“I’m such a gamer”: Million Dollar Secret winner Cara reveals how she used strategy and intuition to win the show

Million Dollar Secret concluded its first season with the finale airing on April 9, 2025, on Netflix. The reality competition featured 12 contestants living together at The Stag, a private estate, where one of them secretly held a million dollars. The objective was to avoid elimination while keeping the identity of the secret millionaire hidden.

Cara was revealed as the winner in the final episode. Following the episode, she spoke with Netflix Tudum about her experience on the show.

“I'm such a gamer. I grew up watching The Challenge, Big Brother, and Survivor, so I always dreamed about being on a show like this. I’ve studied these shows and always wondered, ‘What would I do if I was there?’” she shared.

The interview also covered her decisions during key moments of the show, including her final choice to swap boxes with Corey. She also shared details about her time at the filming location, her routine during the game, and what it was like returning home and keeping the outcome a secret.

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Million Dollar Secret winner Cara reveals her gameplay in the competition

Cara explained that her main focus throughout Million Dollar Secret was mental gameplay. She built relationships with almost every contestant, aiming to be seen as someone genuine. Cara shared that she tried to make others care for her the way she cared for them.

“I aligned with almost every single person in the house,” she added.

She didn’t want to stand out as a gamer, even when the game’s format reminded her of the group game 'Werewolf.'

“You can’t say you’re a gamer, because that’s the first person that’s going home,” she recalled.

Cara admitted that while she stayed quiet about being strategic, she stayed observant, lying low when needed but staying active in conversations. Cara shared that one of her biggest strengths was instinct. She said that since she was a little girl, she had that "intuition."

Her goal was to stay mentally strong throughout the competition. Even during the box swap moment at the end, when tension was at its peak, she went with her gut and trusted that her final choice would be right. That decision turned out to be the winning one.

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Life after filming and keeping the Million Dollar Secret

After her win in Million Dollar Secret, Cara returned to work at In-N-Out, where no one knew she had even been away filming.

“When the show came out, [my co-workers] were like, 'When did you go?'” she said.

She kept the win a secret, avoiding spoilers even when people directly asked if she had won. Describing her experience on the show, she said her day started early with prayers and moments of peace before the game pressure began.

“I would get ready and have a calm start to my day, because I knew the chaos was following shortly after,” she explained.

Cara revealed she didn’t push herself in the physical challenges. She explained that while others like Sydnee and Corey focused on the physical challenges, she chose not to compete in that area. Instead, she concentrated on understanding the other players and staying focused on the mental aspects of the game.

After filming wrapped, she said she “slept for three days straight” due to the mental exhaustion of constantly being alert.

Her final moment in the show — opening the box and seeing the money — was something she had visualised that morning. “This is it. It is happening,” she remembered thinking. Cara shared that she called her husband after winning the show and added that they both "started crying," after hearing each other's voices.

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Watch Million Dollar Secret episodes currently streaming on Netflix.