The much-anticipated reality series, Million Dollar Secret, premiered its inaugural three episodes on Netflix on March 26, 2025. The show features twelve contestants vying for a grand prize of one million dollars. Their objective is to either successfully maintain their deception as a millionaire or identify the genuine millionaire among them by season’s end.
Lauren was the first contestant assigned the role of millionaire. However, the pressure associated with the title quickly became overwhelming for her. After surviving elimination and completing her second secret agenda in episode 2, Lauren opted to relinquish her millionaire status, allowing it to be reassigned to another contestant at random.
Phil Becomes the Next Millionaire
In episode 3, the title of millionaire passed to Phil, but he expressed clear dissatisfaction with this turn of events. Phil had envisioned attaining the title closer to the season’s finale, believing that would be when it held the most value for him.
“Who did I do dirty in their afterlife for this to be given to me now? I wanted it at the end, the only time that it… that it really matters,”Phil lamented during a confessional.
Earlier in episode 2, after contestant Se Young was eliminated at dinner, host Peter Serafinowicz announced that the millionaire remained hidden among the participants. During the dining event, he revealed that the assigned millionaire had completed their secret mission, earning a unique reward.
“They will not be able to receive it again this time, but they are making a bet that they will get the money back later in the game. We have a new millionaire in our midst as of tomorrow morning,”Peter stated.
Upon returning from dinner, Lauren disclosed her identity and chose to step down from her role as millionaire, citing her discomfort with lying to her peers. This announcement sowed seeds of doubt among her fellow contestants, leading many to hesitate at the prospect of assuming the next millionaire position.
The following morning, as contestants convened for breakfast, the production team began to mix up their cash-filled boxes. Reactions were mixed; some contestants felt relieved to find their boxes empty, while others aspired to claim the millionaire title.
Ultimately, it was Phil who discovered the money hidden in his box. Nevertheless, he felt dismayed about his new role, reiterating his desire to have received the title at the season’s conclusion instead.
In a conversation with Peter about his feelings surrounding the unexpected windfall, Phil admitted that it was quite “nerve-racking”to be so close to the cash. While he acknowledged the allure of the money, he expressed a clear preference for having it on the last day of the competition.
Soon after, Peter presented Phil with his first secret agenda: If Phil could persuade three contestants to respond “no”to the question, “Do you believe me?”, he would nullify three votes at elimination. Failing to achieve this would result in him beginning the elimination dinner with one vote against him.
When asked about his game strategy, Phil emphasized the importance of selecting his interactions wisely to avoid arousing suspicion. He remarked,
“The skill set of me being a professor and a therapist is to observe, to listen. So I’m going to be looking out for the opportunity for me to attempt that agenda. For me not to appear suspicious, I need to continue to behave how I’ve been.”
The first three episodes of Million Dollar Secret are currently streaming on Netflix.