Greetings friends. OK, change of plan tonight. I was planning to cover another game tonight, but I've now decided to save that for two weeks' time (as I won't be doing one of these next week), and instead cover a big money win, broadcast twelve years ago today, that got a decidedly mixed reaction, and see whether I agree with, what appeared to be, the majority view of the time.

For context, the show hadn't had a Power 5 win since £100k Betty five months earlier. And the previous ten (I think) episodes had all had blues on the table...

Noel confirms this in his opening spiel, saying we've had ten blues in a row on the table. He's convinced we'll have a big red on the table today!

Today's player is... JULIE!

Julie Holdsworth (or Hitsworth as I'm sure Wikipedia said for a while), from Brighouse in Yorkshire, a part-time hypnotherapist. Noel makes a lot of jokes about how she is trying to coach people into not eating, smoking etc, and clearly hasn't been following her own advice! (Couldn't do that nowadays, he'd be sacked on the spot!) Julie had photos of her two children, both of them passport photo sized, and one of her late aunt and grandmother.

She confirms she chose Box 12 at random, and away we go...

Box 5 with Chelsea - £50

Box 9 with Judy 'the monster' - £100,000

Box 12 with Karina - £50,000

Box 6 with Charlie - £750

Box 4 with Joyce - £1,000

That was quick.

The Banker has been looking forward to this game, as Julie has been whipping everyone up back at the hotel! More risque banter that likely wouldn't be allowed nowadays. He wanted to offer £11,500, but he can't because of the £100,000 going. So, instead, it's...

BANKER'S OFFER

£1,500

And it's an instant NO DEAL.

Box 3 with Chris - £20,000

"Oh dear me" says Noel.

Box 17 with Pauline - £10,000

"That's rubbish" says Noel, and he points out the money ladder.

Time for a break, but not before Julie pretends to hypnotise Noel and he falls over!

Noel is fully recovered by the time we come back!

Box 8 with Tony - £35,000

Julie picks another box, only for the phone to remind her we're done for now!

"You must be laughing your little socks off" says Noel to the Banker, who says he loves Julie for laying Noel out!

BANKER'S OFFER

£3,000

"That is really nice", but it's another quick NO DEAL.

Box 20 with Doug - 1p

Ah, so we're not yet at the time when you had to come out and do the 1p kiss in front of the board then!

Box 15 with Whitey - £1

Box 2 with Peter - 50p

Great round. Julie lets out a very loud "YES!".

The Banker says he was going to double the offer, but the round was so good, he's tripling it instead!

BANKER'S OFFER

£9,000

"That is very, very, very much appreciated. Very. Lot of money."

But it's another quick NO DEAL.

Box 10 with Ada - £15,000

Cries of "it's alright". Julie remains upbeat. The Banker calls and says it's all going wrong. Noel makes Julie talk to him!

"Ooh, you've got a nice voice actually!" She tells him that she's getting the same final two as Laura!

"Banker... Banker! You never shut up man! Shut up!" Huge laughs and applause for that! Julie tells him this will be a big money game!

Box 21 with Lee - £3,000

Well, there goes her prediction! The Banker predictably calls back: "so much for your script, big mouth!" He tells us to come back after the break and watch Julie get humiliated!

We're back, and Julie has whipped the audience right up!

Box 16 with Arann - 10p

"The lowest one, good!"

"It's a great game. It's got a great feeling about it." Noel says the Banker's forecast hasn't come true.

"He respects you now because you stood up to him!"

BANKER'S OFFER

£12,500

"That's kinda stopped you in your tracks." Julie becomes emotional and says she needs a minute. She feels she can do another round. Claude says she should go for it if she feels she can, and deal if she has any doubts.

Julie says she's keeping 1, 7 and 11 to the end. David offers advice, saying there are more blues to hit. Arann appears to advise her to take the money.

Julie eventually asks for the question.

"NO DEAL." But not at all a confident one.

"This is THE round" says Noel. Julie is convinced she can do an all-blue round, and a few others aren't.

Box 14 with Pammy - £250,000

Groans all round. Someone says "you've still got £75,000 there". Noel there must surely be a red on the table at last. Julie whips everyone up again.

"This lady does not deserve the cruelest of round."

Box 18 with Penny - £500

Julie can't look at the final box...

Box 19 with Claude - £5,000

Murmurs, before "it's all right", and applause.

Noel says Arann is owed half an apology after his prior advice, but we must believe the £75,000 is on the table. Julie suddenly remembers something: she wrote herself a cheque for £75,000 before she came to the studio! So that must mean she's going to win it!

The Banker says he was frightened when she turned down the previous offer, but he thinks he's got her now...

BANKER'S OFFER

£2,500

Groans for that. Julie says it's a joke, and she has no choice...

"NO DEAL."

"What a climax. You've created a memorable game. This is gonna be a game people talk about for a very long time." (Yep, still talking about it twelve years later! )

"Everyone here wants you to win £75,000!"

Box 22 with Lou - £10

"Wow! Wouldn't it be great to make that cheque you wrote to yourself come alive?"

Box 1 with Malc - £250

"Nearly there" says Noel.

"This is really really very difficult." Julie thinks she has a blue on the table and that £75,000 is in one of the two remaining boxes!

Box 11 with Gill - £100

Big cheers, and the wings start chanting "Ju-lie, Ju-lie!"

"We're not there yet. You could argue the most important bit is still to come!"

The Banker recalls how Julie said she had no choice at the last offer.

"Well, now he's really giving you no choice. She's not offering you any money at all; his offer now is simply the swap!"

"This could be one of the most important decisions of your life: Box 7 or Box 12."

Julie looks on stunned for a moment, before...

"SWAP!"

Low gasps, followed by applause.

Noel does the swap, to nervous applause. "You're convinced I'm now collected £75,000."

"It is no exaggeration to say this is one of the all-time most amazing shows we've had."

"You have this massive belief that, by writing a cheque for £75,000 to yourself and putting it in your hotel room for the duration of your stay, that that would guarantee that you won £75,000."

"Julie, I so hope I've just carried £75,000 into your life." He pulls the seal on Box 7...

"Oh Julie, have I?"

...and opens it to reveal... £75,000!