Boris Becker's triumph at Wimbledon still evokes intense feelings, more than three decades later. On Monday's edition of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," host Günther Jauch's enthusiasm was palpable, inadvertently aiding pensioner Georg Malkowsky. Despite this unintentional aid, Malkowsky was destined to be the evening's charming victor, having harbored a lifelong ambition to participate on the show.
Malkowsky returned to the studio the following week, ready to tackle the 2000-euro question and sail through with ease. Jauch speculated that the questions seemed overly simple. When it came time to face off for 64,000 euros, however, the stakes sharpened. Jauch posed a question about historic sporting events, introducing various options.
Jauch blunders
Malkowsky seized the opportunity to use an extra joker. Thankfully, a kind-hearted audience member stepped forward to assist. "Of course, I can't possibly answer this," Malkowsky humbly expressed. Jauch quipped back, "If this continues, we might just kick everyone out. Then we'll bring in our standby audience."
The pensioner then recalled Boris Becker's 1985 Wimbledon victory, eliminating the 'Briton won Wimbledon' option. Jauch delighted in the moment, before negating the 'Frenchman won the Tour de France' option as well. The gentleman tapped 'Berliner won the Berlin Marathon,' only to fall short. Malkowsky cheered him on, pocketing 500 euros from Jauch's personal stash.
Eliminated round
In the following round, Jauch demanded to know which year Halley's Comet had passed by Earth in the birth year and death year of a famous celebrity. Unfortunately, Malkowsky mixed up his years, declaring 1969 as the celebrity's demise. "Really?" Jauch feigned surprise. "Yes, since 1969..." Malkowsky stammered before correcting himself. "Yes, thank you," Jauch muttered, punctuated by cheers from the audience.
Malkowsky's ultimately triumphant night
Prior to participating on the show, Malkowsky had aspired to become a contestant since the inception of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." Having united fans and testers with his infectious enthusiasm, Malkowsky will forever be remembered as the lovable pensioner who turned the oddest of errors into victory.
The original televised account diverted slightly, with Günther Jauch correcting the contestant's incorrect response with remarkable humility. Though Malkowsky's true age went undisclosed during the broadcast, sources claim that he was born in 1944 and that the game show aired in 2006.
This amateur contestant, aged 62 at the time of the broadcast, naturally searched for the answer pertaining to Boris Becker. In a twist, Malkowsky attributed Mark Twain's passing to 1969 instead of 1910 when addressing Halley's Comet's year of passing. Jauch graciously attributed the mistake to the contestant's nerves. Although Malkowsky missed out on earning the million-euro grand prize, the journey was nonetheless as fulfilling as the objective.
