Game show veteran’s 50 stints on TV without a penny to show for it
A CAFE worker believed to be the UK’S most prolific game show contestant has admitted he is yet to win a penny despite more than 50 appearances on television.
Edward Oldfield, a 45-year-old father of two, insists his lack of prize money is “just bad luck” after unsuccessful attempts on more than 20 game shows including The Weakest Link, Tipping Point, The 1% Club and Dickinson’s Real Deal since 2001.
Aside from game shows, Mr Oldfield, a barista from Blackpool, Lancs, has featured on the reality series Come Dine With Me and the ITV talent show Britain’s Got Talent. However, despite racking up experience on the nation’s screens, he said he has returned home with only an elephant costume, a mug and a prescription of fake pills.
“I don’t know why I’ve never won,” Mr Oldfield said, adding: “I think it’s just bad luck. There’s been times where I’ve been so close and I’ve been able to smell the money, but never won it.
“I’ve been doing this for 10 years. Sometimes I wonder if I should give up, but then I think it might be just around the corner.” Mr Oldfield’s hobby began in 2001 when he went on The Weakest Link as a 22-year-old student.
In it, he called himself Edward, but has since featured in shows named Ed, Ted and even as Will on Britain’s Got Talent in 2017.
Soon after his first stint on TV aged 22, he appeared on Come Dine With Me on an episode that was voted the funniest in the history of the show.
Mr Oldfield said: “I got an email asking if I was interested in going on Tipping Point and I thought why not because you can win money on it and meet a few people. I don’t know what happened next. Every time the phone rang it was another programme, or I was getting an email from people.
“I’ve done 50 television shows, which is just incredible. Where in the world could you go and get paid to be as silly and funny as you want to be? The only place is TV – you can speak to your mind and act like a child again.” Mr Oldfield, who has been married to wife Emma for 14 years, performed a stand-up comedy routine for Britain’s Got Talent in 2016 and 2017.
He was dubbed “Mr Blackpool” by presenter Ant, but bombed the comedy routine and all four judges were quick to press their red buzzers. Mr Oldfield made a joke about true love, ending with the punchline: “I like the chase. However my wife always switches over to Pointless.”
Simon Cowell grimaced and comedian David Walliams told him after his routine: “Stand-up comedy is one of the hardest things to do on this show and you’ve just proved that.”
Despite not advancing further than the first round both times, he said that host Stephen Mulhern was “wonderful” and “gave him a pep talk” off camera.
In total, Mr Oldfield has appeared on 21 game shows, but he has also made almost 60 appearances on TV including on talent shows, reality series, news programmes and in an advertisement for lager.
‘There’s been times where I’ve been so close and I’ve been able to smell the money, but never won it’