logo
Identity of Deal or No Deal banker revealed after years of mystery – and it's a familiar face to soap fans

Identity of Deal or No Deal banker revealed after years of mystery – and it's a familiar face to soap fans

The Sun19-05-2025

THE identity of the banker on Deal or No Deal has been revealed after years of speculation and mystery.
The hit television gameshow, which originally ran on Channel 4 from 2005 until 2016 with Noel Edmonds at the helm, was revived in 2023 with Stephen Mulhern as the host.
5
5
5
But now the identity of the banker, who served on the show during Noel's stint, has been unveiled.
Soap fans will know who actor Glenn Hugill is, but might be shocked to learn that he was in fact the banker on the show for 11 years.
Glenn, who is now 55 years of age, was a famous Coronation Street star who was even embroiled in a very memorable storyline.
From 1996 until 1997, Glenn took on the role of Alan McKenna on the cobbles and even starred in a whopping 86 episodes.
In the Manchester-based soap opera, his character was a detective and he dated Fiona Middleton played by Angela Griffin.
In the soap, Alan and Fiona were due to get hitched but Jim McDonald Charles Lawson exposed his one-night stand with Fiona.
It remains unknown who took over from Glenn as the banker for Stephen , but it's believed he stayed in the role for a year.
Reboot host Stephen Mulhern 's era of the show.
The comedian previously said how he didn't know who the banker was.
"I don't know who the Banker is, so I wouldn't be able to recognise who it was," he said previously.
"So, he could walk past me at any point."
He added that the voice on the end of the phone is that of a "male", but didn't reveal anything else as he doesn't know anymore information.
"Supposedly, he goes into the hotel and listens to the contestants and what they're up to.
"So when he comes on the phone to me, I've got to repeat what he says," he said.
Glenn was speculated as the banker more than 15 years ago.
In 2009, one person on X, formerly Twitter, said: "wikipedia seems to be hinting at Glenn Hugill as the banker ..care to confirm??"
Another added at the time: "true or false is the banker Glenn Hugill?"
Then, in 2015, former Pointless host Richard Osmon seemingly accidentally revealed that Glenn was the banker.
Speaking about his show Two Tribes, Richard said at the time: "[It] was an idea that Glenn Hugill – the Banker on Deal or No Deal – and I had been thinking about for a long time."
Then, more recently, fans have speculated whether or not Glenn might still be the banker.
"I wonder if the banker on celebrity Deal or no Deal is still Glenn Hugill aka Alan McKenna Quite funny given that it's Steve McDonald on," said one during a celebrity special episode.
5
5

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

All the new stars confirmed for Celebrity Gogglebox line-up including pop legend
All the new stars confirmed for Celebrity Gogglebox line-up including pop legend

Metro

time15 minutes ago

  • Metro

All the new stars confirmed for Celebrity Gogglebox line-up including pop legend

As Celebrity Gogglebox comes back to screens, new and returning famous faces are taking to the sofa to entertain the nation. The star-studded Channel 4 reality show brings together celebrities from across UK culture to share their weirdest, wildest and wackiest takes on the hottest TV shows in the land. It boasts an impressive alumni, including father-and-daughter duo Danny and Dani Dyer; married reality stars Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash; Spice Girls icon Mel B and her daughter Phoenix Chi – to name just a few. The seventh season is welcoming a fresh new cohort of stars to gain their Gogglebox stripes with everyone from comedy legends to pop icons. As the full line-up is slowly revealed, there are even exciting rumours of exactly who will complete the cast such as Alison Hammond and her son Aiden who have already done a travel show together. So, without further ado, here's who to expect cropping up on your screen every Friday night. The Inbetweeners star James Buckley has delighted fans after confirming he and his wife Clair will appear on the show this year. The 37-year-old actor, best known for portraying Jay Cartwright in the hit 00s sitcom, took to social media to share the exciting news. 'Hi guys, how's it going? We are joining the Gogglebox family. We're going to be watching some great TV and some not so great TV. And you'll be able to join us on Friday on Channel 4 at 9pm,' he said. James and Clair have already won fans over with their joint YouTube/podcast/book brand, At Home With The Buckleys which tackles 'the wild ride that is modern marriage, parenting and adulting'. The parents of two children – Harrison and Jude – are candid about their 'early lives, years of cult TV fame, having children and setting up their YouTube channel', cultivating over 250k subscribers. If that wasn't enough, they also have another podcast, In Sickness and In Health which focuses on discussing 'relationship non-negotiables.' As such, there is plenty of excitement to see this dynamic duo bring their witty rapport to the Gogglebox sofa. 'Can't wait to see you on it jay cartwright you legend,' Chris_leeds_united_woodrow said. 'Omg I'm buzzing!! Cannot wait!' jessica_sellwood95 echoed. 'These two are class. What an addition to Gogglebox this is gonna be,' kellyann83 agreed. Next up, we have pop singer Jess Glynne, 35, and her partner Alex Scott, 40, who is a well-known former Lioness and sports commentator. Taking to Instagram to share their involvement in the new season, the loved-up couple said: 'We are both so excited to be joining the Gogglebox family.' Alex then turned to the Hold My Hand hitmaker and asked, 'Are you ready to watch some TV?' to which Jess responded, 'Yeah, are you?' and Alex replied in the affirmative, encouraging viewers to join them on Friday. The brand-new stars have been in a happy relationship since summer 2023 and have been seen together at plenty of red carpet events. Jess spoke about the joy she has found in life to Metro last year: 'I am happy, I feel like I've found a really good balance in my life. I've got support in my family, my business, my partner, everyone around me.' Of course they have sparked plenty of excitement among fans. 'Aww looking forward to this weeks episode even more,' user raerubyraek said. 'No place I'd rather be,' officialanmollakhani joked. After a standout year of cameos from Big Boys to Doctor Who, Rylan is charming the nation for another year as he returns to the sofa with mum Linda. First joining the show in 2019, the mother-and-son duo have been staples of the Channel 4 reality show. In a recent Instagram post, they confirmed this dynamic duo would be shaking things up again with Rylan joking: 'Cor, someone's had her makeup done, look!' Fans celebrated their return, calling them 'the best'. The Happy Monday rockers are back at it for another season as they announced on social media. 'We're back on Gogglebox with crisps, chocolate, jelly babies, popcorn and we're gonna watch tele and what?' Bez asked Shaun. 'Talk a right load of b****,' Shaun gleefully responded. The pair have made quite the spalsh on the show, with such vibrant chemistry that fans have veen called for them to get their own show all together. In 1993, the pair formed Black Grape together and remained close friends since then British swimmer Ellie Simmonds and close friend, radio personality Richie Anderson – who were co-stars on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 – are returning for another season of Gogglebox. 'When I got the call I did wonder whether I should do it. Then I thought I'd do a leap of faith. You don't know until you try,' Ellie said about her decision to join at the time. The retired Paralympian, who recently featured in a new documentary, Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children, called their return to the show as 'so exciting'. The famed Radio 1 broadcaster Nick Grimshaw – who first appeared on the show in 2019 – is returning for another season of Gogglebox shenanigans with his niece, Liv. In a chat with The Times last year, the regular joked: 'I love watching telly in the evening but watching myself watching telly on Gogglebox is a step too far. 'When I do, I spend the next few hours thinking, 'Wow, I really shouldn't be on the TV,' which I think is a healthy reaction.' This year has seen another big career milestone for the DJ and presenter who has recently joined the 6 Music Breakfast Show. Comic duo – Babatunde Aleshe and Mo Gilligan – are back, back again. As Mo said: 'We're back, we hope you're back too. Come on! No scary movies though please.' Babatunde was in full agreement although they both seemed to quickly accept their fate that there was likely a scary movie in their future. The longtime friends and collaborators decided to join Celebrity Gogglebox when their work dried up over the pandemic. The I'm A Celebrity star recounted: 'Then the pandemic hit, and the tour got postponed. I was like OK, right, back to square one. 'But then [Mo] said, 'look, we're still guaranteed to do the tour, but in the meanwhile do you want to join me on Celebrity Gogglebox?' And I said 'hell, yeah!' And so it all fell into place. I started doing that, and then my manager at TfL informed me that they had to let me go.' Last but certainly not least, Diversity duo Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely are back. The Britian's Got Talent winners and self-proclaimed 'besties' are sitting shoulder-to-shoulder' in the new series, as they told fans. They first appeared on the show with brother Ashley Banko in September 2021 and have been regulars since then. More Trending 'Perri kills me. I will be watching this,' Simsimma1992 declared in the Instagram comments. 'Yay!! Excited to see you,' Aberdeenlass echoed. Celebrity Gogglebox season seven airs this Friday at 9pm on Channel 4. View More » This article was first published on June 3, 2025. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Celebrity Gogglebox fans 'buzzing' as Inbetweeners legend joins new season

Lorraine's 'defiant' message for ITV after fears she'd quit show following cuts
Lorraine's 'defiant' message for ITV after fears she'd quit show following cuts

Daily Mirror

time17 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Lorraine's 'defiant' message for ITV after fears she'd quit show following cuts

Lorraine Kelly has been an ITV host for decades but amidst rumours she could quit she came out fighting for her show Lorraine Kelly has appeared to drop a defiant hint to ITV bosses about her plans to fight for her show to survive - as she said 'I'm not done yet'. ITV cuts to their daytime schedule announced last month mean Lorraine's show will be slashed to 30 weeks a year and go from an hour to 30 minutes on screen. But in her first interview to air since the cuts were announced, she expressed her love of making the show and being on ITV for four decades. ‌ Told she is a "national treasure" and everyone feels they know her, Lorraine said: "Well, that's nice, but it's only because I've been around for so long. I've been doing telly for over 40 years. It's mad isn't it? It's absolutely crazy. I started in breakfast telly in 1984, and I'm still getting away with it. Extraordinarily." ‌ Speaking to Tom Kerridge on the Proper Tasty podcast, she added: "40 years in TV last year was incredible. I got a BAFTA. 'Here's a BAFTA for being alive.' I thought, 'Hang on a minute, I'm not done yet.' "I think now I can be a lot cheekier. Because I've always been a bit naughty. Not so much in the morning, but if I do a wee show on Channel 4, or The Last Leg, or something like that. You can be unleashed. And I quite like that. You do have to have a self-edit button, and I'm finding mine is not operating as much as it should. "So, when I'm sitting there and I look at something and I think, 'Gosh, what an absolute k**b that person is,' or how silly they are, I say it and I don't realise I've said it. So I have to watch." Speaking about the start of her career, she told of her nerves and said she still had them now, although not quite in the same way. Lorraine said: "I remember being so scared about doing a piece to camera and just being unbelievably nervous. And that doesn't go away for a long time. It doesn't ever completely go away I don't think. I don't think it should.' ‌ Lorraine also referenced in the podcast her recent operation which saw her off screen for weeks as she returned to the TV screens mid May after her laparoscopy, a surgery where small cuts are made for procedures inside the stomach or pelvis area. Speaking on the podcast, she said: "I'm good. I had a wee procedure. Everything is absolutely fine. They whipped out my ovaries and fallopian tubes, and everything is fine. It's all good. It was keyhole surgery, which was amazing. I've just got three wee tiny holes." The cheeky star added: "I mean, I've got more holes than that, but I've got three wee tiny holes where the operation happened. So, it's fine. It's all good." ‌ It is understood shortly after she recovered from the operation she was called into a meeting with ITV boss Kevin Lygo. He arranged for Lorraine to be told of her show's huge changes separately in a show down in the days before. She is said to have turned down an idea to merge her show with Good Morning Britain. Days later, the rest of ITV daytime learned that 220 production staff out of 440 will lose their jobs as part of cutbacks. Lorraine has been on screen on ITV as a show since it launched in September 2010, with the host having previously worked on GMTV and Good Morning Britain, meaning she has been a regular for 40 years. ‌ Last week, the Mirror told how Lorraine is fighting to save the long-term future of her show. A source said: "Lorraine was not happy about what is happening and also had concern for the production team which works on her show and will be cut back too. "But the truth is she has to roll her sleeves up and work harder on her own show than she has in recent years, otherwise the long term future does not look good. She has been an icon of ITV TV but serious cuts need to be made and her show has been cut to just 30 minutes, which after ad breaks will be a very short chunk of time. ‌ "She needs to show bosses it is worth keeping on air. You can expect her to be pulling hard to get big name celebrities on her show instead of GMB or This Morning to prove her worth. She was left in no doubt after the meeting there are some tough times ahead." Lorraine is so attached to her show, she feels like interviewees are being invited into her own house before she speaks to them. Speaking passionately about her programme, she said: "I always say I treat people with huge respect and all of that. I'm inviting them into my house, in a sense." However, Lorraine changes her interview tactics when she prepares to grill politicians. ‌ She added: "I always remember Piers Morgan said I was an 'iron fist in a velvet glove,' and I loved that description. He's very cheeky and very naughty, and he makes me laugh a lot. But I like that, and it's very true. "When it comes to politicians it is completely different. You know what really annoys me. When I first started out you'd get the Secretary of Education and the Shadow Secretary of Education sitting down, and you could have a debate with them. Now, they won't do that. Nobody does that anymore. They actually refuse. And I think it's outrageous. ‌ "Because the whole thing about them is … I do like to give them a chance to talk, politicians, because people are not daft, and they can make their own minds up about them. I don't like the gladiatorial style, because that doesn't get you anywhere at all. "Give them enough rope and let them talk, and then you can go in with the wee killer question. At the end of the day, they are accountable to us. But more importantly, to our viewers. You've got to make sure you ask what matters to people and their lives." After taking politicians to account, Lorraine loves to drift off to sleep by listening to the Shipping Forecast - a BBC Radio 4 weather report, which lists gale warnings and wind speeds among other elements - despite having "no clue" what it is about. She said: "Do you ever listen to the shipping forecast? I do. I have no idea what she's going on about. Not a clue. But it's very reassuring. I feel reassured. I feel I can go to sleep at night, and I don't even know what it's about." Hopefully the shipping forecast is still doing the job at the moment, even in the face of such nightmare news about the cuts to staff and her hours on screen. Lorraine has dropped anchor at ITV and doesn't want to leave.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store