Greetings friends, and welcome to the first of this series of re-commentaries using a recording from my rather large collection. I actually booted it up on Monday to see if I had this episode, and I'd forgotten quite how many recordings I accumulated!

Thankfully, I did indeed have this episode, so here we go with an episode from August 2011. An odd period for us fans of the show; the show had returned from its summer break two weeks early and none of us really knew what was going on. Of course, the announcement of the LIVE shows eventually solved the conundrum, but, before then, the response to the first few weeks of that season was a bit odd.

Here, for example, is a good big money win that I feel didn't get the reaction it deserved (including from myself)...

Noel welcomes us to Game 3 of the season, and reminds us of Candi's crash yesterday and how she took good confidence from it nonetheless.

Playing today is... CHRIS!

Christopher Gorringe, from Hassocks in West Sussex (home of the famous Hassocks Hog!). He has a lucky golf ball and golfing glove signed by Lee Westwood, which his parents, in the audience alongside his brother, acquired from a golfing competition. He wants his winnings to set him up for life; he says he's had a comfortable upbringing, and wants to be able to do things for himself finally.

He confirms his choice of Box 21 was at random, and away we go...

Chris says 21 is one of his lucky numbers!

Box 11 with Katie - £3,000

Box 19 with Kirsty - £75,000

Box 6 with Sharleen - £35,000

"Ooh, no!" says Noel.

Box 13 with £4 Paul - £100

"At last!"

Box 14 with Mark - £750

"Tricky opening round, that is."

Chris doesn't expect this to be a good offer.

BANKER'S OFFER

A DIRTY TARNISHED SILVER SPOON!

Naturally, it's NO DEAL!

And, as it's an hour long show, we go to a break...

When we return, Noel says Chris has been very open and honest, but has given the Banker the impression that he's a bit of a snob! This is not the case, they claim.

Box 16 with Loz (one of the few DoND contestants to have his own Wikipedia page!) - £500

Box 2 with Debbie - £15,000

Box 10 with James - £10

The Banker says he is jealous of Chris, and thinks he is sensible. He also thinks he could be a loose cannon!

BANKER'S OFFER

£11,000

A few intakes of breath accompany the applause.

Chris wasn't expecting that, especially as all of the Banker's Power 5 are there. His Dad advises another round.

Chris agrees, NO DEAL.

Box 20 with 'Smiler' Rich - 50p

"At last, one of the Banker's Power 5."

"That 1p's on my mind." He said in the previous game that he'd never had it, and he doesn't want 'King Sod' to put it in his box today!

Box 8 with Wayne - £50,000

"Ooh, that's a rotter!" says Noel. He is worried Chris will win 1p now!

Break before the final box...

We return, and Chris puts on the Lee Westwood glove.

Box 3 with £30k Danielle - £5,000

And that's the round. The Banker sees Chris as two people, 'Sensible Chris' and 'Loose Cannon Chris'.

BANKER'S OFFER

£10,000

Silence, followed by applause. Chris says it's a good offer.

Chris says he likes to think of himself as a gambler, and you don't win big money unless you take a big risk and get lucky.

A bit of advice from the parents, before a third NO DEAL.

Noel thinks the way Chris batted away the Banker's joking at the start was good, and thinks the game will be good to him now.

Box 18 with Keith - £100,000

"Bother!" says Noel. "That one box has changed everything."

Box 12 with Nyomi - £50

"You've got to get that penny out."

Box 17 with Gurpal - £20,000

"OH! One box game."

Chris didn't expect this to happen. Noel says everyone arrives with hope. The Banker points out four of his Power 5 are still there, so Chris knows the stakes if he goes on: almost 40% chance the Jackpot will go. He appeals to 'Sensible Chris'.

BANKER'S OFFER

£7,000

"So hard, isn't it?" Chris didn't expect to get emotional, but he does now, as it's such a big decision. His first reaction was that it was a decent offer, and more than he was expecting. His Dad says he knows he'd want to go all the way. His brother says he's never had £7,000 before, but this is his only chance to win £250,000. Chris says he'd be devastated if he dealt and had the Jackpot.

He asks for the question, but the Banker calls before Noel can call and increases the offer a bit!

BANKER'S OFFER

£7,000.01

Chris says the Banker comes up with some great lines, and he has nothing but love for him! The Banker is so flattered, he ups the offer again!

BANKER'S OFFER

£8,000

"I've never seen an offer like that on a board like that." His Dad says it's a good offer. Chris says it's a lot of money and he could do a lot with it; but, says Noel, imagine what the offer would be if he misses the Jackpot in the next round.

Finally, we get the question...

NO DEAL!

Time for a break...

We're back, and Noel says Chris is an OHO!

"Three boxes that can literally set him up in life."

Box 15 with Rosie - 1p

Huge cheers for that. Noel says the Banker must now consider whether the penny going will push Chris on to go for the £250,000.

"Wouldn't it be great if you created the sensational round at the perfect moment?"

Box 9 with Gary - £5

"Nearly there." Chris is really pumped up now. Noel says this is an enormous moment.

Box 4 with Becky - £10,000

"OOF!", followed by applause. "He's still in the game!" Everyone offers encouragement.

"That was an astonishing round." The Banker says Chris took a risk, and he respects his courage. It has also frightened him a bit. Noel says this will be a real problem...

BANKER'S OFFER

£12,000

"That £250,000 is twinkling there." James says it's a question of whether Chris wants to see what's in his box. Chris's Dad said Chris said beforehand he'd go for the Jackpot if it was there, but he also said he'd be happy with £15,000, so maybe he should be sensible now. Chris says that's a year's wages for him. Paul tells Chris to do what he wants to do.

The Banker calls and refers back to Dad's comment about £15,000, but he's not increasing the offer. He thinks £12,000 is high enough as it is, and he expects a deal now.

"NO DEAL!"

A few low gasps. Chris says he'd have dealt if the £250,000 was a different Power 5.

Noel says that was an extraordinary gamble to take. He says we've waited a long time for a male £250,000 winner.

Box 1 with Charlotte - £1,000

Muted applause for that. "What an atmosphere!" He says Chris having the £250,000, after worrying about the 1p, would be a delicious irony.

Box 5 with newbie Lauren (who later did a wing-walk) - £250

Big cheers! Noel says this is one of the biggest boxes in DoND history. Various wingers shout "Come on Chris!"

The Banker calls and says the next offer will be either 50p or £50,000! He can't remember a potential swing that big.

Chris realises he has left the Death Box and his lucky number 7 as the last two. He goes for the latter...

Box 7 with Fred -...

"This is up there with among the biggest box openings ever."

...10p

The studio erupts! Chris runs around in celebration, before hugging Fred and hoisting him off the floor!