Box 12 - £75,000 ( )

Silence. A horrible silence.

'Oh, forget it,' Wendy says. And she sweeps the hat off the table, sending the bingo balls flying.

'OK, 13, Caitlin. It can't be any UNluckier can it?'

'I wish I knew what to say... I make my career out of expression, but seeing hopes dashed like this defies any expression I have.'

Box 13 - £5

This game's so bad that a fiver is now classed as a red...

'Well, that box went OK... as did the first one...'

'Doesn't matter much now really,' Wendy points out. 'I know I've got a rubbish sum in here, it wasn't ever meant to be.'

'You don't know that,' Patrick points out. The phone rings. 'He does know... and it may be that you have £15,000 and only he knows it. Hello?

He wants the hat. It's his lucky hat now.' Wendy takes the hat and gives it to Meinir. 'Thank you,' says Meinir, 'but I'll have to put it in secure storage at the hotel until I've played!' Laughter.

'OK... OK...'

*hang up*

'To leave with some dignity remaining, and because your situation is deteriorating still further, he is offering you £999 again.'



Wendy looks uncomfortable. 'I'm... ready, yes.'

'£999, again... Deal or No Deal?'

A short silence...

...'No Deal.'

'Suddenly, it seemed as though you were about to go.'

'I'm probably going to wish I had... 19 please.'

Pawel uses his right hand this time.

Box 19 - £300

'Another one like that and we can start looking at thousands rather than hundreds.'

'18 please.' Alice. She is wearing thick make-up which is now becoming smudged - she has clearly been crying. 'It's... been... horrible...'

Box 18 - £750

'Well... we needed that...'

The phone rings very quickly. 'Hello?'

'Yes, a bit better... oh, you had to put the emphasis on 'a bit'... OK.'

'He's gone up to £1,500.'



'Mmm... that's not bad... Donald?'

'Actually, yes it is bad. Less than half the average value on the board, and two higher with one to open. No Deal, Wendy. You've had a horrible game but you can still get more than that.'

'Cyril?'

'Even I think you should go on, you deserve so much more.'

'OK, that's enough. I'm ready.'

'£1,500... Deal or No Deal?' 'No Deal.'

'One more box... then one more offer.' '9, Alisha.'

Box 9 - £100

Wendy seems happier now. A bit.

'Now, take out 10p and you'll at least get £400... you can do something with £400, even if it's four tins of paint.' A few laughs.

A quick and silent Banker call...

'It's not so much of an emergency now, but he thinks you should take £1,999.'



'And I think he's wrong,' replies Wendy, back in confident mood. 'No advice needed, I'm ready.' '£1,999... Deal or No Deal?' 'NO DEAL!'. She sounds like she's trying to make herself more confident than she is, to be honest. 'One more.'

'I'll assure £400 with Box 4.' Ben. 'Really hope so...'

Box 4 - 10p

'It is!' Patrick cries, as if this game was for bigger money. 'It IS the 10p!' The crowd are getting into this again. 'And it IS looking better now!'

The Banker rings. 'Well, not for him it isn't... hello?

Yes, I suppose that's true. Goodbye.'

'He points out it's still not a big game, and he is quite happy to hand over £2,400 for you to go.'



'No,' replies Wendy confidently. 'I haven't asked you yet!'

'I know. You can now.'

'Oh, OK... £2,400, Deal or No Deal?' 'NO DEAL!'

Next up... '26.' 'BOOOOOYEAH!!' Geoffrey does a little dance, most unexpectedly. 'Anything is possible,' announces Patrick, 'including a decent win from a position that seemed beyond repair earlier. But what isn't possible is going through without a commercial break getting in the way now.'

I'm heading to bed - game will resume.

Box 26 - £15,000

'And now, it seems... all the good work from the last few boxes has been undone.'

'At least I'm getting £400,' Wendy muses. 'I could have won 1p, or 50p, or whatever. At least I'm getting something that I can spend.'

The phone rings. 'Yes, yes, we know you've won really, but you're having to cough up a bit.'

'Oh, OK.'

'It's more than £999...'

'Let me guess, £1,000?' 'Yes.'



Wendy shakes her head. 'I'm ready.'

'£1,000... Deal or No Deal?' 'No Deal.'

'One more... either £400 or £500, it really doesn't matter which.'

'10, Oliver.' 'You really have been trapped in the bunker today Wendy, I hope you can find the green here.' 'Oh, you're a golf man Oliver?' Patrick asks. 'Yes, I used to be a greenkeeper in fact.'

'Open Box 10... and don't send her running even quicker to the 19th.'

Box 10 - £400

'If only I'd picked him last time,' muses Wendy.

'Well, it's now either £500 or £3,000...' The Banker rings. 'Or an amount of his choosing.'

'Hello? Yes, OK.'

'OK, it's a straightforward gamble now. Either £500, £3,000... or £1,500.'



'Correct me if I'm wrong,' Donald says, 'but I don't think she's had an offer above £3,000 all game.' 'You know, I think you're right,' Patrick replies.

'I think I'm ready.'

'£1,500... Deal... or No Deal?'

'I can do something with £500, so NO DEAL.'

Applause.

The Banker rings again. 'Ooh... what do we have here?'

'Hello? Oh... you're... too kind.' Laughter.

'He says you can swap the boxes if you wish.'

'Well, he knows what I should really do here... and I think he's trying to give me enough rope to hang myself. He's been doing that all game really. So I'm going to stick with 3 for £3,000.' Cheers.

'I really hope you are right... but what if that swap was a genuine offer for you to get more out of the game than just £500? Here we go...

...in your box 3...'

£500.

'As I said, I can spend that.' Box 15 with Gillian... £3,000 was there.

'Not at all what we wanted, but I suppose it had to come. Wendy leaves us with £500, and someone will get the chance of winning a thousand times more than that after the break. I know it's tempting after that game, but don't go away - we WILL beat that next!'