Originally Posted by
Cupart
OT: Sorry about getting off topic, but I must know: Where you contacted on before hand?
We have been talking about the "call a friend" and surely it could be very much hit or miss if they called during the day time when most-likely no one is home.
"Erh, Sorry Mr Contestant there is no one home, you lost your chance"
Sure, I'll let you know how it works, or at least how it worked in my case.
The show is not live as I'm sure many people think, it was recorded about ten days earlier during daytime. Naturally I had been told what day and roughly at what time.
When my friend qualified for the hot chair a studio man called and told me my friend was in the hot chair and that they would start shooting in five minutes.
That was a smart thing as I moved into a conference room (for some privacy, I was in the office) and did my best to make sure the line was not busy.
If the line is busy they apparently make a second try 5-10 mins later, after that you have to call someone else.
The rest is as real as it looks, except that the presenter asked me what I was doing, I truthfully said I was in the office to which he replied "this late?" That was a bit mean...
You even hear that annoying and stressful music when on the phone which certainly doesn't make things easier.
Also since the show is not live you really have no idea what question is asked before those 30 seconds start.