'Deal or No Deal' - The five best games

22 boxes, a quarter of a million pounds, just one question… how did a show about random guesswork become so darn successful?

Because on the face of it, Channel 4's Deal or No Deal should have been a complete flop, given that all contestants have to do to win big is stand and point. Plus... Noel Edmonds is not exactly everyone's cup of tea.

But what critics didn't count on is just how compelling this random element becomes when the stakes are so high and the deciding factor between a jackpot of 1p or £250k is something that nobody can control.

After almost six years on air and more than 1,700 shows, Deal or No Deal is still going strong and on Monday will go live for the first time for two weeks of special episodes. So to celebrate the occasion, Digital Spy stocked up on champagne and tissues to relive the show's most jaw-dropping moments and bring you five of the greatest Deal or No Deal games ever.

Mary's Game:

Of all the crazy old folks to have played Deal or No Deal, Mary is undoubtedly one of the most memorable… and wealthiest. In what has to be the ultimate senior moment, Mary attempts to deal before Noel has even asked the question, accidentally rejects a £20,000 offer she meant to accept, and proceeds to stick two wrinkly fingers up to The Banker by turning him down for good when he offers her a second chance to take the money. Luckily, everything turns out peachy in the end - not that Mary has any idea.




Suzanne's Game:

Well, of course we have to mention a quarter-millionaire here, but which one? Laura Pearce was the first - and therefore most significant - but the success of cancer-survivor Tegen Roberts was certainly more satisfying. And then there's Alice Mundy, whose win via the Bankers' Gamble really shook things up. However, it is the gargantuan numbers and astonishing feats of Suzanne Mulholland's game this May that takes the biscuit.

In addition to that jackpot win, the Irish contestant achieved the first perfect finish of £100k and £250k in live-play and faced the biggest in-game offer ever of a cool £165,000. Plus, the bonus trip to Florida she landed mid-show officially makes her Deal's biggest winner. And she does it all while dressed as a cowgirl. Literally breathtaking.




Keran's Game:

One phrase regularly rolled out by contestants on Deal is "It's not how you start, it's how you finish" - Keran Jackson is the embodiment of this idea. As her game draws to a close, Keran achieves "the biggest turnaround ever" by going from the verge of a record red run to uncover nine blues in a row - a feat that has not been matched in the two-and-a-bit years since. Then, in one final 'screw you' to the laws of probability, her box just happens to contain the third-biggest prize in Deal. Seriously.




Olly (Murs)'s Game:

This is one of those games that is more memorable for the player than the actual result. Yes, that is X Factor runner-up and two-time chart-topper Olly Murs doing battle with The Banker. In this surreal little segment - filmed two years before Murs's first audition - we get glimpses of the crazy dance moves that first won over Cowell and Co, as well as the cheeky-chappy persona that would get housewives dialling and buying. He only walked away with a tenner, but something tells us that Murs isn't too cut up about how his game panned out.




Corinne's Game:

Back in December 2009, Corinne Davies came to Deal or No Deal with the goal of earning enough money for a 1920s straight eight Bentley, and she wasn't going to let a little thing like good sense get in the way. Left with the nightmarish 1p/£250,000 finish, Corinne created what has been touted as "the most extraordinary game ever" by rejecting her final offer of £88,000 and going for an all or virtually nothing gamble. Although she may have blurred the line between bravery and recklessness to uncomfortable levels, there's no doubting that everyone was in awe of Corinne as she chased her dream. And we all felt her heartache when the fairytale ending slipped away.



What is your favourite Deal or No Deal game? Or did you switch off a while ago? Leave your comments below.