Debacle on "Who wants to be a millionaire?" Günther Jauch: "No one has been more unfortunate to be eliminated"
The contestant makes it to the 125,000 euro question in the RTL show "Who wants to be a millionaire?" without any joker help. Then a football question throws him into misfortune and costs him the potential prize of three million euros.
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- It starts so well: contestant Marc Offenbacher gets to the 125,000 euro stage in the RTL show "Who wants to be a millionaire?" without much joker help.
- But then a football question of all things throws him into disaster and costs him the chance to win three million euros in the final show next Thursday.
- "You've made such a march, it was crazy," says presenter Günther Jauch. And he continued: "No one was more unlucky to be eliminated than you."
The third show of the "3 Million Euro Week" of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" begins with a shock, as contestant Marc Offenbacher experiences a dramatic crash. At first, everything looks like a big win: Highly motivated, he starts with 2,000 euros, which he had already won the day before.
His nervousness has subsided overnight and he still has three jokers at his disposal for the 16,000 euro question:
Who hibernates for around six months, halving their weight? Dormouse, water rat, hare or mole? Offenbacher remembers his childhood in the countryside and guesses the correct answer: dormouse.
Jauch: "Amazing! 64,000 euros and three jokers still alive"
For the €32,000 question about examples of a so-called deonym, he gambles again and picks "Post-it, Uhu and Labello", because the combination looks familiar to him. He exhales deeply with tension.
He listens spellbound to Günther Jauch's detailed explanation that these are words that originated from proper names or brand names. Then redemption: the answer is correct.
Jauch is impressed: "Amazing! 64,000 euros and three living jokers, we haven't had that for a long time."
For the next question, "Of the 80 or so major German cities, how many have names ending in -stadt?" he calls in the telephone joker.
He says "only two", which Offenbacher has actually ruled out. He trusts the joker and makes it through, breathing heavily.
Jauch: "No one is more unlucky to be eliminated than you"
He is also unable to answer the 125,000-euro question about the most common final result in previous men's World Cup finals from his own knowledge.
As an additional joker, only a gentleman in the audience stands up and says: "I've heard that, statistically speaking, most football matches end 2:1." He would rule out 4:2, which confirms Offenbacher's gut feeling: "I would also have ruled out 4:2." However, the joker admits that he is only 50 percent sure.
Even after the 50:50 joker, the presumed result remains. "Taking money with you is not an alternative for you?" asks Günther Jauch, before Offenbacher finally logs 2:1.
Unfortunately, because the correct result is 4:2 - and the candidate falls back to 500 euros. "That's tragic now," Jauch sympathizes.
"You had a crazy run. And at the last moment it went wrong." Jauch would also have predicted 2:1: "No one was more unlucky to be eliminated than you."
Candidate Sanjeev Rajapreyar asks for a beer
Candidate Sanjeev Rajapreyar prefers to take only three jokers after the drama of his predecessor. After the 2000-euro question, presenter Jauch states: "You're very thirsty." Rajapreyar says: "I just asked if I could ask for beer, but I probably wouldn't get any."
Jauch notices stricter rules in the studio: "People used to ask for schnapps here." Then Rajapreyar is actually served a beer. "That's the game changer," he says, taking a big sip. The hop hydration seems to stimulate his brain: He wins 32,00 euros and takes part in the final.
Candidate Mandy del Valle Vincente already has a blackout in the 500 euro question. She then passes on the 1000-euro question about the most populous town on the Müritz to the audience.
99 percent vote for Waren. Jauch looks for the one person who pressed the wrong button. First he accuses the wrong lady, who claims to have given the right answer.
As Jauch continues to walk through the rows, he asks the candidate: "Can you go around the corner to my screen?" The exact seat number is written there: "Read out where the perpetrator is sitting."
Three seats further on, in row 4, seat 7, sits the corresponding gentleman, who talks his way out of it: "It was by mistake." After a bumpy start, Jauch would never have thought that Mandy del Valle Vincente would reach the 16,000 euro stage shortly afterwards and secure her ticket to the final.
Comedian Korf: "The most exciting thing I've ever done"
The fun continues with comedian Sascha Korf, who writes for Chris Tall, among others: "He's been here before. I was the telephone joker, but I didn't get on." Oliver Pocher had to answer the question instead.
Korf is already sweating before the first question: "This is the most exciting thing I've ever done." After smoothly reaching the 1000 euros, the comedian talks about his many side jobs.
One of them: he was in the mascot Goleo at the 2006 World Cup, whereupon Günther Jauch has a piquant question: "Why didn't Goleo have any trousers?" Korf doesn't know: "You have to ask the designer who came up with it. I thought it was kind of funny too." He emphasizes: "I had one on."
For 16,000 euros, the telephone joker is due. He needs to know in which city the most famous landmark on the mountain called Corcovado is located. Clear answer: Rio de Janeiro.
Via the statue of Jesus, Günther Jauch comes up with the question: "If you are in the church in Cologne and are looking for a saint to help you find your lost wallet or keys, who should you pray to?"
Korf's idea: "Findus?" Jauch bursts out laughing: "St. Findus. Not bad, I like it!" Korf says: "You're having much more fun than I am." Jauch laughs even harder and has to collect himself: "Where were we?"
Korf jokes: "At 125,000." Jauch is almost in tears with laughter. Korf doesn't know the answer to the €32,000 question and stops: "I'll take the sign, plant myself there and be happy." Jauch grins: "As Goleo without pants and now 'ne Bangebüx'."
Rash answer not always correct
Candidate Melanie Pal answers the first questions before the choices appear. When she tries to answer the 200-euro question prematurely again - this time incorrectly - Jauch reprimands her:
"Would you kindly let me read it out in full then?"
The bumpy ride continues. The candidate does not know what is known as "La Furia Roja". The telephone joker saves her with the "Spanish national football team" to the 16,000 euro stage and thus into the final show.
