Deal or No Deal contestant reveals The Banker's true identity

Jayne Lloyd-Lewis, who appeared on the Noel Edmonds-fronted show and walked away with £20,000, reveals that The Banker wasn't actually one person, claiming several people were behind the famous character.

She reveals some of the other tricks viewers never saw – including contestants being given lessons on how to open the famous boxes and episodes taking around three hours to film. Elsewhere, Jayne recalls breaking down in tears backstage before her game and being comforted by Noel Edmonds, and describes him as "so normal" and "down to earth", according to online bingo provider Zingo Bingo.

Why did you apply to be on the show?

Noel Edmunds is a veteran broadcaster (Image: NO FEE)

“Well it was iconic wasn't it? I'd watched it and I thought, “You know I'm gonna give this a go,” and I applied for it and I pretty much heard back straight away. I had the audition and I was a big fan of Noel Edmonds too, and he was just incredible. Everything was off the cuff. There was no scripting or anything. He's a really, really bright guy.‌

“I didn't know when they would play me, but they're filming three shows a day. They have one at 8:30am and there was one just after lunch and then there was a late one as well. You just didn't have a clue.”

Why do you think you were chosen in the interview?

“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.”

What did a day of filming look like?

“We got there, everybody had breakfast together, then you were taken off to film for the day, then you came back, you had dinner together, you weren't allowed to walk around and about and outside. It was bizarre but you were treated so well. They did occasionally take us out somewhere where we'd have a meal out. But we were in this sort of bubble. We got really close with the contestants that you play with. It was an incredible experience.”

What was your reaction when you were chosen to play?

“We knew that they were going to play someone Welsh because it was Saint David's Day the day they recorded. 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.‌

“I was really, really upset. They’d come in earlier in the week for two days of filming. So the day I didn’t have anybody was the day they chose me to play. 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.”

How did it feel playing Deal or No Deal? Did you have any tactics?

Noel has retired from broadcasting(Image: Press Association)

“I played the most perfect game that I could have ever played. I was never going to win. I always said that I wouldn't deal on anything less than £20,000. I wiped out all the big numbers and the rest remaining were other small blue boxes. The banker offered me £10,000, and I said ‘No Deal.’ Noel said that I was brave, because I stuck to my word. But, at the end of the day, I came here with nothing as everybody says.”

“And the next round then I took out 3 blues. There was something like £10 in my box I remember, and the banker offered me £20,000 and that’s when I took it. It was just the most amazing experience and nobody can ever take that away from me. I can’t believe it’ll be 20 years next year. It feels like yesterday.”

What was Noel Edmonds like behind the scenes?

“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.’ 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.”