Steve won £7000

This is truly a family show - I have my family around me while watching tonight's game, and if I miss the name of anyone, its because I didn't hear it above the shouting from my kids - 'No Deal', 'What an idiot', 'Dad, where are my maltesers?',

Tonight its Steve turn, rumour control continuing to get it right. Steve was following on from two disastrous games - if it was me I would be happy, odds are that this should be better - but we'll see. Steve was clearly a very popular player, although quiet-ish with the home audience, he had clearly been a party animal with the other contestants and they loved him.

Steve wanted noise and got it.

Round one: Massimo, hoping for a great night opened box 15 - £250. Box 20 was Linda's, the crowd groaned, the lid revealed £250,000. Steve's voice was shaking a little, loss of the big one had affected him. He tried to get back into the groove, but if you are hoping to win £250,000 and you suddenly find that its not going to happen, a cloud of dreams just explode in front of you. Running on automatic, he went for Sandra, she stood beside him before he took his place on the hot seat. Sandra had box 19 and it had £100. This was better giving the crowd something to cheer to bring up Steve's spirits. Fadil was next, he opened £50,000. The pattern was good, bad, good, bad. Pete finished the round opening box 13 to reveal £10,000. The crowd clapped, but did not cheer, ambitions were already curtailed. The banker offered £800. John's advice was to keep going or take the offer and hit the pub. This broke the ice, and got Steve grinning again. 'No Deal', of course.

Round two: Kirsty opened box 1 to reveal £1000, everyone was happy with that - 'as good as blue', said Noel. Gabrielle opened box 21 - £250. James would follow the break and during it Steve put some of his 'lucky pictures' on the desk including a line drawing of his god-daughter. He was personalising the game, past-history teaches that this is not a good tactic. James opened his box to reveal 1p, this always gets a great cheer. The banker was going for pantomime baddie, suggesting Steve's girlfriend was accepting second best. The offer at the end of all that was £6100, but Steve wanted more.

Round three: Gary with the eyebrow was next - £5000, Steve looked around the room and then smiled at the new girl, a very gorgeous Maxine. She opened 50p, and the audience were now beginning to wake up. Steve's technique was to look around the contestants very seriously, then he would catch the eye of one of them and immediately this massive smile would break across his face - this time it was Julia, and she opened £500. Noel asked the contestants for advice and then followed a brilliant little cameo between Noel and Pat M, a lovely Irish lady who completely dazzled Noel. Eventualy the banker phoned to admit it was a very good round, Steve now feeling the pressure listened intently, he had reached the halfway stage of the board. The offer was £13005. Steve asked for a sweep 'what did they think of the offer and what did they think of the board?' The majority said 'if it was me I would go on'. The best bit was when Steve, emulating Noel's earlier sweep, pretended to completely ignore Pat M. Noel sitting at the desk asked Steve the question, and he said in a very relaxed tone, 'No Deal', the walkabout had done him good...or had it?

Round four: distinguished Johnnie was next, he opened box 3 to reveal £3000. This was OK. Again Steve searching the room, his eyes, watery pools, settled on Cathy, but no smile, this was serious. As with Lucy and Janet, Cathy sounded low as she opened her box, and with good reason, inside was £20,000. The audience were silent now, and Noel looked back to them, 'where is the noise, we need noise'. As a joke after the break Noel killed the noise from the audience, but it meant that a change in atmosphere. Steve went for the other Pat, it was £75,000, music reflecting a gloom that seemed to pervade the studio. The offer was £4000 - 'derisory', said Noel, and the contestants all seemed to recommend going forward, 'there was another deal on the board'. Steve agreed as as a cancer patient does with doctors' advice, clutching at straws. The board had 100k,35k, and £15,000 as well as five blues. There was a strong sense of desperation.

Round five: John opened box 7, it was the 100k. The crowd groaned again, Steve's girlfriend - Laura - had her head in her hands. Steve asked for JT, barely able to prounce his name. JT promised a blue, but it was £15,000. Only the £35,000 was still in play. 'Now it is all or peanuts' said Noel. Richard had box 22, finally some relief at the end of the round - £1. The banker's offer was £1305 - no deal said Laura, 'cause its crap'. But this was down to Steve, and he had just seen Lucy get £5 and Janet take £1. 'This was now a single box game' said Noel looking at the board. 'No deal' said Steve, the smile had gone, Steve was now a much more serious individual and the decision was brave verging on foolish.

Round six: In this round he had to avoid the only red, the laws of probability said that four times out of five he should fail this challenge. Jim opened box 8, £50, he needed two more. Pat M let her mind wander, as is her want, but we just wanted the box opened - finally she produced £5. Steve had to find one more blue, there were two blues and a red left. He looked around the numbers left and decided on Dave, the lid opened and it was £10 - suddenly the sun had come out. 'I think the next offer might be slightly further away from the excrement' said Noel, looking at Laura with faux disapproval over her earlier language. Noel got Laura to talk to the banker, who in turn suggested she apologise for swearing. 'Do you think I should say sorry?' The crowd said 'No' continueing the pantomime, but Steve, thinking of the offer said 'yes'. So she apologised, she was VERY sorry - good fun.

The offer was £7000, trying to push Steve onwards, what was he going to do? Noel said '£7000 is real money'. Steve was having to face the end - his girlfriend wanted that holiday - he said 'Deal'.

As it turned out, Helen had the £35,000, there was only £750 in Steve's box - so he had pulled it round, but this had been a lot of stress for a relatively small gain. Steve and Lucy had been very popular contestants, particularly with other contestants - and it seemed to have an impact on their ability to win large amounts. Steve could have left with almost twice what he eventually took home, but his peers recommended going on, the banker was wrong, it was Steve who was forced to accept second best.