Fran's Game Report

Wednesday, sky is blue, summer looks as if its finally arrived - and we are inside like troglodites, waiting for the dream factory to give us a dream....sad really.

Noel arrived, he said there's no such thing as a bad deal, or a bad box, it was all in the timing, and you can only achieve success with courage. So there we are, a whole life's philosophy in the summary to DOND. Hope continues that a £250k winner is out there and may be found today, could it be....Fran. Fran sailed down the walk of wealth in the same way as the Queen Mary might, with box 22. She was a big girl - Alison Moyet meets Fran Cotton's hair stylist. She worked with children, and they had all signed a card wishing her luck. Fran was a grandmother, like policemen, they get younger everyday, and Fran was dedicating the game to her sister Wendy who died four years ago - so this game was as personal as it could be. 'Are you a gambler', asked Noel. Fran answered without hesitation, 'yes... bingo, lottery, horses, slot machines', and she had a lucky penny in her bra but there was no point in try to find that, lost like a sausage in the Mersey tunnel.

Round one: Buzz, 'my very good friend', box 13 - £3000. Fran spent a long time selecting James, box 21 - £10. Richard, who first appeared on May 20th, was welcomed to the show by Noel (early senility kicking in Noel?), he opened box 15 - 10p. Drew, box 2 - £10,000 - 'ah' said Noel, I think he may have thought it was the £100,000. [Of course Noel is off sick right now, maybe these mistakes were early signs. Get well soon Noel, we love you really.] Yvonne, box 17 - £50 - Fran squealed as if it was the last round. The offer was £7900. 'What do you think Mum?', said Fran looking back into the audience. 'There's more deals yet', mum's voice honed with half a million silk cut, but she had good skin so maybe she's given up. Fran agreed - ' No deal'.

Round two: beautiful Becca, box 10 - £5. 'Its looking fab' said Noel, so now I am watching with eyes half-shut, waiting for the big one. Fran went for box 19, Scott lifted the lid on £15,000. Big Ron was next on her list, 'there is not a chance that I am going to fit in the phone box', said Fran hoping that Ron could do the 1p two days in a row. After the break Noel pointed out that Ron was wearing the 'big cheque' shirt, but Fran persevered. She shouldn't have, Ron lifted the lid on £250,000 (only one box late considering Noel's call). The Banker jumped in with an offer of £3100 - 'no deal' said Fran just as quick.

Round three: Lee, box 18 - £50,000. 'Aww, now this is not good', said Noel encouragingly. Suzanne, box 4 - £5000. 'This is getting quite frightening, you have to break this red round', said Noel, like Droopy on the Titanic. Daz, box 7 - 50p. 'Now how do you feel?' asked Noel. 'Not too bad, a hiccup with the 50, but you have them in life don't you, and you get over them. I have a big heart and a big bottom', said Fran. The audience clapped and Noel said, 'I think its wonderful', he may have been talking about her attitude, or it could have been her bottom, I wasn't sure. The offer now was £10,000. 'How do you feel?' she asked mum, 'Lucky' said mum with a big grin, eyes glinting. 'No deal' said Fran, with the same eyes.

Round four: Carlton, box 14 - £35,000 - another of the power five. Fran was whiter than normal, the smile had gone, extra chins were appearing fast - she didn't suit stress. 'Box 1, Janie - £1000. Teresa was asked to chant 'blue' for two minutes. After the break box 20 was opened - £750 - so all that chanting worked. The Banker stuck at £10,000. The board contained £20k, £75k and £100k as well as five blues. She went for it - 'No deal'.

Round five: Nessie, box 16 - £250, so at least one red would survive. Jo, box 3 - 1p - Fran nearly fainted, Edinburgh earthquake watch were on standby. Finally for the round she went to Peter with box 11. There was just something in the way Peter sucked his teeth before opening, it was too late by then of course even if Fran had spotted it; he lifted the lid on £100,000. Yet Fran was not upset, she was looking at the two big reds still on the board. The banker pushed for her to go on by offering £5000. Fran's mum came down to give her hug then mum kissed the box. 'I want to go on?', said Fran to her mum, looking for reassurance, permission even? 'Aye go on' said her mum, Thelma and Louise were now accelerating towards the cliff edge. Fran was hoping to miss two reds from five in the next three choices, this was a big ask that had destroyed the dreams of many before her.

Round six: Mum stayed beside Fran. She went for Wayne, the new guy, with box 12 - £100. The audience cheered but Fran was praying, hands clasped tightly together. The audience were chanting 'blue', the contestants joined in and held hands. Fran had finally selected Joan, box 9. As £1 appeared people started screaming throughout the studio, Fran's face was covered by her hands. 'If you can take out the £500 now, you are guaranteed to go home with at least four times the last offer', said Noel. She went with Louis, box 8 - £20,000. For the third time in three days we had a blue against £75,000. Would the Banker offer £22,000 as he said he would for Colin yesterday? No! The offer was £28,000, the Banker clearly working on the basis that it was not in the player's box in each of the last two days. Fran's eyes had welled up, but her mum was smiling and swaying like a girl in the playground. On Monday Fran had watched Simone leave with £1, could this lovely, big woman, with photos of her grandchildren in front of her, take the risk? No, she dealt, and quite right too.

Noel opened her box, she had the £75,000, but Fran didn't care, £28,000 was going to make a massive difference to this woman (and her mum). Stevie opened box 5 - £500. Stevie seemed pleased that her streak of reds had ended, but this was not good if she was soon to be selected as the player.

Back to this game, it was good, not great but good enough. Fran's mum was there like a dynamo, encouraging but not influencing. Fran took risks as far as she could and then some, but the gambler's instinct cut-in to tell her that a drop of £27,500 was too much to risk - regardless that she had the £75k in her box, she had made a wise decision.

Fran won £28,000