The first-ever winner of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in the USA delivered one of the most stylish answers in history when he used his one lifeline. John Carpenter went viral when he entered the entertainment show in November 1999, making it all the way to the final one million dollar question when he decided to phone a friend. During the episode, the late Regis Philbin was the host, and John had not used his famous three lifeline options, which alone was already a fantastic achievement.
Carpenter, an IRS tax agent, then broke the trend by choosing the popular Phone A Friend option. He opted to telephone his father after he was asked to name which American president appeared on the sketch comedy TV series Laugh-In.
John was presented with four options: Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter. He then used a lifeline, much to everyone’s surprise, but it turned out to be a massive twist.
Carpenter had actually known the answer all along and decided to trick the audience and the host. Speaking to his dad on the speakerphone, he chuckled, “I don’t really need your help. I just wanted to let you know that I’m gonna win the million dollars.”
The live audience was left shocked and started laughing, with everyone applauding. Carpenter obviously chose the correct answer (Richard Nixon) and ultimately won the million-dollar prize.
The US version of the show aired from 1999 until 2019 before it was cancelled. ABC renewed the popular quiz a year later, with Jimmy Kimmel landing the role of host and inviting celebrity contestants onto the show.
The classic UK version is still running and hosted by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. Over the years, six contestants have bagged the £1 million prize, with the first winner, Judith Keppel, scooping the money in 2000.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire airs on ITV and ITVX.
