A new section on the official DOND website where they have interviewed some of their most "fanatical fans".

RONALD ARBON

How many times have you sat in the audience?
Once a week, since the first ever show.

What first attracted you to be a “Pilgrim”?
It was a new show with Noel Edmonds.

What makes you keep coming back?
The buzz and the excitement of winning and losing.

What is the best thing about being in the audience?
Seeing it live and the atmosphere in the studio.

How would you describe the atmosphere in the Dream Factory?
Electrifying but also upsetting.

Would you recommend being an audience member?
Yes because the staff make you feel so welcome and it is so well organised.

Any other comments
The show has come on leaps and bounds. Mark the warm up comic does his job well, winding everybody up.

JOHN AND CAROLINE SATCHWELL

How many times have you sat in the audience?
Approximately 50 – 60 times.

What first attracted you to be a “Pilgrim”?
Noel Edmonds of course. Plus it is a simple game with no questions; even we could manage that!

What makes you keep coming back?
It is like going to visit friends; we are welcomed and treated as if it’s our first time. Every game is like the first. All the crew gel and that shows with the Pilgrims.

What is the best thing about being in the audience?
The anticipation of a box opening. You can make friends, just by sitting next to someone for 1 ½ hours as we have. Also we have a good old sing song which is led by a very good warm up guy ‘Mark Olver’. A great time is had by all, it lifts your spirits.

How would you describe the atmosphere in the Dream Factory?
Tingling, suspenseful, friendly and sad. It’s all in the Dream Factory in abundance; you can hear a pin drop in the best games.

Have you got any amusing anecdotes from your visits?
If anything should go wrong as it has done, it is treated in a most professional way. We can’t help but smile, laugh and cry on our visits to the Dream Factory.

Would you recommend being an audience member?
Definitely. Where else could you go to be treated so well, make friends instead of being lonely at home. Become a pilgrim and your life will change. It is always a great day out.

Any other comments
We have been to see several game shows before Deal or No Deal, but have only gone once to each show. John and I are always desperate to come along to Deal or No Deal. We treat every game as if it’s our first. Most times we come to two games and can’t wait for our next visit.

BRADLEY McMANUS

How many times have you sat in the audience?
5 times

What first attracted you to be a “Pilgrim”?
After coming to my first show, I had such a good time that I just wanted to keep coming back.

What makes you keep coming back?
Every show is different and every contestant is unique. The basis is the same yet the show is always new.

What is the best thing about being in the audience?
The feeling you get when a big decision is made, it’s so intense. Suddenly the game is real and it is worth the lows to get the highs.

How would you describe the atmosphere in the Dream Factory?
It is so pressurized, it is crazy! The elation of a good win is in direct comparison to the disappointment of an unlucky box. The atmosphere can be anything but it’s always an experience.

Would you recommend being an audience member?
I would recommend it to anyone, even if you’re not the biggest fan of the show. When you’re in the audience it is incredible.

Any other comments
To be honest I was not the biggest fan of the show before sitting in the audience but now I am addicted. Even my friends who have sometimes come for the sake of it cannot wait to be asked again. Everyone loves it!

MARCY KINGSLEY

How many times have you sat in the audience?
I can’t answer this correctly as I have been a regular but at a guess between 80 – 100 times, could be more!

What first attracted you to be a pilgrim?
I started to watch Deal or No Deal when it was first aired 2 ½ years ago and got completely hooked. I decided then I wanted to be part of this fantastic programme and came to the studio to be involved. Plus the fact I have always been an admirer of Noel.

What makes you keep coming back?
I’m hooked, hooked, hooked!

What is the best thing about being in the audience?
The tremendous atmosphere and the participation of the pilgrims, we can all get involved one way or another.

How would you describe the atmosphere in the Dream Factory?
Amazing! Simply because every show is different.

Have you got any amusing anecdotes from your visits?
At one of the shows a while ago I was sat in the front. Noel spoke to me and asked where I was from, I replied Weston-S-Mare, his reply was “Oh that’s where old people go to die” which made me laugh.

Would you recommend being an audience member?
Most definitely if you watch it on the television. You must go to the studio and be in the buzz of it. The live show is the best.

Any other comments
My highlight was when I was privileged to do something the contestants rarely do. Speak to The Banker. Of course he was quite rude to me, but I just took that with a pinch of salt. So if I never get accepted for an audition at least I can say I spoke to the man with the money.

TINA GOLDING

How many times have you sat in the audience?
77 times

What first attracted you to be a pilgrim?
To get behind the contestants and help them win a lot of money.

What makes you keep coming back?
Every game is so special to me.

What is the best thing about being in the audience?
The lows and highs you experience.

How would you describe the atmosphere in the Dream Factory?
Quite simply, out of this world!

Have you got any amusing anecdotes from your visits?
Bunney’s game had me hopping.

Would you recommend being an audience member?
Yes.

Any other comments
Keep up the good work and thank you for letting me be on Deal or No Deal so many times.

Link - http://dealornodeal.co.uk/backstage/fans-/

HAHAHA! Everyone's been about 2345665432 times! That's why people keep seeing that woman.

I bet she is one of those people...

That is the woman we always see in the audience... the one who chose the box in PJ's game!



Not sure it'd change your life...



Noel Edmonds is actually obsessed with that place...

Some of these people make Suezan look like she'd hardly been at all... and she went about 8 - 10 times as it was.

When I went for the day in April I was in the queue next to John and Caroline Satchwell. I sat with them for two of the shows.

John is quite reserved but Caroline and I chatted on all day. I would love to meet them again in the dream factory, a lovely couple.

i wanna go to a show

They must all live fairly locally to have seen that many shows - they must have seen just about every type of game by now!

(Although I suspect if I lived a bit nearer, I'd have seen about that many shows by now as well... )

How are they going to cope with this 4 month break coming up?! Maybe I'll book up the first show in October, and I'll probably see them all there!

John and Caroline live a few miles outside Bristol.

The day I met them two men were sat behind us, they had both been to hundreds of shows.

When Noel came in he said "Oh no we have the superfans in today"

Or it might have been something stronger

What a bunch of saddos.

I'd love to be in the audience a few times... but going every week would be too much for me I think, even if I lived next door to the studio!!

Something that puts me off is that when you watch on TV, a main part of the show (for me anyway) is getting to know the players before they play their game; and being in the audience means this part of the show is lost (as they film so far in advance at a stupidly fast rate), unless of course you attend every single recording...

PJ box lady has a name! I guess my theory about her being the independant adjudicator's out the window!

Surely you don't have to go to the DOND studio to make friends and not be lonely.

If I did actually live near Bristol then I would try and see the show whenever I can. Maybe not every week but perhaps once a month or so.

That's not the case at all. After being in the audience and seeing the different players there's the fascination of seeing them arriving one by one on the programme when televised (admittedly a few months later) then seeing them in their game. I last went in April and the players should start arriving on the tv in early September! Of course you learn quite a bit about the different players when there but so much gets edited out!
If anyone is wondering about a trip to the Dream Factory then GO - it's a fantastic day out and the atmosphere is amazing! I've been twice so far and am planning to go again in October!

John and Caroline Satchwell are nice people, I was chatting with them last time I was there. I think I have seen Ronald Arbon on each of the four times I have been, maybe like me he goes on Mondays only.

These people shouldnt be criticised, watching the show in the studio is much more fun than watching it on TV, tickets are free, so if you live nearby why not go for it? Its impossible to go every week anyway, with recording happening only roughly every third week on average.

TBH, there's so much banter with the players on the wings and Mark Olver the warm up guy, plus during the actual recording...that you feel you do actually know them. And it has a really fresh feel when you go - 22 new people. It's exciting because you have no idea who's been on for how long, or what charactertistics they've got for themselves on their time during the show...so you have no inkling as to who's gonna play, and what their game's gonna be like! It's great.

I'd say the players for the shows I saw will be appearing towards the end of June Exciting!

I would like to go and see a few shows, I really would. But due to restrictions, that is rather unlikely.

I wouldn't go every week or whatever if I lived in Bristol though...

Once im 18, Im there.

TINA GOLDING


I'm sure I saw her today in Jess' game

John and Caroline were there when I went to a filming on 10th June. Couldn't shut them up.

Caroline in partuicular I expect!