Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Hot Seat

Hosted by Eddie McGuire, Millionaire Hot Seat has six contestants lining up nightly in the quest to win $1 million.

In order to win $1 million 15 questions must be answered correctly. Each contestant takes turns in the hot seat answering questions of varying difficulty. Contestants rotate when the competitor in the hot seat opts to pass on a question or answers incorrectly.

The money tree starts at $100 and increases with each question to the grand prize of $1 million. Contestants must work strategically as a team because every wrong answer reduces the prize pool and sees a contestant eliminated.

Each contestant has one lifeline called a “pass”. The “pass” is used when a contestant doesn’t know the answer to a question and opts to pass it on to the next contestant waiting their turn. The contestant who uses the “pass” goes to the back of the line and the next contestant must answer the question. You cannot “pass” on a passed question. If this question is answered correctly by the new contestant in the hot seat then they start their progression up the money tree. An incorrect answer causes the contestant to be eliminated, making the odds of winning the prize pool better for the remaining contestants. The prize pool is not reduced if the passed question is answered incorrectly.

To keep hearts thumping, the questions have a time limit – the first five questions must be answered within 15 seconds, the next five within 30 seconds, and the next four within 45 seconds. The contestant in the hot seat for the final question of the game will be given appropriate time to answer. The game continues until one contestant remains and that person is the overall winner. (Source: nine)