Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? New Zealand

Did You Know?

• Kristin Castle walked away with NZ$250,000, the highest amount ever given to a single person on New Zealand television.
• The first contestant, Courtney Washington, walked away with nothing after incorrectly answering a question about BMW supplying New Zealand's new fleet of ministerial limousines.

Rules

Contestants were selected through a qualifying test, not the traditional Fastest Finger First method. They sat in the Hot Seat and answered increasingly difficult multiple-choice questions, sometimes using lifelines. The traditional 15-question money tree was used with no time limit. Guaranteed safe levels were in bold. A contestant's run ended when they answered incorrectly, walked away, or answered all 15 questions correctly to win $1 million.

Lifelines

Contestants could use one or more lifelines when unsure of an answer. After using a lifeline, they could answer, use another lifeline, or walk away (except with the Switch lifeline). 50/50 removed two incorrect answers, leaving one correct and one incorrect. Phone a Friend allowed a thirty-second call to one of three prearranged friends, who had to select an answer before time expired. Ask the Audience polled the studio audience via an audience response system, with results shown on screens; this lifeline was known for near-perfect accuracy. Switch the Question became available only after correctly answering the $32,000 question. It let the contestant replace the current question with another of the same value, but they could not return to the original question, and any lifelines used before the switch were not reinstated.