Katlego Maboe unexpectedly landed in the hot seat, wins R150k in the final episode of 'Deal or No Deal Celebrity'
Hulisani Ravele, in cahoots with the banker, flipped the script on Kat.
Katlego Maboe won an impressive R150,000 for Hope Cape Town on the Deal Or No Deal Celebrity final. Photo: Supplied
As the host of the daily game show Deal or No Deal South Africa and its star-studded spin-off Deal or No Deal Celebrity, Katlego ‘Kat’ Maboe has held the hands of more than 500 contestants hoping to beat the show’s banker.
However, in the final episode of SABC1’s Deal or No Deal Celebrity Season 1, Hulisani Ravele, in cahoots with the banker, flipped the script on Kat.
Whilst welcoming the vivacious radio and television personality and entrepreneur onto the set to win money for the charity of her choice, Kat was caught off guard by a strange phone call from the banker.
The mysterious money man, who always relays all his messages through Kat, demanded to speak to Hulisani.
So, Hulisani broke the news to Kat: The banker instructed her to run the show for this special episode, and he would be the one in the hot seat.
The turn of events also came as a complete surprise for the twenty Money Models who had been holding the briefcases which Mzansi’s A-listers had to open one by one in the hopes of donating large sums of money to worthy causes.
Kat, for whom marrying his talent with purpose has always been a priority, chose Hope Cape Town, a charity with which he has worked since entering the entertainment scene in 2010.
This non-profit organisation provides holistic services, medical treatment, care, and support to numerous marginalised communities adversely affected by HIV/AIDS.
“They have programmes for mothers, for children, for the entire family, keeping them together. Families being together is so important, and that’s also what is at the core of a show like Deal or No Deal,” Kat said, explaining his spur-of-the-moment decision to play the game on behalf of Hope Cape Town.
Still, the question remained: How would Katlego Maboe fare when playing this exhilarating game of chance?
After picking briefcase number 10 as his bargaining chip against the banker, Kat confessed to Hulisani that he now has “mad respect” for everyone who has ever been in the show’s hot seat: “Everything inside, from my heart to my intestines, is shaking!”
The Deal or No Deal host’s first-round strategy of opening the briefcases by selecting "throwaway” numbers that held little significance for him was not a strong start, but the second round was disastrous.
One of these briefcases contained the jackpot amount of R250,000.
However, after some entertaining song and dance and sharing personal anecdotes with Hulisani – as other contestants typically do in response to his questions – Kat redeemed himself with a spectacular third round.
Thereafter, Lady Luck seemed to smile upon him, but the nerves set in again when there were only four amounts on the Money Tree, representing the unopened briefcases: R750, R2500, R100,000 and R150,000.
No stranger to Deal or No Deal, Kat knew how easily it could go south.
Fortunately, he knocked the R750 off the Money Tree, prompting the banker to tempt him with an offer of R77 700 for his briefcase – a substantial donation for Hope Cape Town.
Kat rejected the banker’s bid, praying that his next call would leave him with the R100 000 and R150 000 intact.
His prayers were answered, and with that, Kat decided to go all the way by calling it a “no deal” on the banker’s subsequent offer of R125,000.
It was a sound decision as Kat’s briefcase number 10 contained a R150 000 donation to Hope Cape Town.
However, the banker interrupted Kat’s jubilations with another unexpected call. Since Hulusani was supposed to be the celebrity guest playing for charity, the banker generously gifted the Takalani Children’s Home R50 000.
“Being a part of this surprise final episode of Deal or No Deal Celebrity was incredibly special! Katlego is a phenomenal broadcaster, whom I hold in high regard, so getting to fill his shoes and play host to him trying to beat the banker is an experience I will treasure forever. I am also immensely grateful for the R50 000 that was donated to my charity of choice, Takalani Children's Home in Siloam, Venda, which will go a long way in ensuring the children are supported in their daily needs and well-being," Hulisani said about her stint on the show.
With the final episode’s giveaways included, Deal or No Deal Celebrity has donated R2,255,157.00 to charity organisations courtesy of the show’s headline sponsor, LottoStar.
The A-listers who put their hearts on the line for a good cause were legendary actors, musicians, comedians, television and radio presenters and sports stars.
Although Deal or No Deal Celebrity Season 1 ended on SABC 1, fans can still catch Deal or No Deal South Africa, which features South Africans from all walks of life, on Mondays through Fridays at 18:30 on SABC 2.
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