Adei from Leeds won the iconic ITV gameshow’s £50,000 top prize for the first time in 2016 and has opened up about her experience on the show
Adei from Leeds won the iconic ITV gameshow’s £50,000 top prize for the first time in 2016 and has opened up about her experience on the show
Olivia Wheeler Content Editor Screen Time
15:05, 10 Apr 2026
A previous Catchphrase champion has revealed what Stephen Mulhern is truly like behind-the-scenes.
The beloved ITV gameshow has been broadcasting since 1986, and the £50,000 jackpot was claimed for the first time in 2016 by contestant Adei.
Adei, from Leeds, secured the substantial prize a decade ago after accurately identifying all the catchphrases in the final pyramid with merely one second remaining.
Speaking to Smooth Spins Casino, Smooth Radio’s gaming brand, Adei has shared insights about her experience on the programme, disclosing the episode took only an hour to record from beginning to end.
Discussing working with presenter Stephen, 49, Adei said: “He was lovely. Before filming started, he came over, wished us luck and told us to enjoy it.”, reports the Mirror.
Meanwhile, reflecting on her choice to appear on the show, she said: “I was such a huge fan of the show. I had the game on my PC, the app on my phone, and I watched it every time it was on. I knew I had a bit of a knack for guessing the catchphrases, so I thought, why not?”
Describing the selection process, Adei recalled: “You start with an application form and have to send a photo that shows your personality, so I sent one of me holding the Mr Men book: Little Miss Chatterbox.
“Then I got a call inviting me to a hotel conference room in Manchester. In the waiting room, we had to solve pictographs. A little while later, they rang to say I had made it onto the show and needed to go down to Maidstone in Kent to film.
“I will never forget a producer telling us backstage that 26,000 people apply every year, and they only pick around 24 contestants.
“He said even getting chosen should feel like a win. Then he said, ‘We have never had a jackpot winner, so today could be the day.’ And it was.”
Reflecting on her victory, Adei said: “It was insane. I treated going on the show like an audition. You go in, do your best and leave with no regrets. Then I started actually winning.
“When I got to the final Catchphrase and won the whole thing, including the holiday, it did not feel real. It felt like swallowing a firework on live TV.”
Following her remarkable triumph, Adei recalled: “They took me to the green room for an interview, and they rang my mum because none of my family in Leeds could make it. She did not believe it at first. I was shaking.”
