Donna's Game Report

Another day in at the dream factory and in Noel's intro he underlines the NO DEAL part of his opening gambit! Does Noel prefer the No Dealers? Noel talks about Jim's heartbreak game of yesterday and tells everyone to put that behind them and play their own game today.

It's Donna's turn in the 'Crazy Chair' and she has box 1 today, she's from Essex and is a secretary for a construction company. Noel quizzes Donna about her job but she struggles with Noel's questions, Noel says he's just trying to break in her gently with these easy questions as the more difficult ones come up in the game! Donna has her fiancé in the audience for support today and we learn a little about how he proposed to her, Donna is hopefully looking to win enough for a deposit on a house.

Round 1
Donna struggles to choose her first box, so Noel prompts her.
19 - £250 Big cheers for the blue
12 - £750 more cheers
Donna is really struggling to choose her boxes at the moment.
4 - £500
14 - £1,000
18 - £35,000 a few groans for the lowest power 5

Donna says that's OK. The banker does an impression of Donna on the phone as a secretary, being very vague with his replies!! The banker says his cook is from Essex, she had an accident the other day and cut herself! He asked where are you bleeding from and she said Romford!!! Terrible joke!! He offers £10,000.

Donna says that's a years salary, and Noel tells her to drive back there tomorrow and ask for more for all the promotion her company has got today. Noel asks if Donna is nervous today after Jim's game yesterday, and she says yes that really shook her up! Donna then says NO DEAL.

Round 2
15 - £15,000
10 - £50,000 'OH WHAT' says Donna to silence from the studio
Noel tells Donna not to worry, as there are still big numbers in play, Donna wants to leave Simon until the end but decides to choose him after the break...
Back from the break and Noel says that Donna is more relaxed now.
8 - 1p OMG says Donna as she rushes over to hug Simon.

The banker says he was hoping for a better round there, and he's finding Donna hard to read, he then offers £10,000, he sticks. Donna turns to her fiancé who says there are still loads of blues there, Donna says NO DEAL.

Round 3
Donna thinks of picking newbie Paul with box 5 but is afraid he'll have a big one, so goes elsewhere.
2 - £75,000 Groans for that one
20 - 10p Cheers to that one
16 - £20,000 YES that's fine shouts Donna

Noel says that was a really disappointing round although Donna seems happy with the board. The banker says he wants to be cruel but can't be and offers £7,500. Donna's fiancé joins her at the pound table for a little chat, Noel chips in that if the 2 big ones stay in play during the next round the offers with soar, Donna says NO DEAL.

Donna's fiancé stays at the table and takes a sip of her tea, Noel asks if he would like anything else? He says yes, a bacon sandwich would be nice, so Noel calls for a bacon sandwich to be brought out!!

Round 4
7 - £3,000
11 -50p
Donna perks up when she realises that both of the top 2 can't be taken out now, although she struggles to choose the next number as all the numbers mean something now!! Noel calls another AD break.
9 - £100 BIG CHEERS all around

It's a good round for Donna, Noel offers to get Donna a chair as her fiancé is sitting in hers! Meanwhile the banker offers £21,000, the banker is worried as the big 2 are still in play - OMG says Donna. Donna really struggles over this offer, her fiancé reminds her that had always talked about a certain figure, Noel runs through the different plays now and says that the £21,000 is real money now that she can walk away with, although if Donna produces an all blue round now the banker will have to offer in excess of £50,000. He asks which would she regret more the fact that she could have been the first £250,000 or going home without the £21,0000, her fiancé says going home without the £21,0000. Donna says she is ready for the question and says DEAL.

Round 5 - Proveout round
21 - £1 silence for the lowest blue - Would have been a great start says Noel
5 - £50 BIG GROANS for another blue - OH WHAT says Donna and she doesn't to play anymore!!! Noel wonders if Donna is going to replicate Ingerlise's agony!!
13 - £10,000 ARRGGH says Donna

Donna says she is having a domestic now with her fiancé as he said to deal but she wanted to play on, he says it was her decision. Noel lets us hear the banker laughing down the phone, and says that with her fiancés help they have squandered £59,000!! Donna is now in tears.

Round 6 - proveout round
17 - £5 More groans and its perfection says Noel
22 - £10 unbelievable as the last blue goes! The whole studio and Donna cannot believe this round. Donna asks her fiancé to choose the next box, he says it's her call as it's her game.
3 - £5,000 UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

The perfect round!! £100,000 and £250,000 remain!!

I can't believe this says Donna as she starts to take out her frustration on her fiancé!! Donna is really distressed over this and says she is going to be sick! The banker would have offered £170,000, this gets an enormous groan from the pilgrims. Donna is in tears, and asks why didn't she have the guts to go on, Noel tells her to remember her feeling when offered the £21,000 and how much that sum meant to her at the time.

Noel opens Donna's box 1 and reveals £250,000. It's there!! Donna is in tears as the whole studio falls into silence, there are shocked reactions all over the studio. Box 6 contains the £100,000.

Noel tells Donna to focus on the £21,000 win and remember that £21,000 is still a lot of money and will help her greatly. Donna says she is really thankful for that and thanks for having me.

On Noels voiceover at the end he talks about the worrying trend of family and friends influencing the course of the games, and the fact that it's a game about one person taking on the banker and good fortune, and when contestants deviate from this they miss the chance of a lifetime.

That was an incredibly painful game to watch at times as the proveout rounds compounded Donna's anguish with every box opening. This game is certainly going to provide many talking points over the whole game. The involvement of someone close to the person in the decision making, whether the deal was right or wrong at the point it was taken, Noel's labouring of the wrong decision. Of course we only see a small edited section of the whole game and it's down to the production team how we perceive the final airing, and it's their job to provide an entertainment drama, as Noel likes to put it.