(spoiler alert)
On Sunday 1 November Channel 4 piloted a new game show fronted by Bradley Walsh in which contestants must use their own money to gamble for a chance to win £1million.
It was billed as a first in game show history “unlike anything seen on television before” and it’s certainly that. But not everything is as it seems.
As the lead contestant, a teacher, is lured into riskier and riskier bets, things start to take a turn for the worse. His girlfriend in the audience is uncomfortable as her partner loses thousands of pounds and seems close to breaking down in front of her eyes.
With his savings depleted, he almost gives up but is given inducements to try to win (or lose) thousands more. At this point it’s too much for one audience member who calls for it to stop. That effectively ends the show – at which point Bradley reveals what’s really going on…
The show is actually an exposé of the tricks the gambling sector use to get people hooked and the contestants in the show are actors. It’s both a relief and a wake-up call.
Right now an estimated 1.3 million adults in Great Britain have a gambling problem and many more of their friends and family are harmed indirectly.
Our Director, Will Prochaska, contributed to the show and was there when it was filmed. Here’s what he said:
“Even though I knew what was going on, it was distressing to watch.
“Bradley and the producers of Million Pound Shot have managed to show what gambling companies are doing to people like never before, and audiences will be shocked by what they see.
“What happens in the show represents the anguish felt by people up and down the country every day when they get lured into gambling.
“Million Pound Shot must be a spur for the Government to Act. Andy Burnham has signaled his intention to do something about the out-of-control gambling sector, now’s the time to end gambling advertising.”
At the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), we’re urging anyone who feels upset about what they see on Bradley Walsh’s Million Pound Shot to use our tool to write to their MP to demand change. It takes less than 30 seconds.
You can watch Bradley Walsh’s Million Pound Shot on Channel 4.
Please be aware that the programme may be distressing to anyone who has been harmed by the gambling sector, and may be triggering for people who are experiencing addiction or who are in recovery.
