Jayne Lloyd-Lewis, from Cardiff, appeared on Deal or No Deal in 2007, winning £20,000. At the time, the programme aired on Channel 4 and was presented by Noel Edmonds. The show originally ran from 2005 to 2016, before returning in 2023 on ITV with Stephen Mulhern as host.
Why Jayne thinks she was picked
Reflecting on her experience, Jayne revealed why she believes she was chosen to play on the day, telling Zingo Bingo: "We knew that they were going to play someone Welsh because it was Saint David's Day the day they recorded."
She added: "They had all the daffodils when we came in. I didn't expect them to play me. I had a bit of a meltdown because I didn’t have my family there in the studio."
A comforting word from Noel Edmonds
Jayne described how she became upset when she was selected without her family present. "I was absolutely crying my eyes out. Then, Noel Edmonds came backstage and he was just like he was like a dad. He was just so nice," she said.
She also explained what she thinks impressed show bosses: "I just think I'm good in front of the camera. I'm just so animated and I'm not afraid to talk. I'm not shy on camera. I think that's what they are after. It’s about being yourself and not trying to be something else. I've always been like that and I think that's maybe what they liked."
Still in touch with fellow contestants
Jayne also revealed that she remains in contact with some of her fellow contestants. "Yes, so there was another Welsh guy that came on, called Andrew. I stayed friends with him. There was a girl called Chantelle I was friends with for ages. I've still got about 4 or 5 people on my Facebook page that are ex-contestants," she said.
She added: "We always get the messages like, ‘Oh, our episode is on Challenge again.’ They replay episodes on there quite a lot. I think they've replayed it about 4 or 5 times."
