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Who Were the Original Bankers on Deal or No Deal?
Howie Mandel hosted the original Deal or No Deal show in the 2000s. And the Banker's identity was always a mystery.
If you watched the original Deal or No Deal (hosted by Howie Mandel) back in the 2000s, you no doubt remember the Banker who sat in his office above the studio. Darkly-lit so he was only a silhouette, viewers watched the mysterious Banker crunch numbers and make deals to Contestants in hopes of keeping his wallet as full as possible. His identity was kept hidden throughout the show's original run from 2005 to 2009, but eventually he revealed himself.
Read more, below.
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The original Deal or No Deal Bankers' identities
The original Banker from Deal or No Deal is an actor named Peter Abbay. According to his IMDb page, Abbay's made appearances on shows like House and Punk'd in addition to his iconic role as the Banker. He also was a recurring character named Logan on the soap opera Another World from 1996 to 1999.
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Deal or No Deal went into syndication from 2008 to 2010, then it returned for a brief revival on CNBC from 2018 to 2019. The Banker for that era of the show was actress Carrie Lauren, who has credits in Magic Mike and the TV series Greenleaf, among other projects.
Howie Mandel made a splash as the Banker for Deal or No Deal Island Season 1, the action-packed spin-off of the original show currently airing on NBC. Season 2 kicked off on January 7, 2025 with a whole new (female) Banker. The only clue we have about her identity is from Deal or No Deal Island Host Joe Manganiello.
"We’ve tried to make a concerted effort to choose Bankers — yes, there’s a new Banker this season — that have roots in Deal or No Deal," he said. "To choose Bankers that make sense in terms of Deal or No Deal canon. And that’s all I’ll say, because there’s gonna be some fun surprises this year in terms of the Banker and people are gonna learn some things. You’ll just have to hang in there and see what I mean."
Fans will just have to keep watching Deal or No Deal Island Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC (and next day on Peacock) to find out who the new Banker is!
