me n my friend are gonna be in the audience 20th january, can any1 who has been before tell me what the whole experience is lyk? xoxox

Make sure you bring some food with you as they don't offer and is not allowed inside, they only supply water and tea.

Basically you queue outside the audience holding area, then they tick you off the list and take the confidential forms from you, head inside which is like a mini display museum they tend to show either Laura's win or the series one montage. After a few minutes, they'll go through the show procedures and take you to the main studio.

Once inside they seat you on the basis of numbers in the party and height. When settled, the excellent Mark Olver will show up to have a mess around, then the bearded one will appear from nowhere. As you will be the first time going there you will be surprised how the recording can flow smoothly with somebody like Noel who can ad-lib and done live telly before. Also, delays can happen whether it's techincal problems or the player deciding.

There's a good eating place (The Bocabar) at the top of the drive where you can get breakfast etc. You have to walk across the 'yard' to get from the audience room to the studio so I hope it's not raining!

Being a pilgrim is a totally amazing experience. I've been 3 times so far and can't wait for the next time.

Enjoy!

Don't be too shocked when you discover that the loos are just portaloos in the yard - very clean though!!

Be prepared to clap until you feel like your hands are going to drop off and whoooooop like a complete loon even if you normally don't do that sort of thing



I was lucky enough to go as "friends and family" so did the hotel, coach, free lunch and everything and can honestly say it was one of the best days of my life

Have fun

I'm gonna sound like a loner, but has anyone just been alone?

Reason I ask is work are sending me on a course to Bristol so it would be cool to go and see Deal Or No Deal afterwards

Probably about half of the times I've visited I've gone by myself. I think the audience team quite like 'singles', because there's often an odd space at the end of a row to fill.

It's an amazing experience - I'm very jealous of the likes of MisterAl, who've been several times...I've only had one trip...but my uni friends are very keen to go with me next time - hopefully we'll make a trip soon!

I may have to join you on the train from Southampton, Jonny!

Do they film Sundays, specifically the 22nd February?

As that evening would be a ideal time to go and see the show having just arrived in Bristol, otherwise it would be a £50 round taxi trip one evening in the week as my course is in the middle of nowhere! (And work might get suspicious if I claimed a taxi fare for going to the dream factory )

They don't, as they're on a heavy schedule with fifteen show a week, they take the weekend off. The last and only time they recorded on a weekend was back in 2006 when Noel was taken ill, that was on a single Saturday.

Yes I have been on my own and the team will look after you well, go for it

If anyone can get hold of any members of the audience team, please let me know! I realise filming restarts today (Jan 12th), but they said they would be 'back in their offices' Jan 5th, but all I get is the voice mail . I've left countless messages and sent an email. I'm not really that annoyed, but I would like to go soon as I have time off.

Stats Man, I don't know if this is the reason no one got back to you but the Dream Factory was packed solid on Monday, at least for the first two games.

A much larger number than usual were first time visitors. But most of the "fanatical fans" were there

Someone said there were 125 pilgrims. I have never known much more than 100 to be there.

Some only got half a bum on the seats

Well, I tried to get tickets for this monday (19th), but the only ones they have available are for the last afternoon show (5-8), and it's a bit far to go for just one show, so I've left it for now. Seems that email they sent out before christmas has attracted many new pilgrims, bearing in mind I contacted them on 20th December or something (whatever the last week before the break was), and I've only managed to actually get to speak to someone today. So I can only assume it was 'sold out' before christmas (or that they've been ignoring my messages )

Disappointing, but hey!

Anyway, here are some more dates:

February:

2 11-May, 12-May, 13-May
3 14-May, 15-May, 17-May
4 18-May, 19-May, 20-May
5 21-May, 22-May, 24-May
6 25-May, 26-May, 27-May

9 28-May, 29-May, 30-May
10 31-May, 1-Jun, 3-Jun
11 4-Jun, 5-Jun, 6-Jun
12 7-Jun, 8-Jun, 10-Jun
13 11-Jun, 12-Jun, 13-Jun

2 WEEK BREAK

Oh Stats Man I don't think for a minute they were ignoring you but that they were swamped with new people wanting to visit the Dream Factory

If you remember back in December Noel did a message in the break of one show, most people would be busy up to Christmas and so probably booked for January.

One of my group was unable to come and the lady before us in the queue also said one of her friends hadn't come, I dread to think what they would have done if everyone had turned up

There were a good three quarters of the pilgrims that were there for the first time, I have never known so many before.

I hope you are able to get to Bristol soon.

Many thanks as always for the dates

It's been a while since we've frequented this thread, but I've had a few random thoughts.

I've been thinking about how different my reaction to a game can be watching in the audience compared to watching on TV. It really can be an intense environment at the studios and you can see why players get carried away in the moment sometimes, but perhaps more importantly you find out a bit more about their circumstances and understand a bit more why they have come to their decisions, and respect them even if you would play it differently, of course it's their game to do as they please.

All I'm saying is sometimes it's easy to underestimate the psychological workings and progressive changing states of mind going on in the studio that sometimes get lost through TV. Silence can speak volumes at the studios, as conversely can a player speaking too much. Anything can be edited out by not everything can be kept in obviously. Something to think about when we make judgemental calls on a contestant, to step back and think perhaps we are not always being given the full picture.

Very, very interesting point.

In light of my own musings on players' seemingly inexplicable decisions based solely on the edited shows, I think I need to go at some point. Who knows, maybe with you and/or some other people from here.

Come and join us KP, you will love it

Yep, seeing the show live 'in the flesh' truly is different to watching on the telly. In general, watching as part of the audience makes the shows appear 'better' than on the TV, because you really have the sense of knowing ANYTHING can happen. I've been three times and have had a blast each time; my second visit being my personal favourite, but with my third visit including my favourite of the nine games I've seen.

I think my favourite live episode was Jane's during the scrooge/ santa week last year - just being sat next to the relative added so much extra tension, and the atmosphere was electric at times!

Although there have been many great games for entertainment, and recently Kerry's finish was nerve-shredding to anyone in the audience after a highly emotional game - pity they cut out Noel's mock crying with the tissues, as that was hilariously mad! I've found every game I've seen at the Dream Factory so far entertaining in some way.

It is well worth going for Mark Olver's excellent warm-up act, anyway.