Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was the Irish version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? for English-speaking people. Broadcast on RTÉ One from October 17, 2000, to March 29, 2002.
Gameplay[]
Fastest Finger First[]
Fastest Finger First works the same way as in the UK from Series 2 onwards. The 10 contestants are given a question and four answers, and must put those answers in the correct order, within 20 seconds. After the time is up, the computer will then give the correct order, check who got it right, and flash the contestant who got it in the fastest time, that contestant advances to the hot seat.
Lifelines[]
There were three lifelines available to all contestants.
Seasons[]
- Season 1 (58 episodes, October 17, 2000 - December 31, 2001)
- Season 2 (14 episodes, January 2 - March 29, 2002)
Money Trees[]
17.10.2000 - 31.12.2001[]
| Question No. | Correct Answer Value | Walk Away Value | Miss Answer Value | Amount Lost for a Wrong Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £100 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| 2 | £200 | £100 | £100 | |
| 3 | £300 | £200 | £200 | |
| 4 | £500 | £300 | £300 | |
| 5 | £1,000 | £500 | £500 | |
| 6 | £2,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £0 |
| 7 | £4,000 | £2,000 | £1,000 | |
| 8 | £8,000 | £4,000 | £3,000 | |
| 9 | £16,000 | £8,000 | £7,000 | |
| 10 | £32,000 | £16,000 | £15,000 | |
| 11 | £64,000 | £32,000 | £32,000 | £0 |
| 12 | £125,000 | £64,000 | £32,000 | |
| 13 | £250,000 | £125,000 | £93,000 | |
| 14 | £500,000 | £250,000 | £218,000 | |
| 15 | £1,000,000 | £500,000 | £468,000 |
02.01 - 29.03.2002[]
| Question No. | Correct Answer Value | Walk Away Value | Miss Answer Value | Amount lost for a Wrong Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €100 | €0 | €0 | €0 |
| 2 | €200 | €100 | €100 | |
| 3 | €300 | €200 | €200 | |
| 4 | €500 | €300 | €300 | |
| 5 | €1,000 | €500 | €500 | |
| 6 | €2,000 | €1,000 | €1,000 | €0 |
| 7 | €4,000 | €2,000 | €1,000 | |
| 8 | €8,000 | €4,000 | €3,000 | |
| 9 | €16,000 | €8,000 | €7,000 | |
| 10 | €32,000 | €16,000 | €15,000 | |
| 11 | €64,000 | €32,000 | €32,000 | €0 |
| 12 | €125,000 | €64,000 | €32,000 | |
| 13 | €250,000 | €125,000 | €93,000 | |
| 14 | €500,000 | €250,000 | €218,000 | |
| 15 | €1,000,000 | €500,000 | €468,000 |
Specials[]
- In December 2001, a celebrity special aired. Ronan Keating, Claudia Carroll, Carrie Crowley, Gerry Ryan, DJ Carey, Sinead O'Connor, Nell McCafferty, Deirdre O'Kane and Packie Bonner and Daniel O'Donnell appeared. Ronan Keating and Claudia Carroll won £16,000, Carrie Crowley and Gerry Ryan won £32,000 and Sinéad O'Connor and Daniel O'Donnell won £32,000 for charities.
- On January 2 and 6, 2002, at 20:30 and 20:00 respectively, two Christmas specials aired.
Winners[]
For all winners see: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Ireland)/List of Winners
Video Game[]
PS1 Game Case for WWTBAM Irish Edition
An Irish Edition was released for the PlayStation 1 videogame which featured voice acting by Gay Byrne as well as Irish voice actors for Phone-a-Friend responses. The question stacks were tailored to include Irish history and general knowledge questions and a Euro money tree but was otherwise a modified version of the UK edition. This was one of 13 countries to have an Eidos release and was the second of three to be in English (The other two were the aforementioned UK edition as well as an Australian Edition game).
Trivia[]
- As one Irish punt pound was worth more than one British pound sterling and one US dollar, before the switch to the Euro, the Irish version was the most valuable Millionaire money tree anywhere in the world in its debut.
- The biggest winning is £250,000, won by Roger Dowds on January 12, 2001, Paddy Courtney on June 7, 2001, and €250,000 won by Noel O'Connor on March 10, 2002.
- Over a million viewers watched the first Irish edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on RTÉ One on Tuesday night. When Gay Byrne put the first questions to contestant Des O'Connor at 7.30pm, he was being watched by 1,220,000 people all over Ireland - or 73.8% of those watching television at that time. The figures were even higher for the second part of the quiz show, with an average 1,277,000 viewers, or just over a third of the Irish population.
- In 1st season, 70 contestants appeared. Total winnings were £2,350,000.
- In June 2001, a bad question appeared; Contestant Shane O'Doherty was asked for his £125,000 question "Where in the body is the lunula?" He didn't know what the answer was, so he used the Phone-a-Friend lifeline and called a physician who said the answer was the heart. He guessed and the right answer was the fingernail, therefore he lost £93,000, however the lunula refers to both the white crescent of the fingernail and a part of a valve in the heart. So, Shane said that the question was faulty and threatened the producers that he would sue him. He was later allowed back on the show, and he walked away with £125,000.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Official website
- Other official website (2000-2002)
- Noel wins 250,000 on RTE's 'Millionaire'
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: Irish Edition - PSX Longplay
