Your chance to be a millionaire is back

MANILA, Philippines - Since Who Wants To Be a Millionaire returned to Philippine television in 2009 via TV5, the show has completed nine successful seasons with host Vic Sotto.

The first local franchise of the game show was hosted by Christopher de Leon and was aired on IBC 13 from 2000 to 2002.

The TV5 show has captured many memorable and unforgettable moments, both with celebrity players and ordinary contestants. Sharon Cuneta was the biggest celebrity winner to date, taking home a whopping P2M in January 2010.

Sharon chose Hospicio de San Jose, a shelter for orphans, abandoned, special children and the elderly, as her beneficiary. In September 2011, the P2M prize

money was also won by contestant Karl Jonathan Aguilar.

Other celebrities who got a chance to play in Who Wants To Be a Millionaire included Joey de Leon, Alice Dixson, Dina Bonnevie, Ryan Agoncillo, Anjo Yllana,

Richard Gomez, G Tongi, Aiza Seguerra, Coney Reyes, Wilma Doesnt, Tetchie Agbayani, Ruffa Gutierrez, Lucy Torres-Gomez, Arnell Ignacio, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Paolo Bediones and Amy Perez.

When the show took a break after its season ended last year, Vic hosted another game show, The Million Peso Money Drop, which challenged players’ wit, chance and luck.

This year, the new season of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire is back definitely with a bigger and better show on TV5. Now on its 10th season, the game show is again hosted by Vic and airs every Sunday night.

The contestant must answer a total of 15 general knowledge questions in multiple choices. Along the way, he can use lifelines like 50-50 (where two incorrect answers are removed from the choices), Phone a Friend, People Speak and Switch (where a contestant can opt to skip the question and go to the next one) to help him.

With the first Millionaire show hosted by Christopher, the prize money was P1M. When the show was acquired by TV5 in 2009, the jackpot prize was increased to P2M.

This season, a new lifeline and new twist will be introduced in the format of the game show that will challenge the contestant’s ability in choosing a lifeline.

Double Dip allows a contestant to give two answers to one question. If he gives a wrong answer, he can give another answer, hopefully the correct one, for the same question.

Here’s the twist. As soon as the contestant takes the hot seat, he will be made to choose from two formats — Classic Money Tree gives a safe haven and three lifelines while High-Risk Money Tree has one safe haven and four lifelines.

Who Wants To Be a Millionaire is part of the new line-up of entertainment shows that will be seen on TV5 starting this month. The list includes Showbiz Police with Cristy Fermin, Joey Reyes, Lucy Torres-Gomez and Raymond Gutierrez; Wow Mali Pa Rin hosted by Joey de Leon; Pinoy Explorer with Aga Muhlach; Tropa Mo Ko Unli with Ogie Alcasid, Gelli de Belen, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Eula Caballero, Ritz Azul, Edgar Allan Guzman, Empoy, Alwyn Uytingco and top scholars

from Artista Academy; The Mega and the Songwriter, which teams up Sharon Cuneta and Ogie Alcasid; What’s Up Doods with Edu Manzano; and the Philippine version of Killer Karaoke (which will follow one season airing of the US game show).