Published: Thursday, 28th January, 2010 10:33am

Mark's £21,000 win on popular TV show

by Sharon Thompson

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Unlucky number proves a big winner

A LUSS man delivered a "banker's spanking" when he took to the floor in one of the most popular quiz shows on television.

Mark Wylie from Luss, who created the 'Drakes of Hazard' show with his duck and border collie brood, featured in Tuesday night's Deal or No Deal show.

Although he spoke to the Advertiser before the show to tell of his experience, he remained tight-lipped about the amount of cash he took home - in fact even his family were unaware of his prize!

He said on Wednesday - the morning after the show was screened - that friends and family had gathered in his home to watch the show - on a brand new tv funded by his win!

Apart from splashing out on a new, top-of-the-range Sony tv, Mark said they didn't have any big plans for the cash.

He said everyone was on the edge of their seats during the broadcast of the quiz show and once the game had finished, joined in a celebratory drink to toast his success.

He added: "I've watched the game again since and it's good to look back on because when you are there, it goes by in a flash."

Mark, dubbed a "charmer" and a "smoothie" by host Noel Edmonds gave banker a bottle of whisky and shortbread, homemade by his sister, Chrystal.

The first round proved to be a bit of a headache for Mark, as he took out two of the 'power five', the £75,000 and £100,000.

But this didn't faze him and he carried on, picking up offers along the way of £7022, £10,000, £13,000, £19,000 and £17,000.

It was the round which followed which was to be Mark's last - he duly dealt after receiving a whopping £21,000 offer - the correct decision as the next box selected by Mark contained the lucrative £250,000 jackpot - which has yet to be won by a man on the Channel 4 show.

To help him through what has been described as one of the most nail-biting shows on television, Mark brought pictures of his family including wife, Christine, and sons Lee, Lewis and Struan.

He also has a picture of one of his dogs and his Indian Runner ducks.

After each round, the banker traditionally makes an offer and in Mark's game, pretended to be slightly worse for wear as he consumed the whisky!

Mark - who said on the show that he "wasn't a gambler" - was left with the penny and £5,000, before the last red was revealed in box 13 which he had brought to the table.

Provost Billy Petrie sang Mark's praises, saying that he was "a great ambassador" for the area.

He said: "It just so happens myself and Jean were eating shortbread when we turned the show on, and low and behold Mark had given the banker some of his sister's homemade shortbread.

"Mark seemed to be very popular among the other contestants and displayed a great personality, and he did not just the local area, but the whole country proud."