By Georgina Littlejohn
Last updated at 2:04 PM on 12th January 2011
It's created five millionaires, seen celebrities make fools of themselves over the simplest of questions and spawned a number of computer games.
But after 13 years on the air, there will be no more fastest finger first for ITV after speculation today that Who Wants To Be A Millionaire faces being axed.
Reports today claim that the quiz show, hosted by Chris Tarrant, will no longer be aired starring contestants from the general public after plummeting ratings in recent years.
No one watching: ITV are scrapping Who Wants To Be A Millionaire after 13 years on air due to low ratings
However, the celebrity specials will still be broadcasted after the live show on Christmas Eve attracted 6.5million fans, which was the show's biggest audience since 2006.
But the regular show only drew in three million, which prompted ITV to axe it.
Speaking to the Mirror, an ITV source said: 'We are looking to do fewer shows but make them higher profile. The appetite at the moment is for big specials while the audience has drifted away from the run-of-the-mill installments featuring ordinary punters.
Charity: The celebrity specials of the show - which featured Sir Paul McCartney and his then wife Heather Mills in 2004 - will still be aired
'It’s still a popular brand but we need to make sure it remains fresh and relevant. There’s a realisation that having Millionaire on every week for eight weeks perhaps isn’t the way forward any more.'
Today a spokesman said: 'The first ever live edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire broadcast on ITV1 over Christmas attracted a very successful audience of 6.9 million. We are talking to the producers, Sony Pictures, about future episodes of the show and how it can continue to develop.'
The show launched in 1998 and became the UK's most successful TV format ever, which attracted 19million viewers in his heyday.
New dawn: Host Chris Tarrant launches the show back in 1998
It created five millionaires, the first being Judith Keppel in 2000 and Major Charles Ingram, who won the jackpot in 2001.
But his payout was suspended when he was accused of having his wife, Diana, and an accomplice, Tecwen Whittock, cough when he read out the correct answers and in 2003, the three of them were fined and given suspended jail sentences for deception.
The show's success also led to a number of computer games being created and spawned 80 versions around the world, including a US version hosted by TV veteran Regis Philbin.
Leading the way: Judith Keppel was the show's first contestant to win one million pounds in 2000
The Indian version of the show also became the subject of Danny Boyle's Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire.
In 2007, ITV bosses changed the format and reduced the number of questions to 12 rather than 15.
Last year bosses also got rid of Fastest Finger First and the use of a clock to limit the time contestants had to answer the questions.
Fraudulent: Major Charles Ingram also hit the jackpot in 2001...
... but two years later he and his wife Diana were convicted of trying to defraud the show
But the changes failed to entice new viewers to the show and also managed to annoy long term fans of the quiz.
The source added: 'The changes that were made last year haven’t necessarily worked.'
Fastest finger first: This opening part of the game was scrapped last year
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