Australian beauty queen who appeared on Deal or No Deal with Meghan Markle before she was famous reveals what the Duchess was like behind the scenes
- Lisa Gleave from the Gold Coast used to be a ‘briefcase beauty’ on US TV show
- Meghan Markle appears to have worked with the Australian beauty queen
- Meghan, 38, worked on Deal or No Deal for 34 episodes from 2006 until 2007
- Ms Gleave has revealed what the duchess, 38, was like behind the scenes
An Australian model, who worked alongside Meghan Markle on an American game show before she was a duchess, has lifted the lid on what she was really like.
Lisa Gleave, from the Gold Coast in Queensland, and a younger Meghan used to be ‘briefcase beauties’ on the American version of Deal or No Deal.
Speaking about Meghan, 38, Ms Gleave said the actress was ‘quiet but very sweet’ and used the show to boost her acting career.
Speaking about Meghan, 38, Australian model Lisa Gleave said the actress was ‘quiet but very sweet’
‘I remember her being very focused on her acting career and her role as a briefcase beauty, as we were called, was just a stepping stone in her career,’ she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
‘She only did a few seasons and then landed her role in Suits which took her away. I was so happy for her when I heard about the marriage.’
A promotional image for season two of the show shows Ms Gleave, a former beauty queen, and Meghan holding briefcases next to each other.
Meghan worked as a ‘briefcase girl’ on Deal or No Deal, hosted by Howie Mandel, for 34 episodes between 2006 and 2007, before earning a leading role as Rachel Zane on Suits.
Meghan was in charge of briefcase 24 during season two of the show, and when a contestant picked her number, she would then reveal the amount inside the case.
The original briefcase from the show went up for auction last December in Hollywood: A Collector’s Ransom Auction.
Lisa Gleave (pictured), from the Gold Coast in Queensland, and the newly crowned Duchess of Sussex used to be briefcase beauties on the American version of Deal or No Deal
In a book written by Andrew Norton, Meghan, A Hollywood Princess, it was revealed that the briefcase girls would start filming at 5.30am and would stand for hours in high heels, after lengthy hair and make-up sittings.
Meghan has spoken briefly about her days on the show, telling Esquire in 2013 that the pretty-girl-with-a-briefcase job was a way to pay the bills.
‘Definitely working on Deal or No Deal was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing,’ she said, adding that it was ‘in the category of things I was doing while I was auditioning to try to make ends meet.’
Meghan starred on Deal or No Deal alongside Chrissy Teigen, Aubrie Lemon and Leyla Milani.
‘I am especially a fan of Meghan,’ Chrissy Teigen told Mail on Sunday last year. ‘I was on Deal or No Deal with her and she was lovely. Now everyone asks me what she was like and I say, “Sorry, no dirt. She’s gorgeous”.’
Earlier this year, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (pictured in October 2018) quit their royal duties and said they would separate their time between Britain and America
Meghan married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018, and the couple have since welcomed a baby son, Archie.
Earlier this year, the couple quit their royal duties and said they would separate their time between Britain and America.
In their explosive statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they wanted to ‘carve out a progressive new role’ and ‘step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family’.
They said they wanted to balance their time between the UK and North America, ‘continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages’.