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.
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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.”
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