Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was the Irish version for English-speaking people of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Broadcast on RTÉ One from October 17, 2000 to March 29, 2002.
Contents
Fastest Finger First
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 3 lifelines available to all contestants.
- 50:50: The computer eliminates two incorrect answers, leaving one incorrect answer and the correct answer.
- Phone-A-Friend: The contestant calls one of up to 3 friends, who provided their phone numbers in advance. The contestant has 30 seconds to read the question and answer choices to the friend, who then has the remaining time to offer input.
- Ask the Audience: Audience members use touch pads to designate what they believe the correct answer to be. The audience choosing each specific option is displayed to the contestant.
Seasons
- Season 1 (26 episodes, October 17, 2000 - December 31, 2001)
- Season 2 (14 episodes, January 2 - March 29, 2002)
Money Trees
October 17, 2000 - December 31, 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 |
January 2 - March 29, 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, Celebrity Special show 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 special shows aired.
Winners (on Irish Pound)
£250,000 winners
- Roger Dowds (January 12, 2001)
£125,000 winners
- Patricia Feldwick (December 19, 2000)
- Sean Breen (January 8, 2001)
- Kevin O'Hara (January 8, 2001)
- Gary O'Keefe (February 20, 2001)
- Patrick Matthews (February 20, 2001)
- Shane O'Doherty (June 17, 2001)
£64,000 winners
- Jimmy Grimes (October 24, 2000)
- Paul O'Leary (November 21, 2000)
- Francis Sherlock (2000-01)[1]
- Alastair Cullen (January 16, 2001)
- Unknown 8 Players (before February 17, 2001)[2]
- Aible Coleman (June 10, 2001)
- Mick Long (2000-01)
£32,000 winners
- Anthony Moore (February 6, 2001)[3]
- Pat Treacy (June 10, 2001)
- Ken Flanagan (June 17, 2001)[4]
- Carrie Crowley and Gerry Ryan (December 2001)
- Sinéad O'Connor and Daniel O'Donnell (December 2001)
£16,000 winners
- Des O'Connor (October 17, 2000)
- Yvonne Murphy (November 2000)
- John Clarke (November 2000)
- Susan McCarthy (January 16, 2001)
- Aidan Lynch (January 16, 2001)
- David McKeown (June 10, 2001)
- Ronan Keating and Claudia Carroll (December 2001)
£8,000 winners
- Robert Pashley (October 17, 2000)
£4,000 winners
- Rory Mclntyre (November 2000)
£1,000 winners
- Rachel Brennan (October 17, 2000)
- Declan O'Malley (September 30, 2001)
£0 winners
- Patrick Hoey (November 28, 2000)
£? winners
- Paddy Courtney (200?)
- Steven Finnegan (2000-01)
- John Emmo (June 17-24, 2001)
- Maxine Payne (2001)
Winners (on Euro)
€250,000 winners
- Noel O'Connor (March 10, 2002)
€125,000 winners
- Robert Scott (2002)
€64,000 winners
- Pat Billings (March 2002)
€32,000 winners
- Keith Burgess (2002)
- Ali Dempsey (2002)
€1,000 winners
- Paddy Spooner (March 2002)
€? winners
- Mark O'Loughlin (2002)
Trivia
- As the Irish pound was worth more than the British pound, before the switch to the Euro the Irish version was the most valuable Millionaire top prize anywhere in the world.
- The biggest winning is £250,000, won by Roger Dowds in January 12, 2001 and €250,000 won by Noel O'Connor in 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, Contestant Shane O'Doherty was asked for his £125,000 question What part of the body is the lunala in? (The actual question is not known), 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 lunala is in both your fingernail and your 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.
Sources
- ↑ https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MILLIONAIRE+QUIZMASTER+GAYBO+REVEALS+HIS+FAVOURITE+MOMENTS+FROM+THE...-a070299579
- ↑ https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/quiz-show-hopefuls-paid-1-5m-to-chase-millionaire-dream-26097135.html
- ↑ https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/anthonys-not-a-millionaire-but-32k-is-just-fine-27118644.html
- ↑ https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/millionaire-man-parties-on-minus-32000-26083881.html
