For the record, the £15k back up would have probably been enough for me to take a gamble at 8 box, but with that gone I would have definately gone at the next offer. In a one box game it's better to play the odds

My opinion is that I don't think it's fair that anybody be denied the opportunity to win some nice money on the show purely because they've got a learning difficulty. However, it's clear that some people, like Rob, will need a certain amount of assistance to help them make the decisions. At no point did Rob's mother tell him what to do, but she did need to get involved at the 8-box point to help focus his thoughts. It's just a shame that she was quite emotional herself at the time, although that's completely understandable when she's seeing her son in such turmoil.

I only saw the last half hour of Rob's game. I did find the deal and proveout very uncomfortable viewing. I was pleased when he dealt at £8,000, as he didn't seem like the type of player who could handle their game crashing. It's just a shame the proveout didn't go in his favour.

I understand why he dealt (find the big one and he'll never see an offer of £8k again + his circumstances) but I had a combination of schadenfreude/uncomfortableness at the proveout.

Hopefully this is the nail in the "DOND is a game for all" coffin. Some people are mentally incapable of playing a high stakes game and Endemol should accept that. If they don't then more moments like today's will happen.

The standing ovation for blowing £242,000 was just patronising and offensive. It was treating a person with learning difficulties differently - which no one should do.

I have to agree with you MisterAl. Speaking as someone who has been on the show, the stress you find yourself under playing the game can be very emotive, not to mention how you are going to come across to the outside world. I wasnt sure about posting this but Rob's collapse on national tv would do nothing to further the cause of people with learning difficulties. I know deal likes to be inclusive, but was there an element of patting themselves on the back by putting someone with Rob's problems on? This game is no respecter of persons and the fact that he would have ended up with 250k at the end just upped the ante of uncomfortable viewing to the maximum level. I don't like that people are being cruel about Rob as he seemed like a lovely bloke, but perhaps deal needs to look at themselves and think was it too much for the lad? Having said all that he got 8k out of it that he wouldnt have otherwise, but at what price?

On a different note, Noel pretty much take the game over at 8 box and played on with Rob's numbers when it looked like Rob wanted to just go home. I think he earned his money as the host. He certainly seemed to have a lot of respect for Rob which is nice to see, but I do hope that doesnt translate to him putting this game in the hall of fame!

I saw that too. I think people who post stuff like that should be banned outright if not tracked down and prosecuted. The comments were disgusting!!

That's just one of the many reasons why I am really trying to avoid ever using Facebook........

This couldn't be further from the truth. I was one of the people in that standing ovation, and my motivation was simply to show support for a person who was in considerable distress at the time. The fact that Rob had a learning difficulty had nothing to do with it. I'd have done the same for anybody going through that extreme level of distress, I'm sure.

He was always going to keep box 7 to the end though so would have had the £3k/£250k finish whichever way he picked the other 6 boxes.

Totally agree. It's the same as people who question why pilgrims clap when big numbers go - mistaking clapping as encouragement for a player who has just suffered a setback in their game for clapping the large amount going.

These two paragraphs manage to completely contradict each other. In one hand you say deal shouldn't allow people who are "mentally incapable" on and then on the other you find it patronising that they get a stading ovation for "blowing 242,000" So which is it?

I actually find myself, at least partly, agreeing with you on the first point as if playing that game was not too much for Rob not much more could have been, apart possibly if he had gone on and wiped the game out. As to the second point, in no way was it offensive to clap the man.

Does anyone else remember Chris Evans doing a game on TFI were two kids were pitted against each other for loads of prizes for their families? It was a blinking game and the first to blink would lose. It didn't last too long as the kids who lost used to be totally distraught about it. For me, Rob's game was akin to that.

I've seen games like that and kids just don't have the maturity to understand that outcomes are down to luck and gambling. Kids obviously shouldn't be gambling but they can still get luck.

Having watched the build up to the deal again, I don't think we can put Rob in the category of someone who doesn't understand gambling. As he carefully weighed up both outcomes; "I'm just wondering what I would regret more - knowing I've got the £250k in my box or the 50p". Mum says "I know what you would regret more - the 50p, yeh?". He then says "yeh".

It was his mum who said "I don't want you to gamble" "I feel thats good money for you" "It would take you years to earn that" "you've got to accept it wasn't your day" "8 thousand is a lot of money for you. yeh?".

Gotta say that this is a curious quote. One thing we did learn about Rob is that not only is he working two jobs, but he's working a lot of hours in both jobs too? Surely it wouldn't take him "years" to earn £8,000. On NMW he should get that in less than a year right? Or am I wrong?

My bad. She said "it would take you years to save 8 thousand" So many comments to push him to deal, I didn't hear any that encouraged him to consider the alternative that you are only there once.

I think you misunderstand why I posted this. I could tell that Rob understood the concept of gambling but what was different, as with the kids who lost in the TFI game, was that he actually could not cope very well if those decisions went against him and it was hard to watch kids' dreams being destroyed on tv as it was watching Rob's game.

Ah. Well thats succintly put. Indeed well having decisions that go against us is just part of daily life and part of maturing from a child to a grown up. We all make bad decisions and have to move out. Im sure we've all cried - I do everytime I rip up a worthless lottery ticket. As many people have mentioned whether this was well researched and the type of personality to put on a gameshow with such risks/rewards is questionable. They must interview candidates and give them pyschological analysis so they know what they are doing.