The internet's 'Banana Queen' has become half a million pesos richer, thanks to her fighting spirit, and a dash of luck courtesy of her favorite fruit—yup, the humble banana!
Wearing a customized yellow top with banana details, content creator Joyang, who first rose to fame with her viral deadpan skits featuring banana props that have since become her trademark, peeled her way through the high-stakes game of "Kapamilya Deal or No Deal" in the July 11 episode after the Lucky Wheel picked her to become the night's Lucky Star player.
WATCH: Joyang, naiuwi ang 500,000 pesos sa “Kapamilya Deal Or No Deal”
Joyang got off to a strong start as she eliminated the smaller cash amounts during the opening rounds. By the finale, the money board looked dazzling with the ₱100,000 and ₱500,000 prizes still in play, forcing Banker to go higher with his final offer, which was ₱265,000. Thankfully, Joyang didn't 'split' from her gut feeling and she went for a "No Deal" to gamble on Briefcase Number 18 (the one she was holding before the game started) which was the ₱500,000 case all along.
Speaking to ABS-CBN Studios after her big win, Joyang explained that Briefcase Number 18 wasn't connected to any birthday, anniversary, or sentimental story. After watching other Lucky Stars put their faith in "lucky" numbers that didn't always work out in past episodes, she went with a different strategy and just decided to stick with the briefcase she was assigned to. And it turned out to be the right move.
That's why her tip to future Lucky Star players is to not overthink or stress too much about the game, "Mag-enjoy lang" and trust their intuition. "Kumain ng saging para may energy sa paglalaro," she joked.
Kidding aside, Joyang said the best thing you can do is pray before the game. Once you're on that stage, there's only so much you can control, so you just have to surrender everything and hope the blessings come your way.
If she did have a lucky charm, though, she thinks it would have to be the banana. Following her gut feel, she wore a custom banana-themed top for the episode, and then jokingly offered a banana to the Banker, who was generous with his offers as well, but Joyang didn't back down until the very end. "Salamat sa 'yong offer pero akin ang 500 thousand," she said when asked if she had a message for the Banker.
"Family first, so ibibigay ko siya sa mga magulang ko," she gushed when asked what she plans to do with her winnings. She added, "Makakabili na kami ng sasakyan!" and then jestingly said "hi" to their family's beloved tricycle.
Now that her own game is over, Joyang can't wait to watch her fellow Lucky Stars take on the Banker. And she has a hunch that a female celebrity from their batch will take home the ₱1 million prize.
Will Joyang's prediction come true? Find out in the next episodes of "Kapamilya Deal or No Deal," airing Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 PM on ABS-CBN via ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, A2Z, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL). Episodes are also available to stream anytime on iWant!
PHOTOS: Joyang braves the “Kapamilya Deal or No Deal” pressure and takes home 500,000 pesos!
WATCH: Joyang, naiuwi ang 500,000 pesos sa ‘Kapamilya Deal Or No Deal’
“Kapamilya Deal or No Deal” 1st lucky star player Bassilyo on winning P500,000: “Sobrang saya!”
Bassilyo, inilaban ang briefcase! Naiuwi ang 500,000 pesos! | Kapamilya Deal Or No Deal