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South Wales Argus
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Deal or No Deal's banker revealed as Coronation Street star
The banker's identity was kept under wraps during the game show time on Channel 4 from 2005 to 2016. But it's now been confirmed that the banker was played by the executive producer, Glenn Hugill, who is also a Coronation Street star. The Corrie star voiced the banker when the show was on Channel 4. (Image: ITV) Deal or No Deal reveals identity of the banker as Corrie star Glenn is best known for appearing on the ITV soap Coronation Street from 1996 to 1997. During his time on the show, the actor appeared in 86 episodes and played the role of detective Alan, who dated Fiona Middleton and the two were meant to marry. But the couple's marriage was called off when Jim McDonald revealed his affair with Fiona, seeing Alan leave her and the show. Glenn has also appeared in the likes of The Upper Hand, Chandler & Co. and Dalziel and Pascoe. In 2001, the actor turned to presenting and hosted the show, The Mole. According to the Mirror, in 2023, Glenn sold his production company, Possessed, to ITV and became the C.C.O of Wheelhouse, which was founded by Jimmy Kimmel. Glenn is said to have been the banker on Deal or No Deal for 10 years before the show ended on Channel 4. Recommended Reading The gameshow returned, making the move to ITV1 with Stephen Mulhern as host. Although viewers don't know who is behind the voice of the current banker, Stephen has hinted at their identity in the past. Previously sharing: "I don't know who the Banker is. So I wouldn't be able to recognise who it was. So, he could walk past me at any point."
The Herald Scotland
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Deal or No Deal's banker revealed as Coronation Street star
But it's now been confirmed that the banker was played by the executive producer, Glenn Hugill, who is also a Coronation Street star. The Corrie star voiced the banker when the show was on Channel 4. (Image: ITV) Deal or No Deal reveals identity of the banker as Corrie star Glenn is best known for appearing on the ITV soap Coronation Street from 1996 to 1997. During his time on the show, the actor appeared in 86 episodes and played the role of detective Alan, who dated Fiona Middleton and the two were meant to marry. But the couple's marriage was called off when Jim McDonald revealed his affair with Fiona, seeing Alan leave her and the show. Glenn has also appeared in the likes of The Upper Hand, Chandler & Co. and Dalziel and Pascoe. In 2001, the actor turned to presenting and hosted the show, The Mole. According to the Mirror, in 2023, Glenn sold his production company, Possessed, to ITV and became the C.C.O of Wheelhouse, which was founded by Jimmy Kimmel. Glenn is said to have been the banker on Deal or No Deal for 10 years before the show ended on Channel 4. Recommended Reading The gameshow returned, making the move to ITV1 with Stephen Mulhern as host. Although viewers don't know who is behind the voice of the current banker, Stephen has hinted at their identity in the past. Previously sharing: "I don't know who the Banker is. So I wouldn't be able to recognise who it was. So, he could walk past me at any point."
Metro
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
British TV mystery is solved as fans discover identity of Deal or No Deal Banker
One of British TV's biggest mysteries has finally been solved. For years, Deal or No Deal viewers wondered about the identity of the show's original Banker, given that his voice was never heard and he only featured in phone calls to host Noel Edmonds. But now, the man behind those big-money offers (and the measly ones too) has come to light—and he's actually a Coronation Street star. The earliest Banker in the Channel 4 series – which aired from 2005 to 2016 before being revived by Stephen Mulhern in 2023 – was actor Glenn Hugill. Glenn, now 55, played Alan McKenna on the cobbles from 1996 to 1997, starring in 86 episodes. His character was a detective, and he dated Fiona Middleton (Angela Griffin). They were due to get married, but Jim McDonald (Charles Lawson) exposed his one-night stand with Fiona on their wedding day. Glenn didn't stick around in Weatherfield after that, but he did go on to appear in other shows, including Dalziel and Pascoe, The Upper Hand, and Chandler and Co. In 2001, he also presented the series The Mole. Behind the camera, Glenn had his own production company named Possessed. In 2023, he sold it to ITV and joined Wheelhouse, the media giant established by Jimmy Kimmel. It remains unknown who took over from Glenn as the Banker, but it's believed he stayed in the role for a year. Reboot host Stephen previously said of the Banker's identity: 'I don't know who the Banker is, so I wouldn't be able to recognise who it was. 'So, he could walk past me at any point.' He added that the voice on the end of the phone is 'male,' but that's all he really knows. '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.' This isn't the first time the identity of the Banker has been spoken about publicly, but it seems Deal or No Deal viewers are only just catching on. In 2015, former Pointless host Richard Osmon told Metro that Glenn was the Banker. It was also discovered that Glenn was an executive producer on Deal or No Deal, leaving some fans disappointed. Speaking about his show Two Tribes and how it came to be, 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.' More Trending Glenn himself has never addressed the rumours, but it was previously implied that Noel, 76, was friends with whoever the Banker was. Deal or No Deal ran for almost 3,000 episodes with Noel at the helm, giving away over £40million to contestants during its first run. While the maximum prize now is £100,000, players used to be able to win £250,000. View More » Noel also hosted celebrity specials, which saw the likes of James Corden take on the Banker at his own game. 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: David Tennant game show becomes ITV's 'most expensive flop in years' MORE: TV fans declare 'worst day ever' after David Tennant's show faces schedule change MORE: Binged Last One Laughing? You need to watch Katherine Ryan's new show next
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Deal or No Deal's mystery banker unveiled as iconic Coronation Street actor
During the programme's original run on Channel 4 from 2005 to 2016, the executive producer and the banker turned out to be the same person The identity of Deal or No Deal's mystery banker was a secret for many years before it was revealed that they were actually a huge Coronation Street star. During the programme's original run on Channel 4 from 2005 to 2016, the executive producer and the banker turned out to be the same person. Deal or No Deal's banker turned out to be Glenn Hugill, who is best known for his role as Alan McKenna on Coronation Street from 1996 to 1997. The star appeared in 86 episodes of the show as he took on the role of detective Alan, who dated Fiona Middleton and was meant to marry her. However, their wedding ceremony was called off when Jim McDonald revealed his affair with Fiona, and Alan soon departed the cobbles. The actor also appeared in shows like Dalziel and Pascoe, The Upper Hand and Chandler & Co. In 2001, he took on a presenter role for the 2001 series The Mole. In early 2023, Glenn sold his production company, Possessed, to ITV and became C.C.O. of Wheelhouse, the media empire founded by American talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. He was previously the managing director of the company, which quickly became one of the most successful production companies in the UK. When he was 10 years old, Glenn scored a 207 in a national IQ test designed for under 16s, which was the highest recorded result in the country. Local newspaper The Northern Echo once reported he took another test made for adults and recorded a result of 177, the highest score the test was capable of registering. Glenn is said to have held the role of banker on Deal or No Deal for a decade, but it isn't known who replaced him for the new ITV version hosted by Stephen Mulhern. Stephen previously said: "I don't know who the Banker is. So I wouldn't be able to recognise who it was. So, he could walk past me at any point.' The voice on the phone is "male" but Stephen added: "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. "So, he'll say, 'Just tell them blah, blah, blah, blah, blah'. But he gives him nicknames. So like, 'Two Wine Wendy,' because she's always having an extra wine. It's quite creepy. 'That first time the phone rang, it was like, 'What's he going to sound like? What's he going to be like?' But he takes no prisoners. There's one contestant in particular who has a really bad ride and a really bad time, and at the end of it, the contestant is nearly in tears, and the phone rings. "I'm thinking 'Okay, he's going to at least console a tiny bit'. And he went, 'Just tell him it's not a pity party. Let's crack on with tomorrow,' and put the phone down."
