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TV
Sinead Butler
Sep 05, 2022
Martin Lewis brands energy price rise as 'irresponsible' on This Morning
This Morning/ITV
ITV's This Morningnow has paying off energy bills as a prize in their Spin to Win competition, and viewers can't believe it has come to this.
With current the cost of living crisis and rising energy prices, the daytime programme has responded by giving viewers a chance to have their energy bills covered over four months until the end of 2022.
Among the other cash prizes include £1,000 and £3,000 that callers have a chance of winning.
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Presenter Phillip Schofield explained the new addition to the glitzy wheel: "This week we’ve got our usual cash prizes, but you could also win some extra cash to pay your energy bills until the end of the year. That’s four months of energy bills taken care of."
"Wow, that’s very important right now," presenter Holly Willoughby added.
\u201c#ThisMorning has turned completely dystopian and Black Mirror by offering to pay energy bills as a competition prize.\u201d— Scott Bryan (@Scott Bryan) 1662376970
One of the callers was Alex from Enfield who answered the phone just after returning home from visiting his 93-year-old great aunt and went for the wheel.
When asked if he was worried about the cost of living crisis, Alex replied: "Massively. I’ve got one of these prepayment meters and it’s absolutely murder."
"Well let’s hope it lands on one of those then,’ Schofield said as he spun the wheel which just managed to stay on the energy bill section.
Alex was delighted at his bills being taken care of as he said: "Oh my God! Thank you! Fantastic, what a relief, thank you very much!"
Viewers quickly took to Twitter to share their dismay at This Morning having to put energy bills as a prize, with people noting how it is a bleak reflection on the current state of the country.
\u201cIt\u2019s so sad that if you win spin to win, they\u2019ll pay your energy bills. It used to be win a holiday \u2639\ufe0f the absolute state of things is horrifying #thismorning\u201d— Leanne Thomas (@Leanne Thomas) 1662371765
\u201c#ThisMorning having 'energy bills' as a prize on their Spin To Win is the most dystopian and sad reflection on society right now... How did we get to this point? Madness.\u201d— Lewis Treleaven (@Lewis Treleaven) 1662371761
\u201c"Congratulations! You've won a Queue-Jump ticket for your local food bank"\u201d— Drivelcast (@Drivelcast) 1662378321
\u201cCannot wait for Alison Hammond to come around to install my new smart meter.\n\nFuck me, is this what it\u2019s come to.\u201d— James Swinburne (@James Swinburne) 1662379471
While some have also branded the move "tone-deaf," for the programme using the energy crisis as part of the game show segment, causing comparisons to the dystopian films The Hunger Games and Don't Look Upas well as the TV series Black Mirror.
\u201cThis is so incredibly tone deaf. This is not a game. @thismorning\u201d— Mollie \ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83d\udcbb (@Mollie \ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83d\udcbb) 1662378511
\u201cThis is clearly meant with good intentions, @thismorning\u2026but the vibe is a bit hunger games.\u201d— David Kelly (@David Kelly) 1662379320
\u201cTone deaf. This isn't the same as 'Win Your Mortgage'. This is a misguided grab at topicality, which is instantly belittling by the way that it's presented. Fuel poverty isn't light entertainment. Do better. #ThisMorning\u201d— Sohail Shah (@Sohail Shah) 1662376480
\u201c"We just keep the bad news light"\u201d— Josh Sexton (@Josh Sexton) 1662379976
\u201cThis is completely bonkers, man was on live TV telling you he was worried about paying bills and they turned it into a game show, this country is insane.\u201d— db \ud83d\udda4 #BLM (@db \ud83d\udda4 #BLM) 1662380876
\u201cThat spin to win your energy bills on this morning is so bleak. We\u2019re living in an episode of black mirror.\u201d— Abigail (@Abigail) 1662378503
Elsewhere, Liz Truss has just won the Tory leadership contest to become the UK's next prime minister and reports suggested she is strongly considering freezing energy bills, so viewers will be hoping the new prize on Spin to Win isn't here to stay.
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