‘Deal or No Deal’ Boss Defends Game Show After Meghan Markle Claimed It ‘Objectifies’ Women
variety.comK.J. Yossman One of the bosses behind long-running game show “Deal or No Deal” defended the format after Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex accused the show of “objectifying women.” Markle spent a year working on the NBC version of the show, hosted by Howie Mandel, as a briefcase model between 2006 and 2007.
The role involved opening a briefcase to reveal to the contestant how much money it contained — usually while wearing high heels and a skimpy dress.
Last year, on an episode of her Archetypes podcast titled “Breaking Down the Bimbo,” Markle said she ended up quitting the show after feeling “objectified.” “I was so much more than what was being objectified on the stage,” she said. “I didn’t like feeling forced to be all looks and little substance.” Now Lucas Green, chief content officer for operations at Banijay, which owns the “Deal or No Deal” format, has told Variety he disagrees with Markle’s assessment but said the company is always “modernizing” the show. “We are constantly evolving the format so that it isn’t the same show it was fifteen plus years ago,” he said.
Green was speaking to Variety following the news the popular show – which has been commissioned in over 80 territories – is returning to Spain after a twelve-year hiatus.
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