Britain’s unluckiest game show contestant has made more than 50 TV appearances but hasn’t won a penny

A cafe worker believed to be the UK’s most prolific game show contestant has told how he is yet to win a penny, despite more than 50 appearances on television.

Father-of-two Edward Oldfield, 45, 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, Dickinson’s Real Deal and Lightning since 2001.

Aside from game shows, Mr Oldfield, from Blackpool, Lancashire, has also featured on the reality series Come Dine With Me and ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

However, despite racking up extensive competition experience on the nation’s screens, the 45-year-old said he has only returned home with an elephant costume, a Steph’s Packed Lunch 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 give up but then I think it might be just around the corner.”

Mr Oldfield’s hobby of appearing on game shows began in 2001 when he went on The Weakest Link as a 22-year-old student from Preston, Lancashire.

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 one in the history of the show as well as the only one in which presenter Dave Lamb swore.

Since then, he has been asked to go on dozens of other shows which have been broadcast to over three million viewers in over 150 countries.

Mr Oldfield explained: “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 new people.

“I don’t know what happened next, every time the phone rang it was another program 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 as “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 at the punchline 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 in the competition show both times, he said that host Stephen Mulhern was “wonderful” and “gave him a pep talk” off camera.

Mr Oldfield said: “I asked him if I should take a hint because this was the second time round but he told me I was funny and that the judges don’t always get it right.

“He told me to not give up and I thought he was a wonderful guy. He didn’t need to follow me into the corridor and give me a pep talk as it was all off camera.”

In total, Mr Oldfield has appeared on 24 different 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 Heineken.

He admitted that he was “not really good at winning money” on game shows, but advised that if anyone was desperate to win in that way they should “play for the lottery” instead.

Bargain Hunt next on the list

Mr Oldfield, who is father to Jack, 13, and Charles, 11, feels his skills might be suited to an appearance on BBC’s Bargain Hunt.

He said: “I think Bargain Hunt would be great fun – it would be such a laugh. I’m not really good at winning money but Bargain Hunt is all about losing money.

“I don’t think anyone ever makes any money on there, it’s about who has lost the least money. I think this is the sort of show that I should be going on.”

The barista and part-time comedian added: “I think I would never say never to a show, as I always get talked into stuff.

“They are quite good at talking stuff up – I wouldn’t do anything that involves dating but I don’t think there’s anything else I wouldn’t do.”

His advice for anyone wanting to go on TV is to “not take themselves too seriously” and to “do it for a bit of fun”.

He said: “If you are going to go into this, then…think ‘one day I will win’.

“I always tell people to not do it if they take themselves too seriously or don’t want to make a fool out of themselves. If you really are desperate for the money, then play for the lottery.”