General News
7 March, 2025
Local wins on Deal or No Deal
If you tuned in to Network Ten's Deal or No Deal on Monday night, you might have seen a familiar face as Horsham's Dylan Bates appeared on the show.
Mr Bates, an electrical salesperson, was picked from the audience at random and ended up collecting $30,000 for his efforts on the game show.
He said the episode was filmed about 12 weeks ago and, as per his contract, he wasn't allowed to tell anyone he was appearing on Deal before it aired.
Mr Bates said he applied for the show about four months ago, thinking he would give it a go after other people he knew had done the same.
About a month later he received a call to attend auditions and, auditioning alongside his dad, Michael, he faced a series of questions assessing his suitability for the show.
Producers looked for charismatic, energetic contestants who could handle high-pressure situations, he said.
They also look for people who have a funny story or impressive trick to share.
Mr Bates said he felt he was carried through the auditions by the fact he auditioned with his dad, whose impressive trick was being able to light a cigarette with his chest hairs.
Mr Bates and his father were then notified of their audience selection and attended the filming of six episodes of the show before he was called out as the final contestant of the day.
He was planning on choosing case six but observed it had contained figures that were high earlier in the day so decided to go with his dad's suggestion of case two.
Describing the process as harder than it seems, Mr Bates was left with $10,000 and $50,000 on the board when he was offered $30,000 by the banker.
He accepted, and then opened his case to find $50,000 inside.
With the money, Mr Bates plans to take his dad on a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate his 60th birthday in a couple of years.
He said his father had taken him to Vegas for his 21st so he would be returning the favour.
All in all, Mr Bates, besides coming home $30,000 richer, described the experience as good but said it was tiring keeping his energy levels up for filming, which went for 10 hours.
And he hasn't ruled out applying for other game shows in the future, now he has been bitten by the bug.
"Who knows," Mr Bates joked.
"I might apply for Big Brother next."