One think that's always fascinated me, is how do the players decide their box numbers at the start of a game? I know Noel always asks at the start that the contestant chose their box and didn't have it forced on them.

I always think that a situation may arise which one player says "I'd like box 9", and then someone else says they want Box 9 as well..

Also players never seem to have the same number two shows running either, so I'm hoping someone in the know can fill me in on what box everyone gets at the start!

Cheers

I've heard that they pick balls from a bag and what ever number they pick, is the number of their box.

There are a number of occasions where players have had the same box 2 days running.

It happens to 20 and 21 a lot.

bag of ping-pong balls with the numbers 1-22 on. You pick a ball and receive that number box...simple as that

Thanks Dave, that's great thanks.

My other question is - in that case is there a specific order in which the players choose the balls?

Didnt it all use to be decided by an excel spreadsheet????

Tom...that was for the amounts being put in the boxes when it all screwed up for BoxGate!

When i was there, the balls went from the end of the West wing right across to the end of the east wing...the last person in Stevie/Jenna/Donna's position etc only have one ball to choose from.......but it's still obviously completely random and actually formed the basis for Geordie's left-to-right selection of boxes on his show...

What happens if a contestant is absent?

unfortunately i cannot answer that Greeny. We always had a full set when i was there.

Interesting it's the same order all the time - in that case if, for instance, Stevie was playing, she didn't choose the box at all as she had to take the one box that was left! I know it's still completely random, but Noel's housekeeping question for those players is technically incorrect

So it wasn't really Stevie's fault that she always had the big numbers...it was everyone else's fault for not picking them!

While I was there they sometimes went the other way - I think if the person on the end was playing that day they would definitely start with them (although it's just as random either way...)

Kinda, but then again the other 21 players have picked completely at random too, so it's random what is the final ball in the bag.

Ah...the lovely Ed and his bag of balls, how we loved to rummage in there joking aside, when I was there, he went from either end quite randomly I think, and the person next to the player off sick pulled a number out for them or they got what was left (can't quite remember on that one, but there were a few off sick with Morris and Lindas lurgy whilst I was on and I think this is how it went) the best bit however was giving the balls back to Ed. It was a contest to see how high you could bounce them and then Ed would catch themwith the bag - he was very good at it

Sounds a lot more fun then just picking balls out of a bag

you have a point lol

every contestant makes me wish i was 18 to go on!