Quiz shows have long captured our imaginations with the possibility of winning huge sums of money – from million-pound prizes to historic jackpots – simply by answering questions correctly.
For some of them that is the case, but it’s not always that simple. Some quiz shows rely on strategy while others are just pure luck, meaning the size of the prize pot can vary from one show to the next, either in the UK or across the pond in the US.
A few quiz shows have become well-known not just for being popular with audiences, but also because of the large amounts of money contestants can win.
Let’s explore some of the highest-paying quiz shows on TV in the UK and US – the ones where you could potentially win the biggest prizes.
10. Pointless
What are the highest winnings? £24,750
On the game show Pointless, players can win money by making it to the final round and giving a correct answer that almost no one guessed in a public survey.
The biggest Pointless win was in 2013 by David and Jonathan Hammond Williams, who won £24,750.
9. The Wheel
What are the highest winnings? £116,000
Players compete by answering questions about topics they know well, and celebrities provide assistance as they try to win money. A large spinning wheel determines who gets a chance to play and how much they can potentially win.
In November 2022, Jonathan from Surrey made history on the show by winning its biggest prize ever. He initially didn’t succeed on the show, but returned and ultimately won £116,000.
8. The Chase
What are the highest winnings? £160,000
For those who take on The Chase, they can earn money by answering quick fire questions correctly in the cash builder round, then banking that money if they can beat the Chaser in the final chase.
While appearing on a Soccer Aid special in 2018, Kirsty Gallacher and Rachel Riley unknowingly made The Chase history while making it to the final chase against The Dark Destroyer (Shaun Wallace).
They won £160,000, a prize that has not yet been beaten.
7. The 1% Club
What are the highest winnings? £194,000
Players win money by correctly answering increasingly difficult logic puzzles. As the questions get harder, the prize money grows, and the number of players decreases. The ultimate jackpot is awarded to whoever can solve a question that only the top 1% of the population can answer.
In December 2025, a 1% Club contestant made history after winning a whopping £194,000.
Lee Mack announced the seemingly simple question on the show: “Heidi Abbi Bedhead recently received a new bank card. The image shows the first twelve digits of the card number – what are the last four?”
The solution was 8514 because each number on the card represented a letter, ultimately spelling out Heidi’s complete name.
6. Deal or No Deal
What are the highest winnings? £250,000
On Deal or No Deal, players try to win money by keeping one sealed box and opening others to eliminate possibilities. After each round, a banker makes a cash offer, which changes based on what’s left in the unopened boxes. Players win by either accepting the banker’s best offer or risking it all on the contents of their own box, hoping it holds a larger prize.
As a big fan of game shows, I always found Deal or No Deal fascinating. Did you know the biggest prize you could win on the UK version was £250,000? It’s been won a total of nine times! The first winner was Laura Pearce way back in 2007, and most recently, Vikki Heenan took home the top prize in 2016. It’s amazing to think about the lucky few who’ve walked away with that much money!
5. The Price is Right
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What are the highest winnings? $262,743
On The Price is Right, players try to win cash and prizes by guessing the actual retail price of items – getting as close as possible without going over. If they succeed, they move on to play pricing games on stage. They can win even more money and bigger prizes by spinning the big wheel and in the final showcase rounds.
After five decades on air, retired Army veteran Vanesa McCaskell set a new daytime record after winning the largest single pricing game prize in the show’s history.
She took home over $240,150 in cash and prizes during a special Mother’s Day episode.
4. Wheel of Fortune
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What are the highest winnings? $1 million
On Wheel of Fortune, which is currently hosted by Ryan Seacrest in the US, contestants can earn money by solving word puzzles, similar to that of hangman. They can also win bonus money in toss-up rounds and the final bonus round.
In September 2025, Wheel of Fortune US saw its largest win in the show’s history when contestant Christina Derevjanik won a cash prize of $1,035,155.
Derevjanik was the fourth winner of the million-dollar prize, and the first since Ryan Seacrest started hosting the show.
The first person to win a million dollars on the show was Michelle Loewenstein in 2008. Autumn Erhard won in 2013, and Sarah Manchester took home the prize the next year.
3. Limitless Win
What are the highest winnings? £1 million
Ant & Dec host Limitless Win, a game show where players answer number-based questions to win cash. Correct answers add money to the prize fund, and the more questions answered correctly in a row, the higher the potential payout.
Limitless Win is a recent game show, and in 2024, Charlie and Helen, two National Health Service workers, made history by winning the show’s largest prize ever: £1 million.
The husband and wife first met on a blind date after Charlie’s mother suggested they meet up. To win the jackpot, Helen and Charlie had to answer a question about two rival Britpop bands.
The prize money hit £1 million after a pair correctly answered a question about the Britpop rivalry between Blur and Oasis. The question was: “How many years has it been since Blur’s ‘Country House’ topped the UK charts, beating Oasis?” They won £100,000 for the correct answer.
2. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
What are the highest winnings? £1 million
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire contestants earn money by answering multiple choice questions in order. For each correct answer they give, they move up the cash ladder.
Seven people have won the top prize of £1 million on the British version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Judith Keppel was the first ever winner in 2000 and remains the only woman to win the jackpot. The most recent jackpot win was in April 2026, when Roman Dubowski, a retired IT analyst who quizzes as a hobby won the game show.
David Edwards (2001), Robert Brydges (2001), Pat Gibson (2004), Ingram Wilcox (2006), and Donald Fear (2020) were also winners.
1. Jeopardy!
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What are the highest winnings? $4.93 million
As a huge Jeopardy! fan, I’ve always been fascinated by how contestants rack up points. Basically, they get clues, buzz in with the right questions, and earn money. But the real strategy comes in with Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy, where they can bet big to really boost their score. The more they get right early on, the more they can afford to wager, and the higher their potential winnings!
Over in the US, Jeopardy! has created six millionaires, one of whom is the biggest ever winner – so much so he is now the permanent host.
Ken Jennings is famous for his incredible success on the game show, winning an amazing 74 games in a row. He earned $2.5 million during a single season and has won a total of $4.3 million when including tournament winnings.
By April 2026, the game show had made six people millionaires: Jennings, along with Brad Rutter ($4.9 million), James Holzhauer ($3.6 million), Matt Amodio ($1.8 million), Amy Schneider ($1.6 million), and Yogesh Raut ($1 million).
Authors
Katelyn Mensah writes about entertainment for TopMob, covering everything from popular TV shows and reality competitions to important documentaries. Before joining TopMob, she worked at The Tab, where she focused on reality TV and celebrity news. She has a journalism degree.
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2026-06-11 09:39