Martinez Woman Appears As Contestant On 'Let's Make A Deal'

MARTINEZ, CA — A Martinez resident and retired flight attendant fulfilled an item on her bucket list when she appeared as a contestant on "Let's Make A Deal."

Candy Kattenburg, 77, who grew up in Walnut Creek and has lived in Martinez for over 20 years, said she always loved the CBS game show but really started watching it during the pandemic when it came on after the morning news.

She expressed her desire to go on the show to her daughter-in-law who works in marketing and she helped her fill out the online application and send in a video.

"She marketed me; she did a great job and I got a call the next day," Kattenburg told Patch in an interview.

A few Zoom calls later and Kattenburg was invited to a show taping on Nov. 8.

Kattenburg was encouraged to bring a guest and she instantly knew she would bring her longtime friend, Sondra Landberg, who lives in Walnut Creek. The two have known each other since high school and graduated from Del Valle High School in 1964.

As the pair flew down to Burbank for the taping, Kattenburg was looking forward to meeting the show host, Wayne Brady, and envisioned saying "Wayne, I'll take curtain Number 3."

She got her chance. Dressed as a bumble bee — costumes are encouraged — Kattenburg got Brady's attention when he came back from a break and she was not in her seat.

Soon, she was up on the stage and had her chance to say: "Wayne, I'll take the curtain."

"He is just the sweetest guy in the whole world," she said about Brady. "He has a heart of gold. He was exactly what I thought he was, really talented."

Behind the curtain was a $5,000 gaming suite with two gaming chairs, two gaming laptops, two sets of wireless headphones and two desks. She doesn't think she and Landberg will be gaming together anytime soon; instead, she plans to sell her prizes which are valued at over $5,000.

The episode featuring Kattenburg aired Jan. 31 and can be viewed here.