Actor Ben Affleck and “Jeopardy!” champion Amy Ding teamed up to win $1 million on the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” during the season premiere, which aired last week and continued this week.
The duo began their appearance by answering 13 consecutive questions correctly, building their winnings to $250,000 by the end of the first episode. Affleck, taking a lighthearted approach, joked about relying on Ding’s trivia expertise throughout the game. Ding noted that “Millionaire” presents a unique challenge compared to “Jeopardy!” because contestants’ knowledge gaps are openly visible to the audience, unlike the buzzer format of “Jeopardy!”.
Early questions on the show were relatively straightforward, including topics such as the recommended seven hours people should spend sleeping daily and identifying the event marked by the Times Square countdown clock. During a brief exchange, host Jimmy Kimmel asked Ding about his favorite Ben Affleck film, to which Ding responded “Good Will Hunting,” mentioning he had recently watched it in full for the first time.
The contest grew more competitive starting with the $32,000 question, which asked which McDonald’s sandwich is served with a half-slice of cheese. Affleck admitted his uncertainty despite frequent visits to McDonald’s, prompting the team to seek help from the audience lifeline, who correctly chose the Filet-O-Fish.
By the $125,000 question, which involved identifying the subject of the poem “The Mighty Task is Done,” the pair debated between options before selecting the Golden Gate Bridge. Their $250,000 success came when Affleck identified a Spanish festival, El Colacho, where men dressed as devils jump over babies—a fact he was familiar with due to his knowledge of Spanish traditions.
After the season premiere, viewers awaited the continuation of their run, which aired on the following Wednesday. The final two questions included the $1 million query: which pair among four turkey duos pardoned by U.S. presidents was fictitious—Peanut Butter and Jelly, Tater and Tot, Mac and Cheese, or Spaghetti and Meatball. With no clear answer, they exhausted their last two lifelines, including a phone-a-friend call and asking host Jimmy Kimmel. Although Kimmel was uncertain, he guessed “Spaghetti and Meatball,” referencing his own jokes about presidential turkey pardons.
The team accepted Kimmel’s suggestion and correctly identified the fake turkey duo, securing the $1 million prize. As confetti fell, Affleck and Ding celebrated their victory, receiving a giant check designated for the Eastern Congo Initiative charity.
Notably, the following celebrity teams struggled, with Jason Alexander and Wayne Knight, followed by Tig Notaro and Pete Holmes, both failing to progress past the $64,000 question. Their earlier exits underscored the difficulty even experienced contestants face on the show.