The founder of a Lancaster charity helped world champion athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson win thousands for good causes on Deal or No Deal.
Barrie Wells MBE appeared on an episode of the ITV1 game show alongside the Olympic silver medal-winning heptathlete.
Millionaire sports fanatic Barrie is a long-time friend and former sponsor of the Liverpool athlete nicknamed ‘KJT’.
He founded the Barrie Wells Trust, which has an office on Dalton Square in Lancaster.
The trust provides unique and exciting experiences for children through the Box4Kids scheme, which enables seriously ill children to enjoy sporting and entertainment events from the comfort of executive boxes.
In the celebrity version of the hit show which aired on Monday evening, Katarina was joined by family, friends and fellow sportspeople including athletes Colin Jackson and Matt Hudson-Smith, who had to open boxes containing different monetary values.
KJT then had to pick a series of boxes to open, hoping to reveal the smallest value possible in the aim of winning a maximum of £100,000.
At different stages of the programme, Katarina was asked by presenter Stephen Mulhearn whether she wanted to accept a ‘deal’ from the banker or ‘no deal’ to carry on opening boxes in the hope of winning more money while also risking a lower offer.
At one point in the show, Katarina asked Barrie’s advice after being offered £2012 by the banker.
“Barrie is a mathematician and was a sponsor of mine back in 2012 (for the London Olympics),” she told Stephen Mulhearn.
Kat said ‘no deal’ based on the advice Barrie (pictured below) gave her, as he advised her to play on, and later was asked to open his box, which contained £50,000.
In the end, after further advice from Barrie urging her to take a deal, Katarina accepted an offer of £10,777 for the charities Listening Ear and Alzheimer’s Society UK.
This was a good decision as it turned out that the value of her own box was just one penny.
Barrie has founded, owned and managed insurance operations in both the UK and overseas, including Prospero Direct, which later became AXA Direct; and Premierline Direct, and founded The Barrie Wells Trust in 2008.
KJT is an athlete ambassador at The Barrie Wells Trust, alongside Olympic champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Olympic 800m champion and 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Keely Hodgkinson.
Both Katarina and Keely were awarded MBEs in the King’s New Year’s Honours List yesterday.
KJT is pictured below on Deal or No Deal with her sausage dog Chorizo. Image from ITV.
