It's the Christmas episode! And they have decorated the whole studio! I believe it's also the last of this run, although they had a tradition of a New Year's Day episode for quite a while I believe. One of these produced a legendary trainwreck...

The 26 models are missing this week. 'Aww'. We have 26 men instead! Linda asks if this should be permanent... apparently the response is '50/50'. Funny that.

Skipping the quiz bit, but mentioning there was a player in the final six called 'Tiny'... pronounced 'Teenie' (she was eliminated third and won €3,000), we cut to an all-female final two of Thea (looks about 50) and Tineke (looks older than that).

The clock is going up slowly, very slowly... so the players are quite sensible to go all the way to the end at €30,500, the lowest I've ever seen it. We're giving €15,250 to two audience members... one young male and one female with the name Joke, which sounds hilarious to English speakers but is in fact a common Dutch name pronounced 'Joe-ke'.

Maths-on-the-buzzer question: 3x74=222. THEA gets it and will play the game! But how will she play it? Well, for a start it's with case 25, which she appears to have about four reasons for.

The final audience winner has to be mentioned for her name: Rosalie Klompmaker.

Thea has bought a female partner, Marianne. I don't know if they're a lesbian couple or just friends, but the former would not be at all shocking in the Netherlands unless I am quite mistaken.

'You run the show' says Linda in English...

ROUND 1
23 - €5,000. The prediction was €10,000...
16 - €10! Greeted by silence.
9 - €75,000. The prediction was €5m, the reaction to the opening was again silent.
22 - €2,500. Almost didn't predict...
7 - €10,000. Good start so far, taking out the middle of the board.
12 - €1,000. And again!

Very, very good opening round - the top nine intact.

OFFER €34,000

A bit higher than I anticipated, a very similar opening round produced €27,000 earlier this series. NO DEAL though, obviously.

ROUND 2
3 - €50,000. And so the trend continues - six of the seven to go are in a block of seven around the median. On this board, being so top-heavy, that's just how to do it.
8 - €50! But shock at the wrong prediction... she guessed €300,000. I think that was a relative of hers judging from the reaction.
13 - €100,000. It's the highest amount to go all game so far!
26 - €0.20! The guess was €0.01... what a board!
5 - €2,500,000! Oh.

Fifteen cases left, seven have at least €200,000, one has €5,000,000. It must be big...

OFFER €95,000

It is big. Marianne looks amused for some reason, and it's a NO DEAL.

This could be another huge game. A bit of chat I couldn't understand, although I heard a mention of €300,000 if I'm not mistaken, leads to...

ROUND 3
2 - €100!
6 - €500! Just five on the left now, all €20 or less - the crowd are stirring rather than cheering.
14 - €1!! This is an unbelievable round!
17 - €200,000. And it's still great!

The eleven-case board is quite remarkable...



OFFER €185,000

And even that is greeted with near-silence. A No Deal is expected, although a sauna gets mentioned for some reason. I think it got mentioned before. Pretty quick to get to the decision, though, and that decision is NO DEAL!

She's not hesitating. And quite rightly so on this board. A bit of Linda sing-song before...

ROUND 4
24 - €25,000! CORRECT GUESS FOR €11,000! Also, there's now nothing between €20 and €300,000 with ten cases left - and six of those ten are the big numbers!
1 - €0.50!! And he predicted €5,000,000!! Now a 2/3 chance of truly life-changing money in the case...
11 - €1,000,000. It's still applauded, probably because it's not the €5m he predicted.

Eight cases left. Three pocket-change amounts, four six-figure sums and the jackpot.

OFFER €340,000

I think - think - I'm gone. That's gut reaction only. Neither decision would be stupid here. Calls of 'stop' from the crowd, but Marianne says No Deal. Linda talks through the situation with the button ready to push. Does she push it? Nope! NO DEAL and a quick one at that!

Linda says it's 'exciting', but that's as close to endorsing a gamble as I've heard her. Furthermore, she said it after the decision...

Thea seems to think €5m is in her case... this could end horribly...

ROUND 5
20 - predicted but an adbreak precedes the opening - €0.01!! Linda is in shock. Five huge amounts, one to open before the offer.
21 - €300,000. And quite rightly still applauded!

The Incredible Final Six
€5
€20
€400,000
€500,000
€750,000
€5,000,000

Six cases left. Two pocket-change amounts, three six-figure sums and the jackpot.

OFFER €525,000

Some gasps there, but I expected €600,000 for some reason. Taking out €5m would likely produce an offer around and a Wakeyist spiral; taking out one on the left will probably push the offer past €750,000. Linda mentions the things €525,000 can do, then almost squeaks that a No Deal means only one case to open... NO DEAL IT IS!!

And I can't blame her. I think I'd have played on with just the one to open... if I'd got this far...

ROUND 6
18 - €500,000!

The guess was €400,000. So close. We're still in the game. 'This is now tricky' says Linda, if I've translated it correctly. (That would be a no, then.)

This might be €600,000. She guesses €800,000...

OFFER €675,000

It's in between. Greeted with silence, but now I'm definitely gone. But she said €5m was in her case... Marianne says Deal and gets applauded for that by the case-holders and probably lots of others.

She's clearly tempted to play on... OH NO SHE ISN'T! It's a DEAL before Linda can even ask the question! I only realised when I saw the Deal graphics!!

Brilliant play produces a brilliant result. The risks were big but fully justifable, the Deal came as soon as a No Deal would have approached the realms of insanity.

Who needs 1p wins on Christmas Day when you can see this?

ROUND 7 (proveout)
4 (with Tineke) - €5,000,000!! Correct guess for €5,000, and while Wakey has something to cheer, I'm even happier!

OPW is now a 75% chance...

ROUND 8 (proveout)
15 - €5. CORRECT GUESS again for €4,000 - it's raining cash here!

ROUND 9 (proveout)
10 - €750,000! OPW!! Not so wildly applauded due to a €400k guess though...

She's nailed it either way, but the bespectacled geek-looking guy has to guess case 19, guesses €20... but it's €400,000!! THEA SOLD A €20 CASE FOR €650,000!!!

I don't care if there's another game this series, that's the way to end one. Forget the mania we've seen in Bristol lately, THAT is game of the month!

How ironic her partner was called Marianne then!

A brilliant win!

Well, on a day with one massive fail that should never have happened or aired, we get a great



on Miljoenenjacht. Congrats to Thea on a massive win !

I'd also like to mention that the Christmas US episode featured something not seen on the US version in a long time - back-to-back Epic Wins ! More info to follow.