Media personality Frank Edoho has explained why the popular television quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire went off the air after 13 years.
Speaking on The KK Show, Edoho dismissed claims that he was removed as the show’s host, saying the reports were false.
According to him, the programme ended because its longtime sponsor withdrew after being fined by the Federal Government over a corporate issue.
He said the company had sponsored the show for about 10 years but decided it could no longer continue because of the huge financial penalty it had to pay.
“Our sponsor stayed with us for a decade. After the Federal Government fined them over a corporate matter, they told us they could no longer continue sponsoring the show,” Edoho said.
He added that he did not reveal the sponsor’s name or give details about the penalty.
When the quiz show later returned with a new sponsor, Edoho was not part of the relaunch. This led to reports that he had been sacked, but he insisted that was not true.
“I felt I was thrown under the bus after all the years I put into the show,” he said.
Edoho hosted Who Wants To Be A Millionaire from 2004 until he resigned in September 2017. Before joining the show, he worked at Radio Nigeria for four years.
He said television brought him much more public recognition than radio.
In 2022, Edoho returned as host when the programme resumed after a five year break with new sponsors and a higher cash prize, ending speculation that he had permanently left the show.
