After a quick plug for the WWF (not the wrestlers), it's time (UFC reference unintended) for the action from the Media Action Studio in Amsterdam, if I heard that right.

One thing I've not mentioned so far this series; the models wear gold dresses every episode now. And Linda enters tonight in jeans! Nice to see a more dressed down host, although she's wearing quite a few gold bracelets. Amusingly, the bell rings very early, after the last two players almost didn't use it. (And won so little they might as well not have used it...)

The quiz has produced two fantastic finalists: Margriet (I think that's the Dutch spelling), and Alex. Margriet is an old lady with adult children, Alex is much younger, has long, questionable hair, large semi-rimmed glasses, and is wearing a sweater with a multi-coloured skeleton motif in a pixellated style. I know I stopped taking pictures of the last two games, but this has to be shown.


...and if I win €5,000,000, the first thing Endemol will do is make sure I get a personal stylist.

They're both on the money clock, and we've had some low amounts lately on this... there we go, it rockets up quickly to five figures. MARGRIET STOPS AT €46,700! She can't quite believe it. I think that was going to nearer €75,000... let's see... €89,000!!

So it's Alex, who is also wearing jeans and white sneakers. Linda mentions something about a five-star hotel and champagne, and he responded with "no", and Linda said about him being "practical". I don't need to understand any other words being said to know he's almost certainly a university lecturer. The bell goes to a mixed-race female from Rotterdam, with a name I can't write from hearing it; I am reminded that I cannot recall the last non-white contestant to play the endgame. Unfortunate. Alex is also from Rotterdam.

Another WWF plug, relating to tigers in India; I am reminded that my friend has been in Russia recently with the WWF, as part of efforts to save the tiger. One long adbreak later, and we're back with Alex's atttempt to win enough money to buy a new wardrobe. CASE 13 is bought to the table. Mass iPad giveaway to one block! It goes to block 2 (4796, Oudemolen), and Monique Vroegop also won €10,000.

Didn't understand what was said in his interview, but it drew a few laughs. I am still stunned by that sweater. Think he was talking about a dream house there at the end. Anyway, let's see what he can get.

ROUND 1
1 - "naturally" - €400,000! Oh dear. Linda speaks to the bell-ringer wishing her luck.
2 - €10,000.
3 - €1,000. He's doing a Dave!
4 - €5. A few claps!
5 - €300,000. Top five still there...
6 - €500. Good start in the end!

Someone else did the 1-6 opening round but then changed tack after a disastrous start... I don't see Alex changing.

OFFER €38,000

"That is a very high opening offer," Linda says, and she's not particularly wrong. It's not walking money, obviously - NO DEAL.

Bell reminder before...

ROUND 2
And a new tactic...
26 - BELL! - €750,000! €50,000 for the bell-ringer!! You can tell Alex isn't impressed though. Should've kept going the right way. Wonder what 7 had?
25 - €10. They can cheer that now.
24 - €5,000,000!! "Aiee." Where's Dave when you need him?
23 - €75,000. "That's OK."
22 - €5,000.

OFFER €42,000

For those who haven't seen this show - yes, this is normal for taking out the jackpot in round 2. Three huge amounts to play for still, and a NO DEAL.

ROUND 3
7 - €200,000.
8 - €100, after a US-style fakeout!
9 - €0.01! Cheers.
10 - €50,000.

Good round, and over €4m remains on this board:



Think that's the only time this series with more on the left than right at this stage, but three huge amounts... three cases to open... never bad. We should be in six figures here. Linda hints as much...

OFFER €115,000

Plenty of shouts to continue, a few not to. He's made his mind up, something tells me he's a maths whiz, NO DEAL it is.

ROUND 4
A change of tactic again?
11 - €25,000. If he'd gone purely forwards, he'd have had the top five at the second offer... I didn't understand what he said there, but it drew huge cheers, and it's followed by an adbreak.
12 - €2,500. Alex reacts calmly. Linda isn't so calm.
14 - €1! He even allows a little fist pump. "Alex!" Three huge amounts, two cases to open, 25% chance of a seven-figure amount in the case as Linda points out, one huge offer...

OFFER €215,000

Oohs and aahs, rather than cheers. I'd go on. Nobody's got to the one-to-open stage in this run; will Alex? Discussion about something he talked about in the break... oh he's got his smartphone out, and is ringing his mum!! She hears the offer, but I don't think she heard the board. Not all of it, anyway. Linda mentions the possibility of a million, though it's distance from here... he's thinking... NO DEAL!

This series probably needed at least one game going in live play into...

ROUND 5
15 (to laughter) - €2,500,000! And I'm sure Linda asked him if he wanted to change his mind... she swore afterwards, anyway.
16 - €500,000!

Oh, how this game can turn.

The Final Six
€0.20
€0.50
€20
€50
€100,000
€1,000,000

"Six amounts. Four are totally insignificant."

OFFER €115,000

Back to the third offer, which I think is generous, and I'd bail out here. Does he? Linda suggests the best-case five-case offer is €175,000... he does. DEAL! Good play, wish he'd won even more.

PROVEOUT
17 - €1,000,000! What a bailout! This would have been €15,000, probably...
18 - €0.50.
19 - €0.20.
20 - €100,000!

Irrelevant €20 v €50 finish... 21 had €20, so Alex's case 13 had €50. If only he'd just kept going forwards, then his final six would have been...

€10
€50
€5,000
€75,000
€750,000
€5,000,000

And he'd have taken out the €5k first, too...!