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The Shocking Truth About Deal Or No Deal Model Pay: From $800 A Day To A Multi-Million Dollar Comeback

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For over a decade, the question of "Deal or No Deal model pay" has been one of television’s most persistent and controversial curiosities, and the answer, even in late 2025, remains a startling one. While contestants on the high-stakes game show were playing for up to $1 million, the women holding the iconic briefcases—often aspiring actresses and models—were earning a surprisingly modest, and in some cases, career-launching, fee. This pay structure has been a flashpoint for debate, especially as several former "briefcase girls" have gone on to become global superstars.

The conversation has been reignited in 2024 and 2025 with the return of the franchise in new formats like Deal or No Deal Island, highlighting a stark contrast between the original models' wages and the lucrative careers the show helped create. The journey from a minimal per-episode fee to a high-profile role like "The Banker" for a major celebrity is a fascinating look at the economics of early-career television work.

The Briefcase Models: A Look at the Iconic Lineup and Their Pay

The role of the Deal or No Deal briefcase model was simple yet essential: stand in a designated spot, look glamorous, and open a briefcase when their number was called. The show’s production schedule was notoriously fast, often filming multiple episodes in a single day, which factored into the models' overall compensation.

The most widely cited and definitive pay rate comes from the original U.S. run (2006–2009) and the experience of one of its most famous alumni, Meghan Markle. The models were not on a traditional salary but were paid a flat rate per episode.

Meghan Markle's Definitive $800 Per Episode Pay

The most concrete figure available for the original run of the show is the one associated with Meghan Markle, who served as a briefcase model, or "briefcase girl," for 34 episodes between 2006 and 2007.

  • Pay Rate: $800 per episode.
  • Role: Briefcase Model #24.
  • Total Episodes: 34.
  • Total Earnings (Approx.): $27,200 for her time on the show.

Markle has since spoken about her time on the show, describing the job as "a means to an end" that helped her pay the bills while auditioning for acting roles.

Other Notable Briefcase Models and Their Career Trajectories

The show was a launchpad for many women who went on to have successful careers in television, modeling, and business. This list of notable entities highlights the show's unintended role as a celebrity incubator:

  • Chrissy Teigen: Model #12 in the original run. She has been the most vocal about the job being a stepping stone. Her career exploded into a multi-million dollar empire as a model, cookbook author, and television personality.
  • Claudia Jordan: Model #1. She transitioned into reality television (The Real Housewives of Atlanta) and radio hosting.
  • Leyla Milani: Model #13. She became a successful entrepreneur with a hair extension company.
  • Tameka Jacobs: Model #20.
  • Lisa Gleave: Model #3.
  • Patricia Kara: Model #9.
  • Anya Monzikova: Model #10.

While the $800 per episode rate was relatively low for a prominent network TV show, especially compared to the high salaries of the host, Howie Mandel, and the Banker, the continuous work provided a steady income stream for the models. Many sources estimate that a full-time model could earn an estimated $75,000 to $100,000 annually if they worked a full season’s worth of episodes and participated in promotional events. However, this is an extrapolation, not a confirmed salary figure.

The Controversy: Was the Pay Fair for the Role?

The debate surrounding the models' compensation centers on the perceived value of their role and the glamour associated with the job. While the job required minimal speaking and limited screen time, it demanded long hours, a high standard of physical appearance, and the pressure of national television exposure. This dynamic led to public comments that framed the job as exploitative, or at the very least, a low-paying entry point into the entertainment industry.

Meghan Markle’s comments about the role, where she felt it reduced her to a "bimbo" and was "solely about beauty," sparked significant discussion. However, other former models, such as Claudia Jordan, defended the show, stating it was a great, dependable job that helped them pay their bills and provided a valuable platform for their careers. The consensus is that the show’s true value for the models was not the paycheck, but the unprecedented exposure.

The Modern Deal: Chrissy Teigen’s Massive 2024 Pay Upgrade

The most significant, recent, and telling update on the economics of the Deal or No Deal franchise came in 2024 with the launch of the spin-off, Deal or No Deal Island. This new version, hosted by Joe Manganiello, features a competition format where contestants seek out briefcases on a tropical island.

In a powerful symbolic, and likely financial, contrast to the $800 per episode model pay, former briefcase model Chrissy Teigen was announced as the mysterious, all-powerful "Banker" for the show’s second season in 2024.

While Teigen’s exact salary for the high-profile Banker role remains undisclosed, her involvement is a clear indicator of the financial ceiling for those who successfully leverage their initial exposure. The Banker is the central, non-contestant figure of the show, delivering the offers and driving the dramatic tension. This role, given to a major celebrity like Teigen, would command a salary in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars—a monumental leap from the $800 she earned as a model nearly two decades prior.

Key Entities and Topical Authority Keywords

To fully understand the economics of the show, it is important to consider all the major players and concepts:

  • Howie Mandel: The host of the original U.S. version and the CNBC revival. His salary was reported to be in the millions per season, representing the top tier of compensation.
  • The Banker: The unseen, powerful entity whose "offers" are the core of the game. Chrissy Teigen’s 2024 role as the Banker for *Deal or No Deal Island* is the most recent iteration.
  • Briefcase Models: The 26 women who hold the monetary values.
  • Contestant Pay: Contestants are not paid an appearance fee but play for the cash prize in the briefcases, which can range from $0.01 to $5.8 million (the largest prize won in *Deal or No Deal Island* Season 2).
  • CNBC Revival: The 2018–2019 return of the show, which likely saw a slight increase in model pay compared to the 2006 rate, though no confirmed figures have been released.
  • Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) Keywords: Deal or No Deal Island, briefcase girls, game show economics, model compensation, celebrity launchpad, reality TV salaries.

In conclusion, the story of Deal or No Deal model pay is a classic Hollywood tale: a low-paying gig that served as a necessary stepping stone. The $800 per episode rate for the original briefcase models was a modest wage for the time, but the true 'deal' was the priceless exposure that launched the careers of global figures like Meghan Markle and Chrissy Teigen—the latter of whom has now returned as the Banker, securing a massive financial upgrade that closes the loop on one of television’s most debated salary secrets.

The Shocking Truth About Deal or No Deal Model Pay: From $800 a Day to a Multi-Million Dollar Comeback
deal or no deal model pay
deal or no deal model pay

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