The Only Vietnamese Contestant in History to Sit in the ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ Hot Seat Twice

When recalling television programs woven into the memories of generations of Vietnamese viewers, Ai Là Triệu Phú (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) stands out prominently. Leveraging a globally acclaimed format, the show tests contestants with increasingly demanding trivia questions, where every answer dictates the final cash prize.

Few realize that one Vietnamese beauty queen sat in the show’s iconic hot seat twice across two different countries. That contestant is Nguyen Thao Huong, a Hanoi beauty who placed in the top 5 of Miss Vietnam 2004 and claimed the Miss Photogenic title at Miss ASEAN 2005.

Beauty queen Thao Huong remains the only Vietnamese individual to date to have sat in the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” hot seat twice. Photo: Facebook

Thao Huong made her first appearance on the Indonesian version in March 2005 while representing Vietnam at the Miss ASEAN pageant. Alongside seven contestants from across Southeast Asia, she tackled the English-language edition. Thao Huong ultimately bowed out on an astronomy question outside her area of expertise, taking home a prize of 4 million Indonesian rupiah (approximately 5.8 million VND at current exchange rates).

On January 31, 2006, Thao Huong returned to the hot seat on the Vietnamese edition during a special Lunar New Year broadcast. The beauty successfully answered 10 questions, securing a 10-million-VND prize.

The beauty queen on the Vietnamese edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? during an early-year broadcast. Photo: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Fandom

The ceremonial prize check she received at the time. Photo: Facebook

Internationally, contestants appearing across multiple local adaptations of the franchise have also made headlines. Paddy Spooner, a British financial advisor, contested Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the UK, Australia, and Ireland. According to The Tab, he netted £250,000 on the British edition, 250,000 AUD in Australia, and €1,000 in Ireland.

Regarding Thao Huong, she graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. Following her pageant tenure, Nguyen Thao Huong steered clear of the entertainment spotlight to forge her own professional path. She worked in commercial banking and served as communications director for a British conglomerate before transitioning into event planning and wedding curation. She is currently active in the fashion retail business.