Gabe Okoye and Brittany Mayti have been invited back to Fox’s newest game show Million Dollar Money Drop after they lost $800,000 — despite giving the correct answer.
On Monday’s premiere episode, Okoye persuaded his girlfriend to wager $800,000 of their banked $880,000 on the question of whether Post-it Notes or the Sony Walkman was sold in stores first. He maintained that it was Post-it Notes which was deemed incorrect.
The couple watched helplessly as their mound of money dropped into the stage.
On the next question, the couple ended up losing their remaining $80,000 and were eliminated from the show.
On Thursday, after initially defending their Walkman answer, the network admitted they had “incomplete information” about Post-it Notes and invited the two back on the show, but declined to return the $800,000.
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Before Fox’s eventual admission, the show’s executive producer Jeff Apploff said in a statement that the show’s researchers had spoken “directly” to Post-it Notes maker 3M who “confirmed that although they had given out free samples in test markets in 1977 and 1978, it wasn’t until 1980 that Post-its were sold in stores.”
The next day, he released another statement saying they had learned that “the product was originally tested for sale in four cities under the name ‘Press ’N Peel’ in 1977, sold as ‘Post-its’ in 1979 when the rollout introduction began and sold nationwide in 1980.” He added the fact was brought to their attention by viewers.
“As a result of new information we have received from 3M, we feel it is only fair to give our contestants, Gabe and Brittany, another shot to play Million Dollar Money Drop’ even though this question was not the deciding question in their game,” his statement read. “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the viewers who brought this to our attention, and we’re thrilled to give Gabe and Brittany the opportunity to return to play the game.”
Okoye told the NY Times that the couple have no ill-will towards Fox but are unsure of whether or not they will return. “To go through that again — maybe to lose again — that’s a lot of stress,” he said.
