- Secret Millionaire
Infobox Television
show_name = The Secret Millionaire
caption = The Secret Millionaire
format =Reality Television
runtime = approx. 48 minutes (per episode)
creator =RDF Media
country = UK
network =Channel 4
narrated by = John Lester
first_aired = 2006
last_aired =
num_seasons = 3 in UK; 1 in US;
num_episodes = 19 in UK; 6 in US
list_episodes =
imdb_id =
tv_com_id ="The Secret Millionaire" is a reality show in which millionaires agree to give away tens of thousand of pounds/dollars of their own money after spending time living in a community where no one knows that they are wealthy. It is produced by the independent production company
RDF Media and created by Stephen Lambert. It first aired in2006 on the UK'sChannel 4 . An American version has been ordered byFox .The British version was a hit, the most popular new primetime show on Channel 4 in 2006. A second season played in 2007. It won the prestigious Rose d'Or award in 2007 for best reality series. The first millionaire to appear in the series was 26 year-old
Ben Way . A third series of the show began on Channel 4 on 5 August 2008. The first episode of Series 3 featured businessmanJames Benamor .The US version is expected to launch during the 2008
Fall mid-season on Fox according to the network's upfront presentation in New York in May 2008. It will premiere on 3 December 2008 with a 2-hour network special at the 8pmprimetime slot.Like the British version, the Fox show will feature wealthy benefactors each week that will go undercover in the most deprived neighborhoods. For about ten days, the millionaires will mingle within community and live on a very low-cost budget for the very first time. At the end of the show, the millionaire will reveal his real identity to the community and give a minimum of $100,000 of his own money to at least one deserving person.
Fox has ordered six episodes of the hour long series. One of the millionaires on the show is
Internet tycoon Gurbaksh Chahal .Format
Each week a millionaire leaves their luxury life behind, takes on a secret identity and lives undercover in a deprived area of the UK for ten days. Living on a limited budget with no mod-cons they must forge their own way in the community – working and volunteering alongside the locals and finding individuals and projects who they think deserve a cut of their fortune. On their final day, the millionaires come clean and reveal their true identity to the people they have chosen, surprising them with overwhelming gifts of thousands of pounds to improve their lives.
Through this unique experience, extraordinary people and heart-wrenching situations inside deprived communities are revealed. As well as highlighting the positive financial and emotional impact of modern day philanthropy, the programme also draws attention to some of Britain's social problems in a touching and personal way. This third series tackles even grittier issues such as gang culture, gun crime, disability and homelessness in some the country's toughest areas and sees the biggest gift in the history of The Secret Millionaire.
The Secret Millionaires in UK Series
eries 1
The Secret Millionaires in Fox US Series
* Episode 1 -
* Episode 2 -
* Episode 3 -
* Episode 4 -
* Episode 5 -
* Episode 6 -External links
* [http://www.channel4.com/video/the-secret-millionaire/ Video clips] at
Channel 4
* [http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/tag/the-secret-millionaire/ The Secret Millionaire Blog] at Unreality TV
* [http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/new/secret_millionaire.htm "Secret Millionaire"] at Fox
* [http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/new/secret_millionaire_video.htm "Secret Millionaire" Trailer] at Fox (Viewable in the US only)
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