Noel 'hated' 'No Deal' phone-in comp

Noel Edmonds always hated the phone-in competition which got Deal Or No Deal in trouble for misleading viewers, he has claimed.

The presenter admitted he was "angry" with executives and producers when the programme came under fire. "I actually hated the competition. I would have, because I was the presenter and all of a sudden we were doing something that didn't engage the public."

However, Edmonds said the problem with the item was limited. Until it came to light and the competition was subsequently scrapped, he invited viewers to call in to win the "mystery" contents of a box opened at the end of the show - either £1,000, £2,000 or £15,000. Since the programme is pre-recorded, producers were always aware of the prize when the live phone-in took place. Last year the firm that operated the competition for Channel 4 was fined £30,000 by Icstis, then the premium rate phone regulator.

Edmonds added that his upcoming Sky One programme, which has the working title Noel's HQ, should be part of the answer to TV's crisis of trust. Broadcasters had "just been following the cheapest route with reality TV and things", he said. "I think it is beholden on broadcasters to now take the initiative. We see a major role for Sky in proving TV can unite people."

Richard Woolfe, Sky One director of programming, said he and Edmonds had developed the idea for the show after discussing "how television used to be a force for good". He said: "That seems to have got lost over the last few years."