A former Deal or No Deal contestant has claimed that his £600-a-week cocaine habit began during his time on the ITV game show. Connor Cooper, 33, said he discovered a 'huge pile' of the drug while partying near the hotel where contestants were staying.
Cooper explained that after a night of drinking shots and cocktails with fellow contestants, he decided to try cocaine. He returned to his hotel at 7am but was picked up at 8am to film the show, leaving him 'completely wired' during filming. Despite the exhaustion, he continued using the drug, describing it as 'living in the moment' and enjoying a taste of 'the showbiz life'.
Cooper, who won £13,500 on the show, said the 'party culture' among contestants, who can live together for up to a month, contributed to his habit. He would secretly order cocaine to keep himself going, then drink again the next evening, repeating the cycle. Each contestant was allowed two free drinks per day, but Cooper would continue drinking using his own money.
After returning to his job as a tarmac layer in Portsmouth, Cooper continued using cocaine until his long-term partner became pregnant with twins. He described this as a 'wake-up call' and, with her support, sought professional help. He did not seek help from ITV's mental health services.
A spokesperson for Deal or No Deal said: 'We have a zero-tolerance policy on drug use on all our productions. Contestants stay at the hotel for short periods of time whilst filming and are closely monitored by a specialist welfare team throughout. Having reviewed logs of activity and welfare assessments, we can find no record of any behaviour that would cause concern.'
