Deal or No Deal has been such a hit with students;
it is so popular and has become a cult show. Do
you think students should get on with their
work instead of watching Deal or No Deal?

I think students should dedicate their lives
to watching Deal or No Deal, there is
nothing more important in anybody’s life
than Deal or No Deal and I do hope the
young people of this country will
embrace it for many years to come.

How would you feel if a whole generation
of students failed their
degrees because of Deal or No Deal?

Proud, proud, bearing in mind the
sort of students that I meet, I mean
people come to the Dream Factory from
all over the country from every university,
I don’t think they need any qualifications
whatsoever. I think they quite clearly
are wise enough with their decision to
come and support Deal or No Deal.

When you’re out on a night in Exeter where
do you go?

I don’t, I can’t go anywhere. The biggest problem
at the moment is that thanks to the success
of Deal or No Deal I can’t go anywhere.
I mean I’ve just told a terrible lie
about Christmas shopping in
Exeter. There is no way I could go Christmas
shopping , because everyone would stop me and talk
about the show.

How do you feel about being a student icon?

I’m a fashion icon, I know that. A student
icon, I don’t think I should comment on that.

How about being a sex symbol?

I don’t think I should comment
on that either. I am capable of giving
you a smack you know.

Would students be off limits for you?

[Uncomfortable laugh] I love that ,
keep going.

Is it true that you got repetitive strain injury
from picking up the phone?

I did have and I had an injection in my elbow
that has cured it.

How do you get on with the banker?

I don’t.

Do you ever go drinking with him?

No, I did once, I socialised with him once. He
is as obnoxious in a social setting as he is in a
telephone setting.

Who do you think would win in a fight
between you and the banker?

Ummm, a physical fight or an intellectual
fight?

Both.

I would win the physical, but I don’t think that I
could beat him intellectually. He is a master brain,
he has a mega brain. And of course I revealed it
tonight, nobody knew until I said it, he came to university
here at Exeter.

What did he study?

He studied Financial Affairs and Politics. All
you’ve got to do is work it out from his
age and go through the records and
find out who it is.

Do you really have eleven people to
maintain your beard?

Now twelve, because I’ve been
branching out and I’m now having
quite a bit of work done on my
eyebrows and my side-burns.
And I’m thinking of going for a
major recruitment drive in the
new year and I might start waxing
my legs.

Talking about waxing your body, how do you feel about
there being a bikini wax named the ‘Noel’?

I am aware of the existence of the Noel.

What would be your tactics if you played the game?

I’ve only played the game once and I failed in that I
won £46,000, that was the offer and I could have got
£110,000 so I’m no good either.

[SPOILER CONTENT REMOVED - posted on spoilers thread]

If you were still doing House Party who would
you must like to gunge?

John Prescott I mean any man who can get that
upset by having an egg thrown at him got to be
good news for gunge. He would probably take it
out on the audience.

What’s your favourite gameshow?

I don’t watch gameshows, in fact I don’t really
watch television.

Which celebrity would you most like to have
come to a house party?

If it was a party where I invited 24 people 23 didn’t
turn up, it would be Uma Thurman. I would like
to have a private party with her.

Do you find it shocking that so many people
turned up to see you?

I find it humbling to be honest, I take my kids to
school in Exeter so it feels a bit odd to suddenly be
in the High Street with all these people wanting to
say hello. It’s great. It’s pretty good being me
at the moment.

How long do you think you will go on
with the show?

I have no idea. They have just offered me
a very long contract to do it.

Do you think you will get tired of it?

I’m not sure I will, it’s actually really good fun to give money to people
when the money is somebody else’s, and you’re being paid to do it. And
I do like people, so every show is different. It’s really quite exciting
and it gives you an energy. The key thing for me will be whether the
public grow tired of it. I mean logic says that you can’t keep going round
in circles. Millionaire had about seven years at the top, will this last seven years? I don’t know

Noel, you have been an absolute delight, thank
you very much.