Another CBBC show in phone-in controversy

The BBC has been accused of cheating its young viewers for a second time, with game show Sunday Morning Smile now coming under scrutiny.

Viewers of the weekend show call a 10p phoneline to apply for its Jam Buster game, which sees children playing from home in a bid to win prizes. Kids control the interactive computer game over the phone, firing a cannon at moving splat balloons.

However, producers have been accused of pre-recording five programmes and using agency Stagecoach to supply them with "winners". They were taken to the studio and given time to practice their skills before calling from a room at the studio, with presenters pretending that they were picked at random.

The new scandal comes just days after long-running show Blue Peter admitted using a fake winner after their phone system failed.

"It was such a shocking betrayal. The agency children were guaranteed prizes advertised on the show and went up to the London studio on the Friday beforehand," an insider told The Mirror. "They got in at 9.30am and practised the game, blasting bubbles of splat. They were in another room when the presenter said 'Who have we got on the phone?' as if it was all a surprise.

"The girl started, played the game and won an iPod and a robot dog. Later, it was the boy's turn and it happened all over again. He'd been there all morning but nobody would realise that.

"This was miles worse than the Blue Peter problem. It was so premeditated. Kids are innocent. It's the little people who trust the authority to play fair. To everybody watching at home these children looked as if they'd phoned in. How stupid."

A spokesman explained: "Five programmes were not live. They clashed with sporting events such as the Australian Open and there was greater output on the network. Stagecoach fed us children through its drama group but no money changed hands.

"The vast majority of children who take part in the show come from our phonelines or email. Children get a goody bag from the show. But they only get a prize if they win the competition."