Being on ITV's "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?"

Tonight on ITV1, STV and UTV, Chris Tarrant returns with a Christmas edition of long running quiz show "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?". Already in its 15th year, the show has broken records all over the world, has become a international institution, has even featured as part of a running theme of a smash hit film and, to this day, continues to pull in millions of viewers all over the United Kingdom.

Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

I've grown up with the quiz. I was barely 10 years old when the show first aired on ITV in September 1998. Nobody predicted then that the show would go on to become a hit in the United States, Australia, India, China, Japan, all over Europe and in the Middle East and North Africa. I've auditioned for the show twice and been in the studio audience at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, no less than four times!

Watching the show on television and shouting out all the answers in front of your television screen is one thing. But being there and watching the contestants play for real money, live, is quite another. And I've loved it so much hence the reason I just keep going back and back for more. In this article, I take you on a tour of what a typical recording of the ITV quiz show is like.

The evening begins queuing to get into the studio at around 5pm. Although the show recording doesn't normally take place until later on in the evening, you do need to get there early in order to increase the likelihood of you getting a decent seat in the studio audience so that your gorgeous face can show up on television. Now I've been to the show at different points during the year so especially if you are going to a recording during the colder months, you do have to make a sacrifice in waiting in the cold if you want to get a decent seat.

Once you are permitted to enter the studio premises then its a quick case of nipping to the loo before your mobile phone is taken off you. This is to ensure that no foul play ever does take place on the set and the production team at Elstree Studios and Victory Television (who produce Millionaire) are extremely strict on this especially. The last thing they, or anybody want, is for a contestant's winnings to be invalidated simply because the rules are not fully enforced.

Then the exciting bit comes - entering the studio. Situated at Studio 9, you enter through the door and then go up a set of artificially built steps before the set appears in front of your very eyes. The first thing you will inevitably notice is that the set looks much smaller than it does on the television programme. That's because the technical crew find very unique ways to make the set look bigger on the television.

Then a team of very lovely people who look after the studio audience will then guide you to a suitable place in the studio audience. Three out of the four shows I attended, I sat in either of the two front rows behind host Chris Tarrant. But don't be upset if you don't get into the front rows because there is still every chance of you appearing on the show through 'Ask The Audience' and through other studio shots during the programme.

And then the main star of the show enters the arena - Ray Turner. Well he's not the main host, but he plays a major role during the evening. He is the warm up man. He does a lot of warm up roles for other ITV shows such as The Cube. But he's been at the helm alongside his best mate Chris since the 4th September 1998 and still does the warm up duties to this very day (and I assume he will be there tonight in Elstree!).

Ray has an eclectic and wild mix of jokes, one liners and generally likes to play around, much to the amusement of the studio audience. He even conducts the pre-show warm up where he gets the audience to cheer, clap and awww. During this time, the crew prepare the glasses of water and the team behind the scenes in the technical area prepare the electronic screens, questions and all the other technical areas for Chris and the contestants.

And then, the big moment. The arrival of Chris Tarrant. He gets his own music cue and applause from the audience when he enters the set. Now at this point I have an anecdote to share.

In the second recording which I attended, which was a live soap star special, I happen to have sat in the hot seat because Ray needed a member of the audience to volunteer and play for a virtual million. As I was about to be asked my question, Chris was then introduced and looked rather bemused at the sight of me, much to the hilarity of the audience. Then something else caught his eye - my hair. He couldn't believe how much gel I put on my head and even queried whether it was even gel! At least I could say that I've been on the receiving end of Tarrant's wit. He was on top form. And I was even greeted by EastEnders star Joe Swash and provoked the attention of Coronation Street stars Kym Marsh and Jamie Lomas, because of my controversial hair. Never has hair gel allured much attention.

In my first recording, which was a normal programme for civilian contestants, the host simply made his first entrance during the start of the recording where he makes his way to his chair before the lights dim down and the music stops. However for the rest of the recordings, which were celebrity specials, Mr Tarrant made his entrance before the recording commenced. And also, the celebrity contestants were introduced to the audience before the show began and a trailer was recorded to fit in with the introduction titles. And then, it was show time.

In the quiz, there are three lifelines - '50:50', 'Phone a Friend' and 'Ask The Audience'. A fourth lifeline was introduced on a permanent basis in 2010 called 'Switch' for use after the £50,000 level where if a contestant did not like the look of a question then they could 'switch' the question for a new one (but it could only be used once).

That's myself after my third recording (Dec 2011)

During 'Ask The Audience', our input counts for everything. We are supplied with an electronic voting keypad (and during recent recordings, four different pieces of paper with the letters A, B, C and D were also supplied to each audience member and were only needed, if the voting keypad technology failed. Believe it or not, on two occasions in the last six months, it has failed and a "Ready Steady Cook" style of voting was adopted). When the lifeline is in use then Chris asks us the question again and provides the four possible answers and then once he says we can vote then every audience member caste their vote. The results are then projected onto the screen for everyone to see. Most of the time, a majority of the audience go with the one answer. And on some occasions, one or two members of the audience vote one way (and are normally wrong). I've been one of those people at least once.

Once recording is complete then the show is over and then both Ray and Chris thank the contestants, the crew and us the audience for coming along for the evening. We then all get our mobile phones back and leave Elstree Studios reflecting on an amazing night of fun, banter and tricky questions.

Lost in TV normally provides the tickets for the show and for many other TV shows. The tickets are normally free of charge. Just turn up on the night with your ticket and have yourself a unique night of fun!