ITV’s This Morning has raised eyebrows after offering to pay viewers’ energy bills as a competition prize. The daytime television programme, presented by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, introduced Spin the Win on Monday, a game where callers can win prizes from a wheel.
One of the ‘surprising’ new additions to the prize list, along with £1,000 cash, was This Morning paying four months worth of energy bills for the winner amid the cost of living crisis wreaking havoc on Britain and Ireland.
One caller who was selected for the competition was asked by Schofield if he was concerned about his bills, with the man responding: “Oh, major, I’ve got one of these pre-payment meters and it’s absolutely murder”.
The wheel then ended up landing on energy bills, with the relieved caller saying: “Oh my God, thank you. Fantastic. What a relief”.
Many took to social media following Monday morning’s instalment of the programme to comment on the situation.
“What has become of the UK when one of the prizes in a competition is paying energy bills for 4 months?” one person asked.
“What a sad state of affairs that energy bills are now a competition prize #ThisMorning,” Twitter user Ste said.
Broadcaster and journalist Scott Bryan shared the clip on social media, describing the prize as “Black Mirror Dystopia”, sharing a video of the Spin the Wheel segment, which attracted huge levels of commentary:
#ThisMorning has turned completely dystopian and Black Mirror by offering to pay energy bills as a competition prize. pic.twitter.com/hs1DD6NXbo
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) September 5, 2022
“Honestly I’ve never seen anything so tone deaf in all my life,” he wrote. Bryan also pointed out that the competition could potentially clash with Ofcom guidelines which “strongly advise broadcasters not to present a monetary prize as a possible resolution of financial difficulty (e.g. as a means of paying off credit card debt). See also Rule 2.1.”
Scottish National Party MP John Nicholson also slammed the segment, tweeting: “This is grotesquely tone deaf. Wealthy presenters spin a wheel offering warmth as a prize”.
This is grotesquely tone deaf. Wealthy presenters spin a wheel offering warmth as a prize. #SquidGames surely only a scheduling decision away. And Phil on hand to buy your car if you don't survive that…. https://t.co/AxWZ6AZDBY
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 (@MrJohnNicolson) September 5, 2022
Despite backlash, the Spin the Wheel competition returned on Tuesday, with household bills as a prize. Schofield said This Morning had decided to increase the monetary prize to “include all of your household bills” including petrol, a mortgage, food, and energy costs.
“We’ll pay your bills until the end of the year, up to a value of £3,000”, he said.
Incredibly, #ThisMorning decided to bring Spin to Win back today with household bills as a prize so the Black Mirror dystopia continues. pic.twitter.com/GydOdQ9SjV
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) September 6, 2022
“Hang your head in shame Britain, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby have just proved the UK has hit rock bottom #ThisMorning”, one Twitter user said.
Many said the move was “dystopian”, and would lead to the normalisation of suffering. One social media user stated: “This is how suffering becomes normalised – yes, by ordinary morning TV programmes. What if that “prize” was to “feed your children for 4 months”? When prizes are no longer luxuries but essentials, then dystopia commences”.
“British gas just won £4,0000”, another person said, while many described it as “madness”.
Another response posted to Twitter read:
“No, this isn’t Squid Games Or Black Mirror. This real and happening. So, when I say it is going to get worse, believe me. This only the beginning”.
Some Twitter users defended the prize, with one writing: “Yeah it’s not good that this should be a prize but it’s still helping someone , so why is it a problem?”
It comes as UK money saving expert Martin Lewis predicted that those in the UK who pay energy bills via direct debit will face an 80 per cent increase from £1,971 to £3,549, while those with prepayment meters will see bills soar from £2,017 to £3,608 a year. The UK’s energy price gap will go up by 80 per cent from 1 October, meaning that everyone will owe their energy supplier money even if they opt not to switch the heating on.
Meanwhile in Ireland, electricity and gas bills are set to reach new heights, as Bord Gáis announced a 34 per cent hike this week, the fifth supplier to increase prices in Ireland. Over one million Irish households will be impacted, with the latest price hikes guaranteed to play havoc with household finances.
It is now predicted that consumers can expect to pay a total of €1,200 for gas and electricity over a period of just two months during the winter. As autumn approaches, it is feared that more than two million people across Ireland will be facing the prospect of fuel poverty.