The Spin to Win segment on This Morning has been in the news a lot this week after a controversial prize was included.
Viewers were not happy with the prize at the time, and many have now taken to complaining to Ofcom about it.
Spin to Win controversy on This Morning
Monday’s episode of This Morning was embroiled in controversy thanks to the Spin to Win segment of the show.
For those who don’t know, the Spin to Win segment sees This Morning phone viewers at home.
If they answer the phone using the code word, they get the opportunity to spin the wheel.
There’s also a tombola they can have a go on if they’d rather. The prizes on the wheel usually include cash prizes ranging between £800-£3,000.
However, on Monday’s show, a new prize was added to the wheel. If viewers landed on ‘energy bills’ on the wheel, This Morning would then cover the cost of their energy bills for the rest of the year.
With the current cost of living crisis, as well as the rising energy bills, This Morning likely thought this would be a much sought-after prize.
Spin to Win segment
It’s safe to say that some viewers were not impressed with having energy bills paid for as a prize on This Morning.
Many took to Twitter to slam the segment.
“If this doesn’t perfectly showcase what a dire state this country is in. TV shows like #ThisMorning are now having to help us pay energy bills,” one viewer wrote.
We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules.
“What a sad state of affairs that energy bills are now a competition prize,” another said.
Another ranted: “I mean this is just tone deaf by #thismorning.”
Now, in a weekly audience report, Ofcom confirmed that 170 complaints had been filed.
An Ofcom spokesperson told the Daily Star: “We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.”
ED! has contacted Ofcom and ITV for comment.
What happened next?
It doesn’t seem as though ITV paid much heed to the backlash yesterday (Tuesday, September 6).
However, rather than offering to pay energy bills yesterday, This Morning changed the prize. This time they promised that household bills would be paid instead.
However, it seems as though ITV finally listened to complaints today (Wednesday, September 7).
The energy bills/household bills segment on the wheel was removed for today’s show.
Instead, the £800 prize option was back in place.
However, this didn’t stop Phillip Schofield from heavily implying that the prize money could be used to pay for viewer’s energy bills.
“We’ve got prizes up to £2,000,” Phillip told a lucky caller. “Which you can spend on anything. You can put that towards your energy bills, it could be your supermarket bills, it could be petrol, it could be gin!”
“Whatever you fancy!” he then added.
Read more: This Morning host Phillip Schofield slammed over baiting ‘complaining’ viewers
This Morning airs on weekdays from 10am on ITV and ITV Hub.
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