A former Deal or No Deal contestant has revealed that the Banker was not a single person but a team of people.
Jayne Lloyd-Lewis, from Cardiff, appeared on the show in 2007 and won £20,000. At that time, the programme aired on Channel 4 and was hosted by Noel Edmonds. It ran from 2005 to 2016. In 2023, the show returned on ITV, hosted by Stephen Mulhern.
Surprising detail about the Banker
Speaking to Zingo Bingo, Jayne shared details viewers might not realise. She said: "The studio is smaller than what it actually looks like on TV. It's a lot more intimate I think, and the audience are always fabulous and they always have the regulars in there."
She added: "They also give you lessons on how to open the box. Also, the banker was not one single person. The banker was a few people. If you’re having a personal conversation with someone, they might be listening in through your microphone."
Praise for Noel Edmonds
Jayne praised then host Noel Edmonds, saying: "He was just so lovely. When I was crying backstage, he said ‘Listen you've got a big family out there, everybody's gonna support you.’"
She continued: "He was just so nice, so normal, so down to earth, but just always made you feel really comfortable. I was blown away by how nice he was. He’s just a really nice guy."
Why she was picked and her strategy
Jayne also explained why she believes she was chosen to appear, saying: "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."
She added: "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."
Asked if she would do anything differently, she said: "Nothing at all. I would play exactly the same as I played. I would just be me."
She concluded: "I didn't have any tactics. I chose people who I was getting a feel for, but that didn’t work because I wiped out loads of big numbers. I think I got rid of the £250,000 box in the second round. Don’t go on a quiz show thinking you’re going to win. Just think you’re going to have the best time ever."
