'Richard and Judy' accused of conning viewers

Channel 4's Richard and Judy programme has been accused of conning viewers who call in to take part in a daily competition.

Thousands of viewers contact the teatime chat show each day to play 'You Say, We Pay', but emails leaked to the Mail and Sunday allegedly show that phone numbers continue to be advertised after the list of potential winners has been drawn up. By 5.10pm, 24 entrants have been picked at random - yet the premium rate number is plugged for a second time at 5.19pm.

The newspaper claims that over 32,000 people were tricked into calling in on the week beginning February 5. If this continued for the show's nine-month run, Channel 4 would earn £1 million in extra profits.

An investigation will now be launched by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee of MPs, while premium-rate services regulator Ictsis has also promised an inquiry.

The controversy comes just a few months after Icstis ruled that Channel 4 had "misled" the public by allowing four Big Brother housemates to have another chance at the £100,000 prize money - when viewers had already voted them out.