Only too happy to answer lots and lots of questions. After all, that’s what got me here!
If you won those game shows back in 2005 and 2006, why have you taken so long to start this site?
I didn’t think of it until years later! After the wins, a lot of people asked me about the experience, the journey and (of course) the prizes. They’d also ask if I had any tips or techniques that helped me, and that could possibly help them if they ever went on a game show. I do.
And since so many of my friends and acquaintances were asking, I thought there’d be a lot of people in the wider world who’d be curious, too. And it’s only now that I’ve educated myself about how to construct a blog, that I’ve been able to share the information like this.
What’s it like, having half a million dollars of gold bullion?
Actually, I don’t know. The show gave me the option of taking the cash instead, I didn’t know anything about gold at the time, the actual gold was stored in Perth (on the other side of the country) , and I thought the cash would be handier, so I took it. At the time (August 2005), gold was trading at $575.23 per ounce, so $500 000 worth of gold would have been just under 27 kilograms (just under 60 lbs). Or 27 of these.
And while that would have been incredibly cool, you can’t buy a house with them…
How much tax did you have to pay on your winnings?
None! Under Australian law, cash prizes from competitions are not taxable.
What did you do with the money?
I put it towards buying a house; the house that I live in now. Houses are expensive!
Looking at various posts around the site, what’s with the blue and red text?
Haven’t you worked it out by now? The parts in blue bold text are game show tips or hints: little nuggets of advice that may help you in your quest for game show success. And if the words in blue bold text are the “Do“s, then the bits in red bold text are the “Don’t“s; the red bold text highlights What Not To Do. Got it? Good.
Did you know gold is currently trading at about 3 times that? Oh Hally!
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Is it correct that you only receive your winnings If that show goes to air and that you wait months for the money?
Hello Marcia,
Yes, as a general rule, I think pretty much every game show contestant contract stipulates that you don’t receive any cash or prizes you win on the show until the episode is broadcast.
As for the second part of your question, I’m not so sure about that… in my case, it was much sooner than that – just a couple of weeks.
I hope that answers your questions, and thank you for asking them!
Cheers,
Stephen