Who knew a game show where briefcases/boxes being opened can get emotional?
Moments pages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.
UK version:
There have been many examples of this, but here are a few examples:- 12 December 2006
- Donna is the player, and this episode was broadcast a month prior to Laura Pearce becoming the show's first-ever quarter-millionaire. The game felt decent at first, up until her 8 box offer of £21,000. The boxes she had left were £1, £5, £10, £50, £5,000, £10,000, £100,000 and £250,000. She decided to take out the offer upon the advice of her fiancé. Needless to say, she took out everything except for the dream finish — £100,000 and £250,000. The Banker than gave her a 5 box offer of £59,000 and a 2 box offer of £170,000. Needless to say, everyone was in tears, and made worse when her box all this time had the £250,000. - 26 March 2007 - Kelsie, deemed by the Banker as the "reddest contestant he's seen" (due to her choice of clothes and polish) learns why a contestant should never trust him. She dealt at the 5 box offer of £29,000 and knocked out all the remaining blues she had - with only £75,000 and £250,000 left. Her 2 box offer was £160,000 and after that, she started to cry knowing she made a big mistake. All this time, she had the quarter million which left her gushing more tears and a silent studio.
- 18 November 2008 - Lee had a very bad game with bad offers, and was left with £10 and £1. Then The Banker soon called near the end and said that he was offering up a Double or Nothing synopsis for him. Lee had the option to swap his box and if he gained the former, £500 would be added while if it was the latter, he would be walking away empty-handed. Lee declined the swap and became the first-ever UK player to win nothing.
- 12 November 2009 - Caz ends up with the Double or Nothing after another bad game. Finding the £3,000 would double her money to £6,000, while the £100 would leave her becoming the third empty-handed contestant. That's what happened, and she was very upset about it too.
- Elderly contestant Corinne had a goal to buy a vintage Bentley from her birth year — something that would cost over £200,000, thus she was interested only in the top prize. Thoroughly uninterested in any bank offers, she managed to keep the £250,000 to the end, but with 1p as the other box remaining. Exasperated, the Banker offered Corinne £88,000, which she again declined. She turned down the swap, and her box contained the penny all this time.
- If you thought Donna's game was a downer, Mark's game during the 2012 Gold Medal Deal week (held in honor of the London 2012 Olympic Games) was even-worse. Taking place a week prior to Nong Skett becoming the show's fifth quarter-millionaire, there was nothing happy about this game at all, obviously except for the Banker. Mark never managed to gain an offer above £199 and knocked out all of the reds except for the £5,000 in his first 11 boxes. Coincidentally, the contestant who delivered the only blue throughout that entire half was none other than Nong.
- And to add salt on the wound was a Nintendo Hard Catapult game that was played during the five-box left expense where the prize was an all-expenses-paid holiday. Mark failed the game, like with the other contestants that week, and now he was done to two boxes - £50 and £500. The Banker must have been lucky that he finally got to see a contestant play exactly how he liked it, because he allowed Mark to have the holiday if he had £500 in his box, but if he had £50, he would go away with absolutely nothing.
- So, Mark accepted this, and the Banker ended up in likely his biggest victory yet - Mark got the £50 in his box and left with nothing. Everyone was in tears, and Noel stated that it was unquestionably the unluckiest game of Deal ever. There have been other contestants who have walked away with nothing (as seen above), but the fact this is how Mark's game ended up is a definite example of this trope big time.
- And speaking of Nong, her entire game was a Tear Jerker for herself. She was first all happy and upbeat but by the middle of the game, she was gushing tears. She rejected all the box offers (the highest being the 2 box offer of £68,000) and she had £5 and £250,000 left. Everyone had her faith, and this would all payout as she became the show's fifth quarter-millionaire, as noted above. Before the epic moment, this is what Noel had to say to her and her mother:Noel: Laura, Alice, Suzanne, and Tegan. Those four girls did not win our biggest prize... easily. They each went through a very difficult trip. Nong, I think, however, if you are gonna arrive at our greatest destination you've actually had the most difficult journey. Because you're not just playing this for yourself, you so much want to thank your mother. For that long journey from Thailand for twenty-one years of an upbringing (Nong sniffs loudly) you said had been a struggle. (Noel takes the red tab off the box)Nong: (sobbing uncontrollably) Please...Noel: I appreciate the fact you look but hopefully the only sound you're gonna hear is a bang and the confetti coming down... Nong. I hope it was all worth it! (Noel opens the box, and the £250,000 is inside, confetti cannons go off and everyone celebrates)
- During the 2012 "Big Christmas Dinner" specials, Lisa was the Christmas Day player. She did not have a very good game and ended up with £50 in her box, and of course, tears within her. On the other hand, the ending turned this downer into a heartwarmer, as The Banker was so impressed (that is with the fact she did badly) with her game that decided to give Lisa some flowers and a card that revealed that she would be gaining the holiday anyway.
- 30 January 2014: Peter had one of the worst endings, like, ever. The show at this point was losing money to give away and was more in line with pressuring the contestants to deal early. Peter didn't deal at all and won £750 which he used to buy Box 23. With Box 23, you had five options - double the money, add £10,000, keep the money as is, half the money, or win nothing at all. Peter had a 20% chance of losing the money he won, and that's what he had inside. everyone in the studio was speechless, to the point that even Noel was silent in shock. The ending had no cheers, just tears. This also continues the recurring theme of bad games happening weeks before a quarter-millionaire winner, as one of the contestants comforting Peter was Roop, who became the show's second male quarter-millionaire two weeks later.Peter: (crying) I can't take it anymore... I can't... (continues to sob) Gosh... I should have just dealt, I should have just dealt... (starts sobbing louder as the contestants, including future quarter million winner Roop, comfort him alongside Peter's mother while the audience applauds)Noel: (to the viewers) I don't know what to say. You're probably feeling like that awfully. We'll see you next time.
Other versions
- The original Dutch version had a contestant called Arrold van den Hurk, who pressed the button instead of flipping the case over it, thus accidentally dealing at 125 000 €. It would have been funny, except his case had 5 000 000 €.
