A contestant who scooped £20,000 on the game show Deal Or No Deal says the experience changed her life.

Charly Copeman had been made redundant weeks before going on the box-opening Channel 4 show.

The cash prize helped her turn her life around, settling debts and scooping her a job as a radio presenter.

Miss Copeman said: "It's all looking up for me now. It definitely came at a good time."

The 29-year-old registered to audition as a contestant 18 months ago as a joke with a friend.

She said: "One afternoon we were online and decided to sign up. When the show called me for an audition I completely forgot that I had applied."

Miss Copeman, who lives in Brunswick Place, Hove, lost her sales job weeks before going to the auditions at Covent Garden, in London.

She got through the audition and she then headed to the show's Bristol studios where she was put up in a hotel.

Then began the three week wait to be picked for the show.

She said: "You don't know how long it will be. In the background there are people like me who open the boxes, who could be called up at any time. It is just chosen randomly."

Finally, after appearing in the background on 24 shows, Miss Copeman's chance came in June for a show that was aired on November 5. She said: "They built a theme around my game. I was one of the youngest female contestants so they said I was the sexiest box opener.

"I built up a real rapport with Noel Edmonds. He was really kind and genuine and the crew were absolutely fantastic. They looked after us so well and really encouraged us to have a great time."

The game of chance, which has been running for two years, requires contestants to select from 22 boxes containing different monetary values.

Contestants must choose whether to keep what is offered by the bank and leave the game by saying "Deal" or risk losing it all for the contents of unopened boxes.

Miss Copeman worked her way through 21 boxes in a bid to win the £250,000 jackpot. She said: "I went all the way to the end of the game without saying Deal. The final two boxes contained £10 and £20,000 so it was a pretty tense ending.

"It was really nerve-racking. I basically cried all the way through. I was so nervous."

The cash prize gave Miss Copeman time to turn her life around. She enlisted professional help in polishing her CV, which helped her get headhunted for her current full-time job in technical customer support for an internet television company.

She paid off her student loan and credit card debts, booked a scuba diving holiday and then landed a dream job as co-host on the Radio Reverb Friday show.

She said: "I couldn't have asked for a better result. It was brilliant and has totally changed my life in every way and given me the drive to pursue the career I wanted. My life really is totally different and it's all as a result of this crazy game show."

Has your life dramatically changed after appearing on a game show? Call Jess Bauldry on 01273 544536 or tell us your stories below.