EXCLUSIVE: A former Deal or No Deal contestant has revealed what really happens behind the scenes17:58, 13 Jul 2026Hit game show Deal or No Deal has been delighting viewers for over 20 years.‌It was originally presented by Noel Edmonds from 2005 to 2016 on Channel 4 before being rebooted in 2023 on ITV with Stephen Mulhern as the host.‌Each episode sees a contestant choose one of 22 boxes, each containing a different cash amount. The rest of the game is determined by luck - cash amounts are randomly allocated to each of the boxes prior to the game, with contestants required to open a specific number of boxes per round to eliminate the cash amounts that are not in their chosen box.‌This then affects how much the Banker chooses to offer the player. Games always end with the player opening all of the boxes, including their own, regardless of whether they've already dealt or if they are willing to take a risk.One lucky contestant was Lynne Hackles. The Pembrokeshire-based writer won £75,000 when she appeared on Deal or No Deal back in 2006. Lynne notably took a gamble by sticking with her box until the end, alongside a 10p box.‌Speaking to OLBG about her time on the show 20 years ago, Lynne revealed one unaired moment that is likely to surprise viewers. "I'd seen it on television, and when I got there, it was just how I expected. But then I got nervous, and I didn't even notice the cameras. It didn't dawn on me until afterwards. You do get to know all the other contestants because there's no competition," she said."I think the way the boxes are chosen is surprising because they'd bring around a bag of ping pong balls with the numbers on 1 to 22, and we had to pick a ball out."And then they would write your name and the number of the ball you'd taken, so you wouldn't say to your neighbour. That was the bit that you don't see on television."‌On what she spent her winnings on, Lynne added: "So, we wanted to go travelling around the coast of Britain. After I won the money, my husband and I went to several places looking around for a motor home, and then we saw this American Winnebago. It had a nice little shower room in it and a toilet, so it got everything we wanted and we bought it."A local man did the decoration and details for me. So, I had my red box with the number 8 on it inside, and he had a Deal or No Deal sticker as well, so that went on it."‌This comes after a Deal or No Deal contestant couldn't spend her winnings after appearing on the show. Janet Swannell went up against the Banker earlier this year and walked away with £8,000. However, the children's entertainer later confirmed that she didn't get immediate access to the cash inside the box.Sharing an update on her TikTok page, Janet said: "Basically, there are two options. You either get your winnings six weeks after your game airs on ITV or six months after you play and you sit in the hot seat, whichever comes sooner."So for me, I recorded my show in November 2024, so I got my money around May because my episode only aired [in] January 2026, which is crazy. I couldn't tell anyone for over 12 months, despite everybody asking and asking. Honestly, if you ask all my friends, I did not tell them."Article continues belowDeal or No Deal is available to stream on ITVX, while Lynne's episode can be viewed on YouTube