Phone a Friend was one of the three original lifelines on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, first broadcast in the UK in 1998 and in the US in 1999. Contestants could call a nominated friend for 30 seconds of help on a tough question. The phrase entered everyday language far beyond the show and later became a staple meme sound for edits about being stuck, needing backup, or dramatically asking for help in games, classrooms and group chats.