Hi Carlton! I really liked you...plus you had the mighty Box 4...so I was gutted when you got a tenner. Think I'd have done exactly the same.

To be honest, I'd turn down the early offers no matter what they were (well, within reason...), as I'd want an exciting game. OK, if you desperately need the money, that should come first, but as I don't (and I hope that neither did Carlton), I'd be more concerned with the experience of the game. Not that I would chuck away huge amounts of money in the quest to provide entertainment, but...I think I'd rather go on and win a tenner than deal really early for £15k.

Nice to see Nick, too - he and his wife were hilarious!

A Plymouth man gambled £15,000 on TV gameshow Deal Or No Deal... and heartbreakingly lost £14,990 of it.

Carlton Rhodes, aged 27, a second-year chemistry student at the University of Plymouth, was made - and refused - the five-figure offer on last Monday night's show on Channel 4.

Carlton's luck ran out and he finally 'won' £10 after refusing to deal to the bitter end.

However, he insisted £10 would still be enough for a night out at the Plymouth Students' Union - a joke that ran through the show.

He said: "Student Unions are obviously known for cheap drinks," said Carlton, who has lived in Plymouth since moving from Birmingham 10 years ago.

"Wasn't it just a pity it wasn't a few more £10s!"

Deal Or No Deal - presented by comeback king Noel Edmonds - is the latest gameshow sensation to hit our screens.

It airs daily on Channel 4 at 4.15pm, but this week, to coincide with the World Cup, is also airing at 8pm in the evening.

One of 22 contestants is randomly selected at the start of each show. If unselected, contestants remain part of the game until their name is called and it's their turn to beat the Deal Or No Deal banker.

Contestants each have a sealed box containing an unknown sum of money ranging from 1p to £250,000. The banker makes strategic and periodical offers for a contestant's unopened box.

Last Monday, Carlton held out for more money after the banker's third offer hit £15,000 - but that decision courted disaster and Carlton finally took home just £10, the sum in his box.

"I really wanted to do well, but when you're playing it feels different and you just go for it," said Carlton, whose name came up on his 26th appearance on Deal Or No Deal, which is filmed in Bristol.

"You put a brave face on it, but it's really gutting."

However, he added: "There's a really, really close atmosphere up there. It was an amazing experience; I've never really experienced anything like that before.

"Noel (Edmonds) was brilliant - really funny. He was very good at his job and really put you at your ease during your game, because it was nerve-wracking."

Western Morning News Article

Interesting article Suezan.

He's 27?? Aaaaaargh, they're always so much older than they look!

I can't believe that either

£15k was about the right offer. Playing on required either the £100,000 and the £250,000 to survive the fourth round (a 49% chance) or to lose the £100,000 only, turn down the probable joke offer and then keep the quarter-million into the final five: probability of that:

That comes to 13.6%. So there was about a 5/8 chance of the gamble clearly paying off, potentially spectacularly with £35,000 on the board as well.

In fact...



I'd definitely have done the same. The Banker took you for a wuss and nearly paid big time for it.