On Sunday evening, RTL showed an Easter special from WWM – and it didn’t go completely smoothly. Jauch had to struggle with technical problems several times.
While Florian Silbereisen sailed across the world’s oceans in the “Dream Ship” on ZDF, Günther Jauch on RTL gradually brought several candidates onto his advisory board. For the Easter weekend, the station decided on a very special “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” edition.
In the quiz show’s Easter special, participants receive an Easter egg containing a surprise joker. For candidate Vera Hertler, however, there was not only another tool, but also a lot of mishaps.
In the 16,000 euro question she had to redeem her joker, even though she had the answer to the question – “Whose career on television began at exactly the same time as Ross Antony’s?” – actually knew. “It was Giovanni Zarrella with Ross Antony, they started their careers at Bro’Sis,” says Vera Hertler.
“The additional joker becomes a mercy joker”
Because she couldn’t avoid the joker in the 16,000 euro question, she wanted to give someone from the audience the chance to win 500 euros. “I would say: Above is the gentleman in the blue shirt who has stood up 35 million times and probably always knew it and looked quite sad…”
“It is the first time in the history of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ that the additional joker becomes a mercy joker,” stated Jauch. On the way into the audience, the viewer spoke up: “I got a microphone, but it doesn’t work.” It shouldn’t just be this one microphone breakdown.
“You did that on purpose”
When Jauch asked for the answer, the viewer first responded – without a period or a comma. “I would just briefly introduce myself, because I come from Tübingen near Filderstadt. So it fits quite well. I think that’s very, very cool, thank you very much. I would have given exactly the same answer. That was Bro’ Sis with Giovanni Zarrella. That was absolutely right, everything was said correctly. Wonderful. I can only confirm that.”
Even when he was asked what he wanted to do with the 500 euros he had won, he went into great detail. “If we don’t take the microphone away from the man, I’ll soon be out of my moderation job,” said Jauch. And it was at that moment that the next mishap happened. “Mr. Jauch, your microphone has failed,” the director said off camera. “You did that on purpose. The man is now moderating me here,” Jauch was heard saying.
The moderator was handed a handheld microphone and continued moderating. But after a few minutes the new microphone also failed. “They don’t want me here anymore,” joked the 67-year-old. A sound employee stepped in front of the camera and rewired Günther Jauch again. The show continued, but for Vera Hertler it ended shortly afterwards – with the 32,000 euro question.