62 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MARCH 14, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Astoria woman takes the stage as ‘Deal or No Deal’ model
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com
@QNS
A Queens woman is helping ask the ageold
question: Deal, or no deal?
Born and raised in Astoria, Soraya Yd
spent a lot of time growing up hanging
around Astoria Boulevard. Aft er graduating
from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts,
Yd, like many high school grads, was unsure
of what step to take next.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I
knew that I wanted to have a focal point,”
Yd said.
Aft er dabbling in modeling, it wasn’t until
Yd was an extra for a show on MTV3
where it became clear that she wanted
to do on-camera work. She went on
to attend LaGuardia Community College
and majored in Communications and
Television Broadcasting. She signed with
her fi rst agency in 2011, and aft er a few
stints in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, there
was going to be an opportunity that would
change Yd’s life.
After a nine-year hiatus, CNBC
announced in 2018 that it would revive the
popular game show “Deal or No Deal” for a
fi ft h season, and would be looking for a new
crop of models to present the show’s suitcases.
Yd’s agency set her up with a Skype
interview with the casting directors at “Deal
or No Deal.”
“My Wi-Fi actually went down right
before the interview, so I had to rush to my
agency’s offi ce and set up for the interview,”
Yd recalled. “I was fortunate to be seen for
a second interview, where you go and meet
the people working on the show. Th ere
were so many people there, but I showed off
my character and didn’t hold back, and it
worked out to my benefi t.”
Yd was actually in Peru when she found out
that she landed the “Deal or No Deal” job.
“I was on a spiritual journey in Peru when
I found out,” Yd said. “It was supposed to be
a zen experience, but I was bouncing off the
walls when I found out.”
Aft er two months of fi lming in Orlando
and many fi st bumps from “Deal or No
Deal” host Howie Mandel, the new season
premiered on Dec. 5, 2018, with Yd holding
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case No. 1.
Th e popular game “Deal or No Deal,”
which originally ran on NBC from 2005-
2009, consists of one contestant picking
from 26 suitcases, each of which containing
a monetary value ranging from 1 cent to
1 million dollars. Th roughout the game, the
contestant selects cases to open, revealing
dollar amounts that aren’t in their case. At
certain points in the game, the Banker, who
remains anonymous, makes off ers to buy
the contestant’s case based on the amount
of money that has been eliminated from
the game aft er being revealed in another
suitcase.
If the contestant accept the banker’s off er,
the game ends and the player wins that
amount; however, if the contestant rejects
the off er, the game continues until a deal
is made or there are two cases left . At the
end of the game, the contestant can keep
their case or switch it with the last remaining
case.
Th is time around, “Deal or No Deal”
has a couple of twists that changes up the
game this time around. In addition having
a female banker, contestants now have
the opportunity to make counter-off ers to
the banker.
“I love the new banker. She’s bad to the
bone,” Yd said.
What hasn’t changed is that “Deal or No
Deal” is that the show features 26 women
who hold and present the suitcases, revealing
each case’s monetary value for each
game. Th is time, however, there’s more to
Photo by Jeff Daly/CNBC
being a suitcase holder than meets the eye.
“It’s not just about being a model,” Yd
said. “Th e producers were very specifi c
about picking the 26 models. We all come
many diff erent backgrounds. We have
women who are getting their Ph.D., olympians;
even I’m my mom’s home health
attendant. Our backgrounds help as all connect
to the contestants. We’re not just models;
we’re human beings.”
No matter who the contestant is, Yd says
that see fi nds a way to connect with the individual.
It means so much to Yd that she gets
to be a part of their “Deal or No Deal” experience.
“We hold something that can change
someone’s life forever,” Yd said. “It’s such
a special feeling to be a part of someone’s
memory.”
Yd believes that anyone is capable of
achieving their dreams, no matter where
you are in life.
“No matter the circumstances, you can
always make a diff erence and change your
life,” said Yd. “Don’t give up!”
Tune in to CNBC on Wednesday nights
at 9 p.m. ET/PT to catch new episodes of
“Deal or No Deal.” Check your local listings.
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