Howie Mandel Says Meghan Markle Was 'Slightly Duchessy' On 'Deal Or No Deal'

Markle during her stint on "Deal or No Deal."  (Photo: NBC via Getty Images)
Markle during her stint on "Deal or No Deal."  (Photo: NBC via Getty Images)

Howie Mandel relived the time Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, appeared as a briefcase model on his show, “Deal or No Deal” over a decade ago.

Markle was “slightly duchessy” during her stint on the show from 2006 to 2007, the host said on Wednesday at a summer press tour panel for the Television Critics Association, according to People.

Mandel was likely joking, as he previously admitted he didn’t remember having the former “Suits” star on his show. But he did say her appearance on “Deal or No Deal” reveals just how great the models on the show are.

“That speaks to who we have now and who we had then. Not everybody will have an opportunity to meet royalty, but these are all accomplished people that have something substantial,” Mandel said. “They’re not just standing there holding a case — they have careers; they have hobbies; they have families; they’re entrepreneurial.”

“So when somebody like [Prince] Harry meets somebody who just happened to be on our show, there’s a lot to offer!” he added.

Markle holding a briefcase while Mandel looks on.  (Photo: NBC via Getty Images)
Markle holding a briefcase while Mandel looks on.  (Photo: NBC via Getty Images)

Markle previously spoke about her time on the game show and referred to it as a job she took to “make ends meet.”

“I went from working in the U.S. Embassy in Argentina to ending up on Deal,” she told Esquire in a 2013 interview. “It’s run the gamut. Definitely working on ‘Deal or No Deal’ was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing.”

She added that she never even got to hold a winning case, which was fine by her.

“I would end up standing up there forever in these terribly uncomfortable and inexpensive five-inch heels just waiting for someone to pick my number so I could go and sit down,” Markle said.

The New York Times previously reported that the show had 14-hour workdays during which some of the models stood “on an Arctic-like soundstage in short, short sleeveless dresses and four-inch heels” for hours.

According to Inside Edition, one briefcase model, Claudia Jordan, said Markle seemed like she was ready to move on.

I didn’t feel she loved it,” Jordan said. “She wasn’t like [how] I loved it. It was just a stop along the way.”

Meghan Markle (Photo: NBC via Getty Images)
Meghan Markle (Photo: NBC via Getty Images)

Take a look at her time on the show below:

Meghan Markle as Case Model on Deal or No Deal from Game Show Network on Vimeo.

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