"It was something I had been praying for" — Million Dollar Secret winner Cara reveals how she landed the show

A casting contact from a decade-old game show appearance helped Cara Kies get a spot in Netflix's Million Dollar Secret, which she ended up winning. The 29-year-old In-N-Out line cook discussed these details in The Viall Files podcast on April 15, 2025. When asked about her path to Million Dollar Secret, Cara stated:

“Actually, I did a game show like 10 years ago, and I had this contact. And we—she just always, like, would message me. Like, I think the last time was like four years ago, asking if I was interested in a dating show. I was like, ‘Oh no, sorry, I’m married.’”

The Million Dollar Secret star continued:

“And then that was the last I heard from her until she just randomly texted me the info about this show. And she’s like, 'Hey, I have an opportunity. Would you be willing to do it?' And it was something I had been praying for…I’m like, 'Yeah, of course, I would do it.' Like, 'Let’s go.'"

Her victory on the show hosted by British comedian Peter Serafinowicz came after she became the secret millionaire in episode 7.

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Million Dollar Secret winner Cara got the show offer right after Big Brother audition

As a long-time fan of reality competition shows, Cara Kies entered the television world through a sequence of events. In her appearance on The Viall Files podcast, she revealed her journey began with a Big Brother audition tape.

One week later, she received the message. The timing aligned, as her first attempt to enter reality television through Big Brother led directly to her spot on Million Dollar Secret. She embraced the chance immediately, later discovering her natural talent for the game format.

In the finale, she convinced Corey to switch boxes by making him believe she held the million dollars. She then reclaimed her money through a calculated swap. This final move sealed her victory, confirming her status as winner of Million Dollar Secret's season 1.

During a pivotal laser grid challenge, she deliberately misguided her teammate Sydnee through the course, incurring multiple time penalties. The strategy worked, leading to Sydnee's elimination. In the final stretch, Kies won the needle-threading challenge, completing five needles in under two minutes and securing a crucial advantage for the endgame.

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After the win

After the show’s filming concluded, Kies returned to her regular job at In-N-Out Burger. According to her April 9, 2025 Netflix interview, none of her coworkers noticed her absence during the filming period, allowing her to maintain the secret of her participation and victory.

In her first interview following the win's public revelation, Kies spoke about her plans to support her family financially. She described a history of financial setbacks that had impacted her family over the years.

Her father, who faced illness during her childhood years, received congratulatory messages from coworkers who had never watched Netflix before the show aired.

In the months following her win, Kies continued her regular shifts at In-N-Out. She treated each workday as normal while concealing her life-changing victory from May 2024 until March 2025. During this period, she relied on her intuition to handle probing questions.

The Million Dollar Secret's filming location at The Stag in Canada provided distance from her California life, making it easier to maintain her cover story. Through nearly a year of waiting, Kies kept the results confidential, even from close family members.

She maintained her typical routine, including her annual Halloween celebrations with husband Andreas, where they continued their tradition of creating elaborate couple costumes.

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To know more about the Million Dollar Secret winner, fans can follow her on Instagram - @caralidia.