Thought I'd do another commentary, a show I haven't seen since original Channel 4 transmission way back in January 2006!

The third show of the year and so far it's been the worst start possible, two trainwrecks of games with some of the lowest offers we've ever seen so far, culminating in Nick's inauguration of the 1p club yesterday. "The 1p club opened for business yesterday and you can still hear the Banker laughing" says the Challenge anno as we begin.

Noel calls Irene's game a "Shakespearean tragedy" and Nick's game a "disaster movie". "We are now overdue a big win" says Noel in front of 22 terrified looking contestants, I don't blame them after the two games they've just seen. Who's the poor lad or lass to follow them?

It's Jenni!

Jenni Brookes from Liverpool is understandably a bit nervous. A prison security officer! She's brought in Paris the tiger, sadly not a real life animal (imagine Noel being chased around the studio by one, Youtube gold) instead a cuddly toy she picked up in France. She's engaged too and money towards the forthcoming wedding would be very useful. Box 17 is her randomly-picked box.

Even at this late stage Noel is over-explaining the rules! Maybe just in case new viewers have tuned in for the New Year, especially post-Nick.

Box 9 (Michael): 50p! Perfect start.
Box 3 (Jenna): £35,000, not so good.
Box 2 (Lynsey): £20,000. Eep.

"Robbie, what have you had?" Lots of power 5s, he warns. "Just open it!"

Box 6 (Robbie): £1!

Box 1 (Mumtaz): £250!

"You're still a bit nervous" says a worried Noel. "Relax! Take a deep breath". Yeah, it's not like 1p's still in...oh.

Banker's still happy. "Don't do that laugh" says Noel. "I know after Nick's game there were a lot of tears". He has a photo of Nick in his library. "Tell me about the books in your library, have you finished colouring them all in?"

He's picked up on the fact that in previous shows she's been quite emotional. Noel's "really surprised" by this offer. He thought he'd use the emotion as a sign of weakness, but not quite. "Think about this" says Noel...

OFFER 1: £3,400

"That is a very, very interesting opening offer" he continues. But of course it's a No Deal!

Box 8 (Arlette): £750!

Box 11 (Gill): 1p!! She's not in the club! Or "You're not going to do a Nick!" as Noel puts it.

"One of the strongest openings we've had in weeks. This is almost perfect".

Box 12 and Vaughan. "I do not want this to break this run of good luck...

...I just said break!" Ah, gotta love the days of his break puns

It's very odd seeing ads for the likes of HDTV and Blu-Ray, things that either weren't on sale in 2006 or too expensive for most people to buy. I think the cheapest HDTV back then was about £1,000...

Oh! Crash straight into part 2, cutting out Noel's 'Welcome back'. How odd and threw me off guard. Anyways...

Box 12 (Vaughan): £5,000! It's fine.

OFFER 2: £8,100

"That, Jenni...is a very good second offer. If in the next round you take out the two biggest numbers, you're going to have a very different relationship with the Banker".

It's only offer 2 and Noel's already cautious! Different times. Noel still asks the question before the players say they're ready, even so it's No Deal again!

Box 21 (Alan): £500!

Miguel hasn't had anything over £10,000.

Box 4 (Miguel): £15,000, it's ok! "And now you cannot decimate the big numbers!"

Box 7 (Julie):
"Don't worry, I know, you're as bad as me, don't worry"
"No pressure..." says Noel, "just don't spoil our week"
...£50!! Crowd erupts! "Now we have a very interesting game!" shouts Noel. "Jenni, smile!"

Noel has to go back "a long way" before he remembers a game this powerful.

That's a hell of a leap in the offers considering that was far from a perfect round, albeit a good one...

With the power 4 all still in play it's pretty good.

OFFER 3: £26,000

Biggest EVER third offer so far!! What a leap!

"Keep calm" warns Noel. "Keep really calm about it. Are you ok? Are you feeling alright? It's ok, it's just a game, IT'S £26,000 WE'VE NOT HAD AN OFFER THAT HIGH AT THIS STAGE BEFORE IT'S FANTASTIC!!" he screams in a funny voice.

He reminds Jenni of the wedding next August. Long silence only punctuated by a quiet "Oh god" by Jenni. "£26,000 is by many people's standards life enhancing" continues Noel. "Jenni, it's your show. It's your game. It is right that you take this very seriously, and you take your decision in your own time".

"Think about it...we'll take a break" Before she's even made the decision!! And so it's ad time...

Is that the first time they've called a break at that point?

I think so...in those days it was very rare they'd change the breaks around except some future hour long shows.

We're back, the intro into part 3 edited out again so we just cut to Noel in mid-flow.

"I know this is causing you real mental turbulence" says Noel. "I'm going to do something that's never been done before...will you take the board out, please?"

The board disappears!! "I might get in trouble for that. And let's just think, £26,000 in Mark and Jenni's future life."

The board comes back. "It's clearly a gamble because you've had to think about it for so long" Yeah, you did call an ad-break Noel.

"I'm there" "Are you sure? You want more time?" "No, I'm there"

"£26,000, Deal or No Deal?"

"Deal!" FIRST THIRD OFFER DEAL!! But after that build-up, who can blame her!!

Noel goes round the contestants asking if they're happy and they are. "I am happy" says Dave, "but I really hope it works for her" referring to the forthcoming proveout.

We need to take out all four of those power 4 now...

Box 16 (John): £5. Oh lord. Jenni's already worried.
Box 15 (Gerry): £100,000!! Three more to go...

She wants to say 5 but she's scared of 5, so...

Box 22 (Dave):
"As soon as I picked this I had a feeling there was huge money in this today"
£3,000! Oops...

Calling a break, taking the board away... Dragged out or what? Either she must have looked really confused or as if she was ready to deal in an instant...

Offer would have been £42,000 which is insane. Obviously she'd have taken that.

"Just to cheer me up, I'll pick 5!"
Box 5 (Terry):
10p! Argh!!

"You had the best game so far we'd ever had!" reminds Noel. Thanks for that, I'm sure Jenni loves being reminded here.

Box 14 (Gavin): £100.

Only one blue left - £10 - and three of the power 5 including £250k. "It better not be in there" laughs Jenni.

"Are you feeling hot, Pat?"
Box 19 (Pat):
£1,000.

Deathly silence.

"I'd rather have this depressing experience than what they had" says Jenni, referring to Irene and Nick.

£10
£10,000
£50,000
£100,000
£250,000

Offer would have been £76,000

Box 18 (Anne):
*£250,000*
OH THANK GOD. Now reveal the other two!

Box 13 (Andrew):
£75,000!! Now £50,000 please...

Box 10:
£10,000

We're speeding through now and I can barely type this fast!! Final two of £10 and £50,000 and he'd have offered £20,000...

First ever third deal. She is the one to blame as if she hadn't dealt the third ever, then very possible there would have been no 3rd round deals happen yet.

With a board like that, that was one of the first ever EASY no deal.

She only has herself to blame for not winning one of the power five.

Jenni gets to open her own box...
Box 17:
£50,000

To which she simply shrugs, unlike another contestant about a year later who dealt the same amount. "And do you know what's so wonderful?" laughs Noel? "You don't care at all!"

Box 20:
£10

It's such a bizarre game, not just for the first third offer Deal but how it's one of the very few instances of Noel really blatantly pushing someone to Deal...especially so early on in the game. I guess everyone, including him, was just so shaken by Irene and Nick's games (which may have been recorded on the same day as this?) any red win would have been good. Would be interesting to know the reaction on this forum had this game happened now

Hate to say this, Mark... but that comment of yours really is one that gives the impression that you weren't really thinking when you typed it and posted it...

To put it in simplest terms, hands before brain.






Now that is actually a very illogical comment... very illogical indeed.

There was ALWAYS going to be a third-round deal eventually...




HAD, not has!!!

You shouldn't really be speaking in the present tense there - considering this game took place six years ago...

And, since it was six years ago, you shouldn't really be criticising her and her deal, anyway. Forgive and forget, as they say.