Is the Banker Santa Claus?

U-man loves Deal or No Deal. He gets excited with the opening of each case and says everything that Howie Mandel says:
"Open de case!"
"Ohh... [holding hands to face as in The Scream]"
"Deal!"
Our lives as children are filled with creatures whose actual identities are in question.
Easter Bunny? Oh hell yes - decorating shitty hardboiled eggs with PAAS and searching for them are guaranteed in the Constitution!

• Tooth Fairy? $5iddy dollas a toof in Danville, beotch!
• Bigfoot? Hello, I do wear size 16s!
• Santa Claus? You better watch out, foo!

And now, I introduce the Banker from Deal or No Deal. He isn't real - we know that. But the way he is treated on that show is JUST like Santa Claus. Everyone KNOWS that he is a prop but without him the magic of the experience is lost.

It will be sad to tell him the Banker doesn't exist. When should I do it? When he's 23?