Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a game show, which features a millionaire quiz, where contestants attempt to answer a series of multiple-choice questions in sequence. There are 15 questions in all. Each question is worth a specific amount of prize. There are no time limits to answer the questions. Contestants can also get three Lifelines to assist them if they get stuck on a particular question and are not sure of the answer.
The questions are structured under five different Levels of increasing difficulty. Each level contains three questions.
Questions that are grouped into the same level have the same difficulty. For example: Questions 1-3 are in the first level and are the easiest. The second level (Questions 4 – 6) will be slightly more difficult. The third level (Questions 7 – 9) will be harder than the second level. The fourth level (Questions 10-12) will feature really difficult questions. The hardest questions are in the fifth and last level (Questions 13 – 15).
Note that questions in the same level may not be of the same or similar topics, but will have the same level of difficulty. Also note that question levels are not the same with safe havens or Question value structure that are both explained below.
There are three 'safe havens' – Questions 5, 10 and 15. You accumulate money as you answer each of the 15 questions correctly. But if you get any question before reaching a safe haven wrong, your winnings will drop considerably. Below is a summary of the question value structure:
Question 1 £100
Question 2 £200
Question 3 £300
Question 4 £500
Question 5 (safe haven): £1,000
If you get a safe haven question wrong, you leave with nothing. If you answer it correctly, you are guaranteed a £1,000, even if you get some questions wrong before reaching the next safe haven at Question 10.
Question 6 £2,000
Question 7 £4,000
Question 8 £8,000
Question 9 £16,000
Question 10 (safe haven): £32,000.
If you get this question wrong, you leave with £1,000. If you get it right, you are guaranteed £32,000, even if you get some questions wrong before reaching the next safe haven at Question 15.
Question 11 £64,000
Question 12 £125,000
Question 13 £250,000
Question 14 £500,000
Question 15 (safe haven): £1,000,000
Contestants can use one, two or all three Lifelines at any point during the game. Each Lifeline can only be used once.
50/50 – removes two incorrect answers from the multiple-choice selection, leaving the contestant with only one correct and one incorrect option. This means the contestant has a 50% chance of getting the question right.
Ask the Audience – the audience is called to help the contestant answer a question. A quick poll is done to show their answers. If the chart shows a clear majority for a specific answer, the contestant will still have to decide on whether to go with that answer or not. This Lifeline can be extremely helpful.
Phone a Friend – Contestants are allowed to make a 30-second call to a friend or relative and ask him or her if he or she knows the right answer to the question.