Deal or No Deal fans raise over £100k for contestant with MND who only won £5

Viewers of popular game show Deal or No Deal have raised thousands of pounds to help a contestant with Motor Neurone Disease who only won a fiver.

Brad Wale told host Stephen Mulhern that if he won then he would use the money to help his family and also attempt to complete his bucket list.

In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Wale said: “I still listen to it back and watch it back and I can feel the tears coming on.

“I had every intention of winning big and I genuinely thought I would. To get to that moment and only receive £5, it was absolutely heartbreaking and devastating.”

After he walked away with just five pounds from the show, fellow contestant Rochelle Brown, 30, launched a fundraiser to help his dreams come true. Within days, thousands of pounds in donations came flooding in to help Mr Wale.

The GoFundMe page called ‘Help Brad get his bucket list’ smashed its £20,000 target in just a matter of days. At time of writing, it has raised a huge £106,000.

On the page, Ms Brown writes: “Hi! I’m Rochelle, Brad’s friend from Deal or No Deal! I’m sure you all saw Brads devastating game on Deal or No Deal. 

“His DOND family really want him to fulfil his dreams and we have set this up on the hope that anyone could maybe spare a couple of pounds and get Brad to tick some bits off his Bucket List. We love you Brad.”

Mr Wale said: “I met Rochelle on my first ever audition for Deal or No Deal, when we got to filming and she was there, I was over the moon.

“We got put together opening the boxes and just formed a great friendship. Rochelle set a target, I just thought a few family members and friends would donate.

“From last Thursday the response I have had is something I could never put into words, from the bottom of my heart it means the world and I can never say thank you enough.

“You’ll never understand how much this has changed my life.”

When asked about his bucket list, Mr Wale continued: “I’ve always wanted to go to India, Thailand, just going to see places really I’ve also always wanted to do a bungee jump.

“Just to be able to wake up and think I can go and do this, or that. I’ve never had that I’ve always been skint.”

Adding: “I feel honoured blessed and guilty all at the same time, so to be given this kindness to me, is just nothing I would ever expect.”

MND is an uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves. It causes weakness that gets progressively worse over time. There’s no cure for MND, but there are treatments to help reduce the impact it has on a person’s daily life. 

Issuing an update on the fundraising page yesterday, Ms Brown wrote: “Hello everyone, I didn’t think that I would be updating SO MANY OF YOU!

“I just want to say a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are all incredible. You have changed Brads life and I will never be able to say thank you enough.

“We are wishing you all a very merry Christmas and HAPPY HEALTHY new year.

“You have done an amazing thing for Brad and you should all be so proud of yourselves for your kindness. Xxx.”