Detroit Firefighter Could Win $1M Next Week on '99 to beat' TV Show

Capt. Ronald Mitchell says the pressure of being on the Detroit Fire Department has helped him win each week on the FOX television show.
Dec. 5, 2025
2 min read

Edward Pevos
mlive.com
(TNS)

He has had to overcome one high-pressure situation after another in a series of games against 99 other opponents. And he’s now just five contestants away from becoming a millionaire.

Engine 30 Detroit Fire Captain, Ronald Mitchell, has reached the finale on the FOX game show, “99 to beat."

The game started with 99 contestants each playing a series of games with the goal of not finishing last. So far, Mitchell has survived every wacky game thrown his way.

“I would say being a fireman has helped me with handling the pressure and making good decisions while under all that pressure,” Mitchell told MLive. “When you work a high pressure job, it just helps you think through problems at a point where you learn to focus on the situation and block out what’s going on around you.”

Fellow Engine 30 firefighter, Donnell Clayton, was also a contestant on the show, and was eliminated at 71.

“This has been a once in a lifetime experience. First off, to travel the world with a good friend was great. We both felt like we won just from being on the game show.”

The finale airs on FOX on Wednesday, December 10 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

“99 to Beat” debuted on September 24 and is co-hosted by sportscaster Erin Andrews and actor/comedian, Ken Jeong, who was born in Detroit.

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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