Sponsorship crisis, not sack, ended ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ — Frank Edoho

Veteran broadcaster Frank Edoho has dismissed claims that he was sacked as host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, revealing that the programme was halted after its longtime sponsor pulled out following a hefty Federal Government sanction.

Speaking during an episode of The KK Show published on Sunday, Edoho said reports that he was removed from the quiz show were inaccurate, explaining that the end of the sponsorship arrangement forced the programme off air.

The television personality recalled beginning his career at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, where he worked for four years before moving to television.

According to him, television offered him the level of public recognition that radio could not.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding the show’s interruption, Edoho said the sponsor, which had financed the programme for about a decade, withdrew after being penalised by the Federal Government over a corporate matter.

He noted that the financial implications of the sanction made it impossible for the company to continue funding the programme.

“When they had to settle the huge financial obligation, they informed us they could no longer sustain the sponsorship,” he said.

Edoho disclosed that when discussions began with prospective sponsors interested in reviving the show, he sought a larger role by negotiating to become an executive producer and acquire a stake in the franchise.

He said he believed his 13-year association with the programme had made him an integral part of its success.

However, negotiations failed after both parties could not reach an agreement, paving the way for speculation when the show returned without him.

According to Edoho, a newspaper subsequently reported that he had been dropped as host, a claim he insisted was false.

He described the reports as unfair, saying he felt let down after years of commitment to building the programme’s popularity.

Edoho anchored Who Wants To Be A Millionaire from 2004 until 2017, when the show went on a five-year break following the exit of its sponsor, MTN Nigeria.

He later returned as host in 2022 when the game show was revived under a new sponsorship arrangement with an enhanced prize structure.