Shell's game today.

Noel says we are having a great week as we have some great players at the moment and all the contestants on the wings are so sharp and bright, he tests them out with a scenario at the hotel, but is not that impressed with their replies so gets Russ to give us an animal impression

Hope this is a much better game than yesterday.

Shell has box 12 today. Shell works part time at a laboratory in her local hospital, and she says they get every possible body part come into their lab and test them for all sorts of things! We get to see a pic of her late dad and she talks about how he passed away and gets emotional about talking about him, we then see a few more family pics.

Shell says that she feels something about box 12 and thinks it has big money.

Here we go...

Round 1

Shell has her niece in the audience for support and Noel says that she looks terrified!

4 - £500 Ginette

3 - £100,000 Chapola

You've made it neat and tidy with a catflap says Noel...

2 - £10,000 Vic

1 - £1,000 Suzi

19 - 1p Martin

Banker time

Worse than average but not too bad...

Noel winds up Martin about how red he went when Shell kissed him The Banker says he loves Shell and loves her even more after he heard about her job.

Banker's offer:

£8,000

Not a bad start, not a good one... the key to this game will be how many of the five-figure amounts she can keep to the Acceptable Deal Point.

She works in science but is a spiritualist about Box 12? *sigh*

The offer is in line with early-season-5 protocol, the second most generous opening offer protocol after the Wakey Winter.

They're not allowed pens in that studio, what the hell?!?!?!

Noel has lost his book and pen and asks the pilgrims if anyone has one he can borrow!

Shell says

NO DEAL

More damage...

Round 2

Noel goes hunting through the pound table cupboards for his pen and book

9 - 50p Mary

Shell goes for Kerry with box 7 but then changes her mind as she has a feeling about it.

17 - £75,000 James

The Banker calls and asks Noel if he wants to know where his book is, and Noel says of course he does, so the Banker tells him he will tell him after the break

When I went to see an episode recorded (Jimmy's, with the expectation I'd see H), I had a pen and pad of paper confiscated. This scene seems even more bizarre in that context.

£75,000 is decidedly Not Good, but this is the sort of configuration that can sometimes lead to huge games if a blue run emerges after 11-box, because of the momentum the player will have. Of course, we need £250k to stay that far if we're going to see that.

I normally had my phone, my wallet, a pack of mints and a bottle of paracetamol in my pockets when I went in the studio. I don't think they'd notice if an audience member had a pen!

I thought I was on the front row for this one but I am on the second one

By the way, I thought Noel was being a bit unkind to James - going on about how it's like he's not there and isn't interesting etc.

Everyone has mints in there! You had paracetamol coz you looked hungover half the time And that phone had to surely have been turned off to avoid another Semi

We're back
Last box before the Banker

8 - £50,000 Ben

Banker time

You say that, knowing that on one occasion they did!!

Cripes this is volatile. About all we have going for this board is the £250k and the knowledge that a run of blues later in the game is better than one earlier.

Well if the blue run KP predicted is due, then seeing £50,000 go now will simply make said blue run even more important!

Oh what a round says Noel... The Banker sends out Noel's book, and it has a stick drawing of Noel inside it

Banker's offer:

£4,000