Kapamilya Deal or No Deal has been a household show in the Philippines since it aired in 2006. Hosted by none other than the Queen of All Media, Kris Aquino, Filipinos across the country watched as players tried their luck at winning the jackpot. Luiz Manzano would later on host subsequent seasons of the show.
One of the biggest milestones for the Philippine franchise of the show was its selection as one of the countries to be part of NBC’s Deal or No Deal Around the World specials. This world tour aimed to showcase the international franchises of the show to the American audience. Howie Mandel, the USA’s franchise host, travelled all the way to the Philippines to tape the special crossover episode featuring Kris Aquino as his co-host.
The episode was taped in the ABS-CBN compound, and it follows the usual US format where two American contestants competed for the chance to take home one million dollars. The special episode aired on NBC on May 5th, 2008, and on ABS-CBN on June 22 of the same year. ABS-CBN’s business unit head at the time, Alou Almaden, stated that Endemol USA loved the episode so much that it aired first despite being the last franchise to be taped.
Throughout the episode, Kris taught Howie fun facts about the Philippines, and she showed how the game is played the Filipino way. She even taught him the famous gestures used for the game, a thumbs-up for deal and an X sign for no deal. Howie was amazed by how the audience created a lively atmosphere, and he also complimented the iconic 26k girls after they performed while carrying their briefcases.
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You can watch more Kapamilya Deal or No Deal, hosted by Luiz Manzano, every Saturday and Sunday on ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, A2Z, and Kapamilya Online Live, and iWant.