Game Show Forum

Here's my own personal game show forum, where I spill my guts about what it's like to play game shows for real money on national television.

Even though it's been a while since my stint on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I still get asked a ton of questions about the whole game show experience. This is fine by me! I love to talk about game shows. Gee, can you tell?

For ease of browsing, I've divided the most common questions into several categories:

Game Show Prep: How do game show contestants know so many useless factoids? Are those folks naturally smart, or do they study their hearts out? Does the show give you any hints on what you'll be asked? My Q&A on studying for a game show.

Audition Day: How'd you secure a spot in the hot seat? What goes on behind the scenes at an audition? Was the test difficult? And what are the odds of passing it? A sneak-peek behind the scenes of a Millionaire audition.

Ugly Contestants: Is there such a thing as a homely contestant? According to friends and family, I looked much better on TV than I do in real life. This is true. But how is this possible? See my "before and after" transformation.

Meredith Vieira: Sure, she seems nice when you watch her on TV. But what's she like in person? Is she friendly? Cute? Does she have all the Millionaire answers beforehand? As the real star of Millionaire, she gets her own game show forum.

Travel Expenses: Who pays for airfare and hotel? The show? Or the contestant? How much did the whole experience cost? Get the scoop on Millionaire travel expenses.

Behind the Scenes in the Green Room: Is the Green Room really green? Do contestants get along? Does the Millionaire staff feed you? Clothe you? Water you? Learn about life in the Green Room.

Winnings by Gender: Why does it seem that all the big game show winners are men? Do you think this is true? And if so, why? Learn how the top game show winners stack up, gender-wise.

Show Me the Money: When and how did you get your money? How'd you spend it? Do you have any of that loot left? Learn more about those winnings.

Pot Luck: Is the hot seat really hot? And does the audience really care whether you win or lose? Talk about a game show forum! Some questions defy categorization, so I've lumped them together in a "pot luck" section.