Episode 14 Letterbox

This is the Letterbox. I found it in the loft.

Inside the box is £2,500 but the only way to get your chops on it

is to crack the eight-letter password.

Will anyone win the cash today?

Will anyone redecorate my loft?

Let's find out the answer to the first question at least.

Welcome to Letterbox.

APPLAUSE

Hello and welcome to Letterbox,

the show that's all about cracking passwords.

Let's meet our first two pairs hoping to get their hands

-on the cash.

-Oh, here we go.

-Nick and Leanne. Hello!

-Hello.

-APPLAUSE

Nick, all I heard there was, under the breath, "Oh, here we go."

-Yes, yes.

-Listen, how do you two know each other?

-Erm, we met seven years ago.

-Yeah.

Mutual friends, yeah, and we've been together ever since.

-Oh, you're together-together?

-Engaged last year.

-Engaged!

We've got a little baby. A little baby boy called Angus.

-Aww.

-Yeah.

-Listen, when's the wedding?

We haven't made any plans.

Are you going to go summer or winter?

Or spring or autumn?

-Oh, I'm not really sure.

-Think of your season, guys.

Always think of your season.

I'm just thinking about the bank balance.

I'm thinking registry office, 150 quid.

-That's about right.

-Cheap buffet at the pub.

-That's about right.

She wants white linen on a beach, thank you very much.

-If that's what you want, that's what you can have.

-OK, thanks.

-Win today and that might happen.

-It might.

Otherwise it could be Skegness and a registry office. Good luck.

-That's all right.

-Now... Which would be lovely.

-And they're up against Lisa and Jane.

-Hello.

APPLAUSE

-Hello.

-Hello!

Now, how do you two know each other?

Well, we met in a field.

-We were only nine years old.

-Oh!

So we were riding ponies, so we're country girls.

What's the trotting action?

-Rising trot.

-Is that good, rising trot?

-Yes, excellent, excellent.

-Straight back.

-Straight back, yeah.

-Would I make the horse show of...?

Yeah, horse of the year show, definitely.

Bit of dressage there.

Now, Lisa and Jane, who's going to be playing for you first?

-I'm having a go first.

-Jane up first.

-Yeah.

-Nick and Leanne?

-I'm up first.

-Leanne's up first.

-Yes.

-Excellent.

So, take your positions, please. Let's play.

APPLAUSE

OK, ladies, here is your first password. Have a look at this.

Oh, it's a long one.

Nine letters.

OK, we will give you a little hint.

Fictional character.

Now, we tossed a coin backstage and, Leanne, you're going to go first,

-aren't you?

-OK.

-So, can I have your first letter please?

-A.

-A, absolutely.

Have we got an A?

Yes, we do. Two As.

-My goodness.

-Ooh.

-OK.

-Oh...

-What you thinking?

Let's go for an M.

-M.

-M.

-M for Minnie Mouse.

Let's have a little look.

-No M.

-No.

-Right, Jane, over to you.

Can we try a C, please?

A C, you certainly can.

Right, Jane, next letter, please.

Can I have...

a H?

H, you certainly may.

Let's have a look.

I'm totally in the dark, gang, I'm not going to lie to you.

Absolutely in the dark.

Go on, Jane.

I'm either going to completely embarrass myself

-or pull off a miracle.

-OK.

Can I have a W?

W.

Let's have a look. Have we got a W...?

We do. We do.

Right, Jane, next letter, please.

Er, an E.

An E.

Very good. And the last letter?

-A B.

-A B. Is there a B?

-Miracle.

Whoa. APPLAUSE

Give me a little... Give me one of those.

-I thought it was Cinderella.

-So did I.

That's what I was thinking, then I thought, "Not convinced."

-Then I thought it was Cinderacca.

-I was Cinderella...

-I know!

And then, "Mwaugh!" Chewbacca.

Yeah. SHE IMITATES CHEWBACCA

Fabulous!

SHE IMITATES CHEWBACCA

Which means, in Chewy language - I forget what the language is called,

there probably is some language, isn't there? -

it means "very well done".

You've cracked the first password which was, of course...

SHE IMITATES CHEWBACCA Chewbacca.

Now, as you know, Jane, there are 26 letters in our alphabet

and they're all hidden here in our letterbox.

The eight red ones spell out the final password

that will unlock the box.

That leaves 18 mystery letters for you two to choose from.

So please take two because you cracked the first password.

-Do you like that?

-I like that.

-Good. It's good.

-On you go.

-Erm...

-Quick as you like.

-That one.

-Interesting.

So, Jane, you know that those two letters

are not going to be in the final password.

Now, best of three, don't worry, Nick and Leanne.

Still everything to play for.

It's now time to play Password Two.

APPLAUSE

OK, your turn now, guys.

I love this, by the way.

-Thank you.

-Is it a kerchief?

-It's a scarf.

-It's a scarf, lovely. It'll give you luck.

-It will bring you luck.

-OK.

-Not too much luck, though, not too much luck.

-Not too much.

Now, Lisa, you're 1-0 up at the moment.

-Yes.

-So, if you crack this next one,

-you're straight through to the semifinal.

-Excellent.

-OK.

-Nick...

-The pressure's on.

-..you have a little bit more pressure on yourself.

-Yep.

OK, are you up to the challenge?

I reckon so, we'll give it a good crack, that's for sure.

Good lad. OK, here is the second password. Have a look.

Nine-letter word and we'll give you a little hint.

It's a country. Nick, your team went first last time,

so it's over to you, Lisa. You go first.

Can I have your first letter, please?

An E, please.

An E, let's have a look.

E for expostulate.

I don't even know what that means.

-Oh, three.

-Yay!

You ask for one and then three show up. Look at that. Amazing.

-You again, Lisa.

-OK.

A T, please.

Have we got that? Have we got a T?

-No T.

-Oh.

Right, Nick.

-Now...

-Off you go.

-N, please.

-N, let's see.

Have we got an N? Nefarious.

Yes, we do. Well done.

Still with you, Nick.

HE SIGHS

Mm, no.

I had something, but I don't any more.

If you know what I mean.

OK, let's go for a D, please.

D.

Is there a D anywhere in this country?

No, no D. Right, Lisa, what are you thinking?

An...

-A, please.

-An A?

-Yeah.

A, have we got an A?

Oh.

All I can see is the name of the cheese. That's weird.

Sorry... Go on, Lisa.

I would like to go with an L, please.

-An L.

-Yep.

L, are we going to go for an L?

Yes, we are. Is there an L?

This is going to test my spelling.

-OK, give me a letter, Lisa.

-OK.

-Go for it.

-A Z, please.

A Z.

A Z.

Yep, we've got a Z.

-And a U.

-A U, absolutely.

-There we go.

-And a V.

-A V.

-Yes.

Let's go for a V.

There we go. APPLAUSE

Well, look at that.

I'm amazed!

Lisa, just cool as a cucumber.

-Yeah!

-Well done. Brilliant stuff.

Now, listen, by cracking two passwords,

you're through to the semifinal.

-Now, well done.

-Fabulous.

-APPLAUSE

Once again, as a reward for cracking that password,

-you get to choose another two of the grey letters, so...

-Fabulous.

..go in there. Just guarding the red ones.

-That one.

-No untoward behaviour.

-And that one. Thank you.

Listen, have a little look at all four of them, go on.

I'm so sorry.

THEY LAUGH

Not that helpful, but there we go.

Never before have I seen four letters make someone laugh so much,

it's amazing. Now, Nick and Leanne, I'm sorry to say goodbye.

-That's all right.

-Thank you so much for playing.

-No worries, thank you.

-Lovely to have you with us.

APPLAUSE

Now it's time to meet our next contestants in Heat Two.

APPLAUSE

Hello and welcome, Charlotte and Emma, lovely to see you.

APPLAUSE Oh, you look so nice.

-Now, you do look quite similar...

-Yeah.

-..around the eye,

-particularly around the eye area. Are you sisters?

-Yeah.

-We are.

Aww. Do you always speak together?

-Sometimes.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, you do.

Who's the older, and who's the younger?

-Charlotte's older.

-Me.

-Charlotte's older.

-Yeah.

-Emma's younger.

-Good older sister or...?

-Most of the time.

-Quite bossy?

-Yeah, she can be.

-That's you.

My older sister had a whistle

and used to make me call her Sergeant Major.

-I wouldn't say she was that bad!

-Through most of the '70s.

Did your sister Charlotte do that to you?

-No, not quite that bad.

-That's good, that's very, very good.

I've never actually told anyone that, so there we go,

just telling you all that now. Lovely to see you.

-You, too.

-Now, they're up against Aman and Ravneet.

APPLAUSE

Aman and Ravneet, what connects the pair of you?

-We're a couple.

-Aww. Since, since when?

-About a year.

-Yeah. Longer than I can remember.

But we've known each other since we were 16, so...

-Ah, right. So...

-Quite a long time.

Were there are any surprises when you got married?

-Oh, we're not married.

-Oh, you're not married!

-Oh, I'm so sorry!

-She's married us already!

-We haven't got there just yet.

-I'm sorry,

I was seeing your wedding pictures, your wedding dress, everything.

-She had a premonition.

-I know, I did.

-What was it like?

-It was great.

-There we go.

-Yeah, cheap?

-It went really well.

-No, it wasn't cheap, Aman.

-Oh, that's a shame

It was a really luxurious wedding.

-I'm seeing it in a couple of years' time.

-Brilliant.

-Lovely to meet you both.

-And you.

Now, remember, whoever cracks the most passwords

will be going through to play Lisa and Jane in the semifinal.

So, Charlotte and Emma, who's going to be playing first?

-Charlotte will be.

-Me.

-Charlotte, as the older sister.

-Yeah.

The Sergeant Major of the duo.

Aman and Ravneet, who's going to be playing first?

-That will be me.

-Ravneet.

-Yep.

-Oh, she said that straight off there.

-Straight in there.

She is the Sergeant Major.

She's the Sergeant Major, is she?

-Are you?

-I wouldn't say so. Sometimes.

-No comment.

-Aman literally had fear in his eyes.

-You saw it.

-Yeah, I saw it, absolutely.

-Now, take your positions and let's play.

-OK.

APPLAUSE

OK, here is your first password.

Have a look at this.

It's a six-letter word and we're going to give you a hint, of course,

-which is animal kingdom.

-Ooh.

OK. Ravneet, how do you feel about animals?

They're not my favourite thing but...

-How about you, Charlotte?

-I love animals.

I've got a little cat at home, she's beautiful.

-Is she? What's she called?

-Bella.

-Bella, aw.

I don't really like cats.

-I'm sorry. Sorry, Charlotte.

-It's OK.

I keep blurting stuff out today.

I'm really sorry. I'm sure your cat is lovely.

-You'd love her.

-Would I?

I know I would. I know I would.

I would.

Now, we tossed a coin backstage and, Charlotte, you're going to go first.

-Yeah.

-So can I have your first letter, please?

-A, please.

-A.

-Yeah.

-Straight in there, Charlotte, no messing.

Let's have a look.

-Well done.

-Ooh.

-Oh, yeah, good. Right.

-Next letter, please.

-Erm...

-R.

-R.

R.

No R. Right, Ravneet, over to you.

Can I go for an E, please?

An E, you certainly may.

Let's have a look.

Do we have...? No, no E.

Back to you, Charlotte.

Erm...

-S.

-S, yeah.

S. S for sweet little cat.

Have we got an S?

No S either.

Ravneet, right back at you.

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking O.

An O. Right, let's see if we've got an O.

Is there an O in this animal?

Yes, there is, well done.

So, it stays with you, Ravneet,

what are you thinking?

Er, U.

-U.

-Mm-hm.

-Let's give it a whirl.

Have we got a U?

No U. Charlotte.

I don't think it's cat.

I don't think it's cat.

-T.

-T. Let's have a little look.

-Ooh.

-Yes, we... Oh.

-Charlotte.

-Erm...

-C.

-A C.

-C for cat.

-Yep.

No C. Ravneet.

Can I have an N, please?

-N.

-Yeah.

No problem, you certainly may.

Thank you.

No.

-Charlotte.

-M.

M. Have we got an M?

OK.

-Charlotte.

-A B.

A B.

Well done, there is B there.

And the last letter?

-A W.

-A W.

Is that a W?

There we go. APPLAUSE

Hey, listen up,

you've cracked the first password which is, of course, wombat.

Now, as you know, Charlotte,

you get to choose two letters from the letterbox, OK?

So, go select,

but not the red ones, please.

Nice.

-Excellent. Well done, pleased with those, Charlotte?

-Yeah.

-Good.

Now, they're important, those letters, OK?

Because they're not in the final password

which unlocks the letterbox.

Ravneet, don't worry, it's the best of three.

It's time to play Password Two.

APPLAUSE

Aman, Emma, you've watched your partners play.

-How are you feeling?

-She did pretty well.

-She did good.

-Yeah, I was surprised.

-Now, listen, Emma, you're 1-0 up, good times.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

So, if you crack this next password,

-you're zinging your way through to the semifinal.

-Hoping so.

Aman, you need to get this one, OK?

Otherwise we'll have to say goodbye,

which would be devastating for all of us.

Now, here's your second password. Have a look.

Seven letters and the hint for this word is...

food and drink. OK.

Now, Aman, your turn to go first.

Can I have your first letter, please?

-I'm going to go with E.

-E.

Let's have a little look.

Oh, two Es.

Very good. Still your go, Aman.

Yep, I'm going to go with N.

-N.

-N.

-N. OK.

No N. Right.

-Emma.

-I'm going to say T.

-T.

-Yeah.

-Just because?

-Why not?

-Yeah, lovely.

Throw it out there.

-Yes.

-Ooh.

-Very good random guess.

What are you thinking now?

I've no idea.

-Really?

-No idea.

-What's your choice going to be, then?

-Erm...

I'm going to say S.

-S.

-Yeah.

-S. OK.

Do we have an S?

No. Oh, sorry about that.

Aman.

OK, I'm going to go with a...

-C.

-A C.

Have we got a C?

Oh, no C.

OK, Emma.

Can I go with A?

-A.

-Yeah.

-Absolutely.

No A.

Let's go for an R.

-R.

-Yep.

-R.

Righto.

Yes!

OK, Aman.

I'm going to go with a G.

-G.

-Yeah.

-G. OK.

SHE GASPS

-No. Right.

-I think I know it.

OK, Emma, all right.

-Give me a letter, please.

-Can I go with a Z?

A Z.

Let's see if there's a Z.

-Ah!

-Yes, there is.

Can I go with L?

L, you certainly may.

-And your last?

-P.

And P. P.

Well done. APPLAUSE

Oh, Emma, well done.

-That was fiendish.

-It came from nowhere.

-Unbelievable.

Listen, you've cracked two passwords on the trot

which means you're through to the semifinals, so congratulations.

Partners, come and join me right away.

APPLAUSE

Ravneet, I know that you got that quite early on, didn't you?

-Yeah.

-Oh, Aman.

-Wrong round.

-Oh, don't worry, don't worry.

-You did really, really well.

-Thanks.

-I mean, you didn't get it, but you did well.

-Yeah.

The getting there, well, no, you didn't get there,

-but you know what I mean.

-Yeah.

-It's the taking part.

-Exactly.

Now, once again, as a reward for cracking that password,

two more letters go over to you, ladies. Go for it.

-Stay away from the reds, please.

-OK.

-Pick those letters out. Lovely.

-Oh.

-Aman, Ravneet, I'm afraid this is au revoir.

-OK.

-Yeah, it's been lovely having you on the show.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-And have a lovely wedding.

Thank you so much for playing. APPLAUSE

Right, sisters,

you've now got four letters that you know are not going to occur

in this final password, OK? So hang on to them.

It's time to play the semifinal.

APPLAUSE

Charlotte and Emma, Lisa and Jane.

-It sounds like a lovely sort of novel, doesn't it?

-Oh, yes.

Charlotte and Emma, Lisa and Jane.

I shall be Mama.

Welcome to the semifinal. This is good, isn't it?

-Yeah, girl power.

-Girl power.

-Yeah.

-Wow, there are five of us. We could be the Spice Girls.

-Yeah.

If you were a Spice, what would you be, Lisa? Come on.

I'd probably be Scary.

-Scary?

-Yeah.

-Jane?

-Short, fat dumpy one.

-Oh, never!

-Gorgeous Bepurpled Blondie Spice.

-Ooh.

-Yeah.

I'll be Lithuanian Spice.

-Emma, what about you?

-I'll be Ginger Spice.

-Ginge.

-You have to be, really.

-Charlotte?

-I'll be Posh Spice, I guess.

-Yeah, lovely, good.

-We've got that sorted. LISA:

-And you.

-I was Lithuanian Spice.

Now, in the semifinal, there's just one password to crack

and it's the name of a famous person.

They could be dead or alive, OK?

The team that cracks the password will go through to the final

and play for the money. Now, this time you're playing together

-so you can have little...

-Arguments.

-..confabulations, yeah,

together, lovely. Let's play. Good.

APPLAUSE

So, here is that semifinal password. Have a look.

Ooh. Two names we're looking for, seven-letters apiece.

We're looking for a famous person.

Now, we tossed a coin backstage.

Lisa and Jane, you won the toss, so you go first.

Can I have your first letter, please?

Can we have an I, please?

I. Every time, Lisa.

For you, yes. I.

Ooh, well done. So, the play is still with you.

-What are you thinking?

-Another vowel, E?

-Yeah.

-An E, please.

-An E, yeah?

-Jane, you in agreement with that?

-Yes, fine.

-Good.

Let's go for an E.

-Ooh!

-Loads of Es.

Three all at once. Look at that.

Still with you, girls.

N, N.

-N.

-OK, right.

We're going for an N, please.

-N?

-Yeah.

-N for nightwear.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

I don't know why. Something about the kerchief.

N.

-No N.

-Ooh...

-Right.

Charlotte and Emma, your go.

-What do you think?

-I'll give you this one, I don't know.

-No?

THEY WHISPER

-R, please.

-R.

-Yep.

Let's see if there's an R.

Ooh... Three Rs. That was brilliant. Well done.

Still with you, girls.

Ooh.

-What first name is that?

-Can't remember.

Aww, fiendish.

OK, can we have A, please?

A. Absolutely.

No A. Wow.

Back to you, Jane and Lisa.

-Go for it.

-Lisa...

-A D, please.

-A D.

Wow. Wow, what's your next letter choice?

-An F.

-F.

-Yeah.

-Let's have a look.

-Yes! Freddie somebody, yes.

-And M.

An M. Is there an M?

-Yep. Next letter.

-We're back to the spelling test, aren't we?

-Good luck.

-A C.

-A C, good.

And your next letter?

-A U.

-A U.

Is that right?!

-And a Y.

-And a Y.

-Yes.

-Is it a Y?

-Could it be a Y?

-Yes.

-Yes!

-Yes.

-APPLAUSE

-You star.

-That was extraordinary.

-Superstar.

Superstar. Huge congratulations.

You made that look really easy. Well done.

-You cracked the semifinal password...

-Well done, sweetheart.

..which means you're through to the final. Well done.

APPLAUSE

Oh, Charlotte and Emma.

-Aww.

-Unbelievable.

-I'm going to miss you both.

I'm not going to miss your cat.

But I will miss the pair of you.

Thank you so, so much for coming and playing.

I hope you've had a good time.

I must ask you, please hand over the letters to Lisa and Jane.

-I know that's a tough ask...

-Thank you.

-..but it has to be done.

There you go. Have a look through those, Lisa and Jane.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

Charlotte and Emma, thank so much for playing. Lovely.

-Thank you.

-APPLAUSE

Now, Lisa and Jane, you've got eight letters there

to help you crack the final password, OK?

It's time to unlock the Letterbox.

APPLAUSE

Well, Lisa and Jane, textbook letterboxing behaviour.

Honestly, so good.

Just one more password.

The final password stands between you and the £2,500

very much inside there.

-Ooh.

-Yeah? Ready to play?

-Ready to play.

-Let's go for it.

Good. All right, here it is. Have a look at this.

OK, we're looking for an eight-letter password this time

with no repeat letters.

It can be any word and there's no hint.

But what you do have instead are those eight letters in front of you,

which you've won along the way which we know are not going

to be featured in this final password.

-Shall we have a little look and see what we can get rid of?

-Yes.

Hand them over. Thanks, Mrs.

We know that there is going to be no W.

No U.

No Q.

No S.

No Z.

No X.

Sorry.

No B.

And no V.

Right, OK.

There you go. Those are the letters not involved.

Now, listen. Every time you make a mistake,

£500 slips away from the £2,500, OK?

-OK.

-Five mistakes equals...

-Zero.

-Zero.

Now, good luck, Lisa and Jane.

Let's unlock this letterbox.

I think we should start with a vowel.

-Yeah.

-What shall we go for?

-Stick with the tactics?

-Yeah?

-E?

-E?

-E.

-Tactics?

Yeah!

-You're going to go for an E?

-Yeah.

A tactic of E.

-Oh.

-And they work, don't they? Not.

Wherever those tactics come from, maybe just put those away.

-Forget those.

-Yeah, forget those.

Listen, it's £2,000 you've still got, OK?

Don't be down, plough on.

-Come on.

-We will go for an A.

-An A.

OK, let's see if there's an A in this final password.

-Yes.

-Yay!

-Thank goodness for that.

Right, so what could go after an A in a word?

What about an N?

Or an R.

Or an S.

-Running?

-S.

Let's go R first?

-R, yes.

-Yeah.

-Sure about that? Going for an R?

-Yeah, we'll go for an R.

OK, let's see if there's a runaway R.

No. OK, £1,500 still a very good prize.

What's it going to be next?

Let's go with the... Shall we go for the N, then?

It's either an N or a T.

But there's got to be another vowel, I would've thought.

OK, so do you want to go for an O, then, or an I?

let's go for an I, because it could be "ian" at the end.

-I-A-N.

-OK. That's good thinking.

-Yeah?

-Yeah?

-Shall we go for an I?

-Yeah, go for an I.

-Go for an I.

Let's see if there's an I in this final password.

I is what we're looking for.

-Yes!

-Not where I thought it was going to be, but...

-No.

So, shall we go T, something "ita", "an".

T-A-N, at the end, so try a T?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. That might work.

Can we go for a T, please?

-A T, a T for tactic.

-Yeah.

-Well done.

-Not where you thought.

Again, not where I thought it was going to be.

So, shall we go for N?

-Yeah, cos that could be the ending.

-It could be the ending,

-and if it's not the ending, it might be the beginning.

-Yeah.

-Let's go for an N.

-Let's go for an N.

-N.

-Yeah.

-N.

No N. Listen, £1,000 is still a lot of money.

OK, we're going to need another vowel, aren't we?

So shall we have an O?

Because that's the only vowel left. And there should be something...

You can't have three consonants at the front.

-OK, yeah.

-Yeah?

-An O?

-An O.

-Going to go for an O.

Let's have a look.

Have we got an O?

-No.

-Ladies, you're down to £500.

I'm thinking it's got to be a Y, then, hasn't it?

Because what else could go in front?

OK, we'll go for a Y.

-Yeah, we'll go for a Y.

-A Y?

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Y for yak.

Got a Y in there?

Yes!

So, come on... What...? Go on, do you think you know?

Go with the letter you think, then.

If it was a P at the front...

P... Oh.

-Go for it.

-Go for a P. P.

-P.

A P. Have we got a P?

-No! Oh, no.

-Ladies, aww.

-Oh, no.

Listen, that was the last £500,

which means that you have not unlocked the letterbox.

So let's reveal what the password was.

Let's have a look at the first letter.

M, oh.

The next letter, H.

Yes, the next one, it's got to be a C, hasn't it?

-And the last one.

-L.

-L, mythical. Aww.

-Aww, never mind.

And just to prove that that was indeed the final password,

here it is, M-Y-T-H-I-C-A-L.

Mythical.

Which you have been, ladies.

You will go down in the annals of Letterbox.

-You will.

-Yay!

Now, the letterbox has triumphed, sadly, for Lisa and Jane.

It takes no prisoners.

Will anyone have what it takes to unlock the letterbox

and win the money? Join me next time for more letterboxing.

Bye! APPLAUSE