Overview

• On Marina Hyde’s The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Richard Osman said game shows systematically embed payout restrictions into their formats.
• He explained that final-round questions are not weighted to steer contestants away from high-value jackpots.
• Osman said producers use budget line items and algorithms to spread prize funds across multiple episodes.
• He cited Deal or No Deal’s box values from £250,000 down to one penny as an example of a structured prize ladder.
• He noted that Pointless enforces a £16,500 daily jackpot cap, meaning a single big win reduces prize availability for later contestants.