With Peter Gardner and Tim as the contestants and fake Eddie McGuire as the host.
- With Barry as the contestant and fake Eddie McGuire as the host.
| A$1,000,000 (15 of 15) - Not timed | |
| What is the first letter in the English alphabet? | |
| ⬥ A: C | ⬥ B: D |
| ⬥ C: A | ⬥ D: B |
Winners[]
For all winners, see: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Australia)/List of Winners
Only winnings of $250,000 or more are included in the table.
| Air date | Series | Prize | Player's name |
| 28 April 1999 | 1 | $250,000 | Paddy Spooner |
| 3 July 2000 | 6 | $250,000 | Brett McDonald |
| 4 September 2000 | $500,000 | Trevor Sauer | |
| 16 October 2000 | 7 | $500,000 | William Laing |
| 12 March 2001 | 8 | $250,000 | Rob and Loretta Valenda |
| 4 June 2001 | $500,000 | Dave and Denise Moser | |
| 9 July 2001 | $250,000 | Charles Davis | |
| 8 April 2002 | 9 | $500,000 | Maria McCabe |
| 13 May 2002 | $250,000 | Christopher Fare | |
| 10 June 2002 | $250,000 | Bill Copland | |
| 12 August 2002 | $250,000 | Tony Barber | |
| 28 April 2003 | 10 | $500,000 | Molly Meldrum |
| 26 May 2003 | $250,000 | Jonathan Evans | |
| 2 June 2003 | $250,000 | Tim Serisier | |
| 8 September 2003 | $500,000 |  Andrew Lockett
| |
| 8 March 2004 | 11 | $250,000 | David Morgan |
| 28 June 2004 | $250,000 | Rowan McGullicuddy | |
| 13 September 2004 | $250,000 | Alan Tomlinson | |
| 4 October 2004 | $500,000 | Scott Smith | |
| 2004 (unknown date) | $250,000 | Kay Balzer | |
| 14 February 2005 | 12 | $500,000 | Shane Warne and Trevor Sauer (Celebrity Roulette Special) |
| $250,000 | Pauline Hanson and Christopher Fare (Celebrity Roulette Special) | ||
| 27 June 2005 | $500,000 | Clifford Plumpton | |
| 5 September 2005 | $250,000 | Chris Connolly | |
| 17 October 2005 | 13 | $1,000,000 | Rob "Coach" Fulton |
| 14 November 2005 | $1,000,000 | Martin Flood | |
| 21 November 2005 | $500,000 | Yael Blinco | |
| 26 November 2007 | 15 | $250,000 | Henry Kiss |
Trivia[]
- The biggest amount of money ever lost on this version is $218,000 by Red Symons on 17 July 2000 and Mickey Pragnell in 2004.
- Erin Bride used all of her lifelines on the third question; the earliest they were all used.
- For the first six years of the show's run, out of over 3,000,000 registration calls, only 2,500 contestants were ever accepted into the Fastest Finger First row.
- In 2001 the 100th episode was aired. The 200th episode aired on 24 November 2003.
- The 12 May 2003 episode has the lowest winnings for an episode in Australian Millionaire history: $2,000 in total, with the 5th contestant walking away with nothing.
- On the 12 April 2004 episode, Eddie notably deals with an audience member using their mobile phone, after hearing it vibrating.
- On the 29 March 2004 and 23 May 2005 episodes, the 400th and 500th contestants appeared in the Hot Seat.
- On 4 April 2005, three rounds of Fastest Finger First occurred in a row.
- On October 3, 2005 episode, in FFF a tiebreak occurred.
- In 1999-2001 (series 1-5), total $8,096,000 won. In 1999-2002, total $13,919,000 won. In 1999-2003, total $17,590,000 was won. In 1999-2005, total winnings are $28,250,000 ($6,901,000 in 2005). As result, in 1999-2006, $28,595,000 won. In 1999-2007, $29.205,000 won. A whopping total of $82,785,000 has been won on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Millionaire Hot Seat over the past 22 years.
- In 1999-2006 (8 seasons), in total 623 (of these, 78 in 2005) contestants in hot seat appeared. In 1999-2007 (9 seasons), in total 641 contestants appeared, who asked 6,945 questions. In 1999-2010, in total 653 contestants appeared, 6,980 questions asked, and $29,463,000 cash prizes won.
Hot Seat[]
- The Millionaire Hot Seat format first ran in Australia. See that page for more information.
Gallery[]
First logo (1999-2000)
Second logo (2000-03)
.jpg "Third Logo (2003-2004).jpg (74 KB)"){kind=logo}
Third logo (2003-2004)
Fourth logo (2005)
Fifth logo (2006)
Rave logo (2007, 2010)
Olga van den Brandt logo (2021)
Revival studio (2021)
References[]
- ↑ https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2025/03/18/exclusive-who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-returning-but-not-on-nine/
- ↑ https://www.skynews.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity-life/eddie-mcguire-reveals-who-he-would-pick-to-take-over-hosting-duties-on-revival-of-who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire/news-story/42043a1fb22a42f963eb2dc5201f504c
- ↑ Promo (September 1999)
Sources[]
- Official website (2001-2003)
- Official website (2005-2007)
- Results of 2005 + general
- Million Dollar History (including eight $1,000,000 questions)
- Official website (2007)
- About 2007 show live
- First 11 episodes
- April 1, 2000
- April 12, 2004
- November 19, 2007
- Australian Game Shows
- Australian Trade List
- EXCLUSIVE: WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? returning—but not on Nine