Jimmy Kimmel is finally hosting “ Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ” the way it’s supposed to be done — in front of a studio audience. The landmark game show returns with an all-celeb edition for its 25th anniversary on Wednesday night, and although this is the third season he’s been in the chair that Regis Philbin made famous, this is the first time fans have finally been allowed back in the studio. “I really wanted to do it the proper way in front of people because you like to hear people laugh at your jokes,” Kimmel says.
“Also, the drama that goes along with a couple of hundred people watching the action happen is an important part of the show. I mean, doing the show in front of nobody is no fun.” But that’s what Kimmel had to do in March 2020 when he first came on to host the primetime series’ revival.
The first edition was shot without a studio audience but managed to still shoot just hours before the COVID-19 stay-at-home directives were issued. A second cycle followed in fall 2020 — when the pandemic was still in full swing, and Kimmel still hosted sans audience. Now it’s 2024, and studio audiences are back — allowing Kimmel to draft off an audience to bring more energy to the proceedings.
And this time, there’s another new twist: Celebrities have now been paired, with both in the hot seat. In the previous edition, contestants could bring their phone-a-friend to the studio, but they stood in the background, along the set wall — which Kimm.
