What does it feel like to win big at Bongo’s? We spoke to this Leeds grad to find out

Let’s be honest, everybody who goes to Bongo's arrives with the dream that they will walk away with a prize. I mean, never before have you felt such a deep urge to have a box of Coco Pops, than when they are up for grabs in the first round at Bongo's. If we all get so excited over the potential that we could win some cereal or a cardboard cutout of Jeremy Kyle, it is unimaginable that YOU will be the one to walk away with a grand cash prize. Bongos is famous for handing out massive sums to the lucky few who manage to cross of their numbers, despite being six bottles of prosecco down. They are, however, even more generous on their social media, where you can be in the chance to win even larger prices, without having to navigate two blurry bingo cards while your friend goes to the loo… we’ve all been there. Leeds Uni grad Alex Wright found out what it is like to win one of Bongo’s biggest ever prizes when she won £2K after entering a competition ran by everybody’s favourite bingo night.

Recalling the moment she found out she had won, she shared: “finding out that I’d won actually came at the best time. I’d just dropped someone off at the airport, after spending all day in Manchester when it was absolutely chucking it down with rain, so I was soaked through, and my train was delayed by an hour and a half. Understatement to say I was in an actual shit mood. Honestly, the first thing I did was just stare at the message in disbelief, and getting the girl to confirm it about 100 times! It was surreal, cos I was on a train by myself, so it was hard to be uber excited about it rather than just sceptical”.

Alex revealed that this prize was the first thing she had ever won from Bongos, as she had never actually been to a bingo night before entering and winning the competition. “Honestly, I’d never actually been” she confessed: “It was always on my Leeds bucket list, but every time it came around our group just never got around to organising it. Don’t worry, I’ve definitely been now!”

It appears her luck is yet to play on her side on an actual Bongo’s night, however, as she still has to experience the joy of winning a Henry Hoover or a bottle of Jack in Canal Mills. Alex shared that she has “never even got close” to winning, however, her friend "did win £100 last time we were there, which was fun. And I guess I won the comp, so I can’t really complain right?”

Now a Bongo’s Bingo convert, Alex revealed that she loves “literally everything” about the night, revealing she goes for “the music, the atmosphere, the drinks, and the prizes.” She also referred to the gloriously early finishing time (I mean, who does not love that you can go out and still feel fresh for your 9am?) adding,“it finishes kinda early, so I can go, get trashed, and still somehow get my bus at half 6 the next morning for work if I need to. The only thing I don’t like was when we went back in January, it was fucking FREEZING. Seriously swear I nearly got pneumonia”. On that note, can we please just take a moment to remember that the Canal Mills toilets are OUTSIDE. Really, what is that even about?

If you don’t hit up Bongo’s for the prizes, it certainly will be for the music as they play all the guilty pleasures which get everybody up dancing through the rounds ( a game of bingo and your cardio for the week done in ONE, am I right?). Alex shared that the song which is guaranteed to get her up dancing is either “Low by Flo Rida or anything from High School Musical. Although I don’t think that’s bongo’s specific, I’ll always dance to those songs. Gotta love a good throwback”. Yes, we gotta love a throwback, and we gotta love pretty much everything about Bongo’s, even if we are just a little bitter when we don’t win. Just remember, everybody, you can buy that same box of cereal in Hyde Park Sainsbury’s on the way home!!

Find tickets and more info here.