Just hit me, there were 11 or 12 players of the 22 in the final studio game that never got a chance in the crazy chair! So what happened to them as far as money is concerned? Did they all go away empty-handed? Or did Endemol supply them with an appearance fee or something? I just cannot bear the thought of being one of those players who's been waiting the play the game for a long time, and then not even being able to get the chance and even worse, not getting anything financially out of it!

It was always going to end up this way.

The topic came up fairly regularly on this board, at a time when we envisaged the show's end coming in around 2008/9 (!). No other solution made sense without compromising the show's entire structure, which is a hub of 21 wingers cheering you on after spending weeks with them in the gaff. Getting Noel to open all the boxes? The staff and crew? Audience, friends, family?

It'd have looked odd and lended an almost 'liminal spaces' feeling to the environment as the group of 22 become small and smaller and the atmosphere becomes dry.

Absolute sickener for the few that never got to play through only the misfortune of timing. And no obligation to give them a payout too, cos they could reasonably ask for the £250,000 itself.