Whistleblower reveals £8m ITV scam

May 11 2008 Exclusive by Steve Dinneen

Exclusive Right Answers Changed Viewers' Calls Ignored

AN outraged TV producer today lifts the lid on the dirty tactics used to fix big-money quiz games.

Bob Winsor, who worked on ITV's Big Game TV!, has been vilified by former colleagues after revealing he was ordered to fix shows to avoid big payouts.

He claimed producers on the phone-in show:

Changed winning answers.

Ignored incoming calls from viewers.

Urgedknown quiz addicts to call in by name.

And lied to callers after prizes had already been allocated.

Bob, 44, says the s5.7million fine handed to ITV by Ofcom last week will not stop TV companies ripping off viewers.

He said: "This Ofcom ruling is a disgrace, when you put the fine in perspective it is a paltry sum. ITV will have made s5.7million through quiz TV in a matter of weeks but these shows were on for years.

"They have scammed millions of pounds and they are only being fined a fraction.

Bob, who worked on Big Game TV! for a year, revealed the behind-the-scenes scams that ensured the TV company raked in huge profits as viewers phoned in for contests they stood no chance of winning.

He said: "One night we showed a picture of a fish and the word fingers.

Viewers were asked to 'say what you see'.

"Because the puzzle was so easy lots of people were calling in but my producer told me to ignore ALL calls.

"At the same time the presenter was told to ask why nobody was phoning and the show dragged on for hours.

"Another game asked to name things you would find in a pub.

A guy gave the top answer - pork scratchings.

"That should have won s200 but the boss thought it was too early to give away a top prize and only gave him s40.

"BGTV! also allowed people to keep guessing at a clue that had already been won.

"When someone called with a winning answer I'd take their details and tell them they'd been put into a random draw to get on the show.

In reality whoever called first won the money."

Shocked Bob, of Soho, London, eventually went went to the police. He said: "I received obscene emails from ex-colleagues.

"I don't think this Ofcom fine is the end of it - these people are always trying to find loopholes."

ITV ditched all their interactive quizzes in December but were fined for phonein scams on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Gameshow Marathon and Soapstar Superstar.

They also agreed to hand over a further s7.8million compensation some of which will go to charity.

The BBC have also been in trouble for failing to pass on cash raised in a charity Eurovision phone-in. They have now handed over s123,000.

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