István Vágó
Encyclopedia
István Vágó is a Hungarian television host for the Budapest
-based TV2
, best known as the host of "Legyen ön is Milliomos" the Hungarian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
.
. His original profession was a chemist, but he found a job working for Medimpex import-export company. Vágó speaks at least five languages.
When Vágó started his career he wanted to create a political show, but it was impossible to create one like he wanted (dealing with internal politics, analyzing decisions of the system) at the time so he ended up hosting quiz shows.
Vágó has been hosting various game shows, mostly quiz shows, since the '70s. He has become one of the more popular TV personalities of Hungary. He is usually known as "The Quiz Professor" by Hungarians. Vágó hosted Millionaire for several years; after a hiatus the show got back on the air in 2007, with Vágó hosting the redesigned show once again. The second run proved less successful with an eventual cancellation in 2008.
He was the host of MTV
for 22 years, then he changed for TV2
, then RTL Klub
. In 2009, he is the host of TV2
.
He vocally supports the Hungarian
left-wing, most notably former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány
and the liberal
SZDSZ party. He supports gay
rights and was present at "anti-Fascist" demonstrations. Vágó spawned controversy when he campaigned vocally for Ferenc Gyurcsány and health minister Ágnes Horváth, both being very unpopular in general public.
since his early teens, and is the bassist
of Hungarian band Favágók. He is a huge fan of The Beatles
and Paul McCartney
.
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
-based TV2
TV2 (Hungary)
TV2 is a Hungarian commercial television channel operating since 1997, providing a large variety of programming. It is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG...
, best known as the host of "Legyen ön is Milliomos" the Hungarian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
.
Life
Vágó was born and raised in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. His original profession was a chemist, but he found a job working for Medimpex import-export company. Vágó speaks at least five languages.
When Vágó started his career he wanted to create a political show, but it was impossible to create one like he wanted (dealing with internal politics, analyzing decisions of the system) at the time so he ended up hosting quiz shows.
Vágó has been hosting various game shows, mostly quiz shows, since the '70s. He has become one of the more popular TV personalities of Hungary. He is usually known as "The Quiz Professor" by Hungarians. Vágó hosted Millionaire for several years; after a hiatus the show got back on the air in 2007, with Vágó hosting the redesigned show once again. The second run proved less successful with an eventual cancellation in 2008.
He was the host of MTV
Magyar Televízió
Magyar Televízió is the Hungarian national public service television company, with three TV channels, called m1 , m2 and m3....
for 22 years, then he changed for TV2
TV2 (Hungary)
TV2 is a Hungarian commercial television channel operating since 1997, providing a large variety of programming. It is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG...
, then RTL Klub
RTL Klub
RTL Klub is a television station owned by RTL Group and broadcast in Hungary. It was one of Hungary's first commercial TV channels and was only two days after the main rival TV2 to begin broadcasting.-About RTL Klub:...
. In 2009, he is the host of TV2
TV2 (Hungary)
TV2 is a Hungarian commercial television channel operating since 1997, providing a large variety of programming. It is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG...
.
Politics and views
Vágó is an Atheist and Skeptic, and is the former president of the Hungarian Skeptics Society.He vocally supports the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
left-wing, most notably former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány
Ferenc Gyurcsány
Ferenc Gyurcsány is a Hungarian politician. He was the sixth Prime Minister of Hungary from 2004 to 2009.He was nominated to take that position on 25 August 2004 by the Hungarian Socialist Party , after Péter Medgyessy resigned due to a conflict with the Socialist Party's coalition partner...
and the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
SZDSZ party. He supports gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
rights and was present at "anti-Fascist" demonstrations. Vágó spawned controversy when he campaigned vocally for Ferenc Gyurcsány and health minister Ágnes Horváth, both being very unpopular in general public.
Hobbies
Vágó plays guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
since his early teens, and is the bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
of Hungarian band Favágók. He is a huge fan of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
.
Shows hosted by István Vágó
- Van benne valami
- Kerék Bár
- Az ország tesztje
- Mindent vagy semmit (Hungarian version of Jeopardy!Jeopardy!Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
, aired during the mid-1990s) - Legyen Ön is milliomos! (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
) - PókerArc (PokerFace; with Balázs Sebestyén, another Hungarian television host)
- Párbaj (DuelDuel (U.S. game show)Duel is an American game show hosted by Mike Greenberg that first aired from December 17 to December 23, 2007 on ABC. The show aired as a week-long six-episode tournament at 8:00 PM from Monday through Friday with the finale on Sunday....
)