Ocala resident going on millionaire show

Fairfield Village resident Priscilla Geissal has been carrying around a secret for months now.

Priscilla Geissal

Soon the information she knows and can’t share – as per her contract – will be known to all those watching, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” on Tuesday, Jan. 25 on ABC.

Well she can’t say if she is a millionaire or not she does say the show’s host, Meredith Vieira, is the “sweetest thing. She is just like anyone you meet in Ocala.”

If the show does actually air that evening – at press time she knew nothing of the contrary – Geissal knows her and husband’s Phil, 53 children and grandchildren will watch the show.

To make it to this stage, Geissal passed three tests.

First it was a written test where she had to answer 30 multiple choice questions in 20 minutes.

The former school teacher, and now a columnist for the West Marion Messenger, admits to feeling a bit of a panic when she first saw the test.

“I never would give my students multiple choice tests. When they would ask about them, I would ask them ‘when in life are you going to get a multiple choice?’” she said.

Despite her panic, she passed the test and then when through a personal interview before finally auditioning for the show.

Years ago Geissal often would watch the game show with her parents. Realizing her daughter knew the answers to so many questions, her mother often encourage Geissal to try out for the show.

It wasn’t until her Mother passed away that Geissal was hit with the desire to try out for the show. In honor of her mother she wore earring and a ring that once belonged to her mother for the taping of the show.

For Geissal it wasn’t about winning the money that was on her mind.

“It was something I wanted to do,” she said.

And she’s very glad she did.

“It was one of the biggest thrills to have the chance to do something I always wanted to do but never thought I would have the change to do it,” she said.

Now that’s has accomplished that dream she is hoping her debut happens Tuesday evening.

“I hope I am not preempted by a speech from Barrack Obama or something,” she jokes.