A former contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire didn't think she would ever receive her winnings.
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Stephanie Stradley shared her experience on the ABC show on social media, replying to Jeopardy contestant Patrick Nolan.
Why Didn't This Former Contestant Think She'd Get Paid?
Stradley, a lawyer who writes about the Texans for the Houston Chronicle, discussed her time on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire during a special "Ladies Night" episode in 2002.
"When I was on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I signed a contract that said if I revealed any of it before the shows aired, I would get nothing," she wrote. "I filmed in December, but they did not air the shows until May. They kept telling me different dates that didn't happen."
She added, "Why? Millionaires' ratings were down from over-saturation. I worried they may not ever pay me, and there was this new show they were airing instead, The Bachelor. I was so so mad at that show. Have never watched it because they delayed my money, and the concept grosses me out some."
Did This "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Contestant Get Paid?
It took some time, but Stradley's episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire did air. Her check came a day later.
"It just showed up one day after the second episode with no notice. Check was in an overnight envelope leaning against my front door," she wrote.
The lawyer was then asked if there was anything in the show's contract that seemed strange to her today.
"Not really," she said. "The money and confidentiality part was huge tho. Like I was super worried they'd never pay me because there was language that made that ambiguous. They weren't very good at telling us when the show would air, so that made watch party planning hard, ha."
During the period between taping and airing, Stradley's life changed significantly. She became pregnant, so she couldn't celebrate her $64,000 in winnings with champagne. There were some other benefits, obviously.
She said, "It changed my life in a lot of cool ways, beyond the money."
