I lost 100k in brutal Golden Balls steal – here’s what I want to say to my rival 15 years later
A CONTESTANT who appeared on Golden Balls and lost £100k in a brutal final steal has revealed what he’d say to his rival 15 years later.
The iconic game show aired on ITV between 2007 and 2009 and was presented by Jasper Carrott.
Golden Balls saw contestants collect cash and bluff their way to the last round – the two contestants then choose to share or steal the money in the final round.
If both share, the money is split, but if one steals while the other shares they keep all the money for themselves. If both players chose to steal, they left empty-handed.
It produced many shocking moments – including when contestant Sarah ‘stole’ over £100k from her rival Stephen Bushnall in 2008.
Stephen previously revealed how the final left him in floods of tears as he realised he was going home empty handed thanks to Sarah.
And now, 15 years on, he has said exactly what he’d say to Sarah if he saw her.
Speaking to the Daily Star, he said: “I would love to reunite with her – whether that’s on camera or off – I would love to just have a sit down with her and ask her questions.”
The former contestant said he would ask his rival what exactly she did with the money as he hopes she didn’t “blow it all on holidays”.
He continued: “I would ask her ‘Did she even think about splitting or was it a last-second choice to steal?
“Was there anything else I could’ve said or done which could’ve made her split?’
“I had a lot of hate for her as anyone would but that quickly went away, the feelings of hate – I had no problems meeting her face to face, whether it would be meeting as ourselves or part of a TV show.”
Stephen revealed that producers cut a lot of their conversation from the programme that originally aired on ITV.
He said: “There were bits that weren’t put in the final show, just bits where she said ‘Let’s stand both side-by-side next to Jasper and open the balls’.
“And ‘If I steal my family would disown me’ and other bits like that.”
The scene of Sarah revealing she had chosen to steal the money is still widely shared on social media.