Time for Heat 7

because of me idiotically forgetting Lynsey in the last poll, she will now be included in this one

here are your 10 for Round 7

10 JAN Lynsey
11 JAN Michael D
12 JAN Robbie
13 JAN Arlette
14 JAN Alan
16 JAN Vaughan
17 JAN Gill
18 JAN Terry
19 JAN Julie
20 JAN Miguel

yet another toughie!

You have two days to vote for your favourite. Whether they were your favourite player, or favourite game...


FINALISTS
1. Natalie
2. Madie
3. Len
4. Mally
5. Audrey
6. Karen
7. Nick

I only saw about half of these people, but Arlette was hilarious! So it goes to her.

Tough one, but I went with Gill, but I almost went for Michael D or Julie (both had box 11) or Miguel.

I went with Julie. She's one of the only ones I remember.

Miguel and Michael a close second

Miguel - he was yummy!

10 JAN Lynsey
11 JAN Michael D
12 JAN Robbie
13 JAN Arlette
14 JAN Alan
16 JAN Vaughan
17 JAN Gill
18 JAN Terry
19 JAN Julie
20 JAN Miguel

This is REALLY hard for me because I was part of all these shows.

Lynsey's games was special for me because it was the only game when i knew I had a large number in the box. When I picked up the box I got an electric shock - it wasnt static - it was something else and I spent the whole game telling Jim and Mumtaz - I have got a huge number. I dont belive in psychic stuff and I was really worried about making myself look a fool. Anyway - Lynsey asked me what I thought i had in my box at a crucial time in here game (edited out) and I said that my box was full of "beer vouchers" and she went elsewhere. When she came back to me after her deal - I had £75K in my box which shocked the hell out of me. I was seriously spooked.

Michael D was a lovely bloke and I enjoyed his show immensely. A quality bloke and I just loved listening to him talk about his life. You learn so much on the actual show about folk that never seems to come up in conversation in the hotel.

Robbie's game started badly and was so hard to watch. I didnt know that he a singer (Marvin Gaye impersonator) and I will always remember he leaving straight after the show because he didnt like saying goodbye. I must admit I didnt like saying goodbye to him - just one of those rare folk you like to be around.

Arlette was and is a wonderful woman. When she said that she was going to use her winnings to see members of her family who were seperated during the Holocaust it was one of the most moving moments of my whole DOND experience. She was so funny to be around but on the morning of her game she was very homesick and had a few tears in the dressing room. The day ended with her dancing on the table in the hotel which kind of sums up a DOND day for me.

Poor Alan. His game was hellish and when he only won £1000 I felt so sorry for him. Little did I know. Really genuine bloke and it was so sad not to see him walk away with a big cheque.

My big mate Vaughan. I didnt know about him falling out with some folk before I arrived. I just found him larger than life and funny as hell. I knew that he was going to take the urine during his game but I didnt know how much folk wouldnt get the joke. He did it his way and even though folk think they have sussed him on the basis of what was screened they havent. There is a lot more there than I guess folk saw on the edited version.

Gill was the last game before the break (we stopped filming in Dec) and the first game where I really gave someone advice. Noel had started asking me to read the board and I am pleased that the advice I gave her worked. She rushed over and hugged me and they edited that out which is a shame. Nice moment and what a party we had that night.

Terry and I had a lovely walk around Bristol and I got to discover that he loved numbers so much. I had learned the odds to try to help myself - no more no less - Terry loved the challenge of systems and odds and ...anyway, a classic battle between him and the Banker which he won. (Before my game he sent me a poem, a screw and some steel balls - which meant so much to me. A top bloke)

Julie was crying in December because she missed her kids so much and in January she was crying tears of joy. She is the bravest contestant i have ever seen and she got my vote. When you have nothing - No Dealing takes balls. Before the game she pleaded with me to look after her and not to let her out of the studio with £5K. We had agreed that if it all got too much she would ask everyone for advice and then come back to me and she wanted me to tell her what to do. I told her to No Deal and I wanted to be sick during the next round. She won £30K / £33K and it was better than winning the FA Cup for me.

Miguel should be a dad by now. Back in January he played with his lovely lass sitting there with a lovely bump. He sure took that into consideration when he played and he did so well. Him and Julie kept me awake all night and I can still hear the "Hush you will wake Geordie and his lass" through the wall at 3am. Great bloke without an ounce of badness in his body.

Julie gets my vote - but I love em all.
GEORDIE

Really interesting post, Geordie - thanks for sharing your insights!

My pleasure. The greatest thing about DOND for me was getting to share some time with each of them.

This was the hardest vote because there were so many great contestants in this period. I almost went for Julie because she had box 11, she won a big sum of money and seemed genuine, but I had to go with Gill because she was my favourite contestant at this time.

This vote is so hard!! I went for Vaughan purely because I thought he got an awful press when he was actually a decent bloke. But I have to say I loved Gill and she came a very close second.

Oh, and Geordie your insight is invaluable so thanks. Must have been strange with Robbie leaving straight after his show - I thought everyone congratulated-commiserated at the end of each day in the bar, but I suppose he must have been a bit disappointed with his game. Still one of my favourites at the time, though.

I really think the top 2 should go through in this round, there are so many legends here - Julie, Terry and Miguel were also great characters, and Alan's game was memorable for possibly being the most unlucky first round ever.

Could easily have said a couple of others here, but I had to go for Julie.

Oh, and Geordie your insight is invaluable so thanks.

My pleasure. I just couldnt bring myself to simply pick one without saying something. Despite everything that happend to me when I took ill - I came home from Bristol with a hell of a lot. You dont need to win a lot of cash to have a life changing experience as a contestant on DOND. I learnt a lot about people when I was down there.

What was it that Tan wrote in Noel's book? Money is spent but experiences are kept? From what I hear, you come back from being a contestant rich anyway, whether it be in monetary terms or not.

didn't robbie's game start really well but then go horribly wrong half way through? i remember that's why the game was horrible to watch, because we all thought at the start he would win loads of money...

You know I do think you could be right. We filmed it back in Dec - so apologies if I got it wrong. All I can remember was it was so painful. I must have wiped that part of the game out of my memory

I have felt for a very long time that I am a rich man. I think I said as much on the show. Born a Geordie - I have a wife and son that love me and I live in the Scottish Highlands doing a job that I love. (www.invernesshighlandgames.com)

DOND just helped make Dec 2005 - Jan 2006 more interesting than usual.

It was a nice experience (until I took ill), the Highland Hospice made £20 - and it is funny how you only remember the good times when you look back anyway.

Very tough one. In the end I opted for Gill - she had such a lovely personality.

Yeah - she sparkled and had such a lovely laugh.

Noel did say that Gill was the most popular player they'd ever had. She seemed lovely, both on the wings and in the chair, which hasn't always been the case with contestants.

i gotta say Julie. she was missing her kids a ridiculous amount, and needed some money. she said deal at £33k before noel finished asking her the question!! lol =D