Blue Peter fixes phone-in

Updated 20.20 Wed Mar 14 2007

Keywords: phone-in, Blue Peter, BBC

Children's show Blue Peter has admitted it faked the results of a phone-in competition by putting a BBC visitor on air instead of a premium line quiz "winner".

The programme has become the latest in a long line of shows to apologise to viewers over the growing phone-in competition scandal.

BBC children's controller Richard Deverell called it a "serious error of judgment"

Viewers of the children's show were invited to call a premium rate number with a quiz answer to win a toy.

But due to a "technical failure", a telephone caller was not selected.

Instead a member of staff asked a child who was visiting the studio after already winning a separate competition to phone in and give their answer. That child was then awarded the prize.

BBC children's controller Richard Deverell called it a "serious error of judgment" and an apology has been broadcast on the show.

The BBC did not make a profit from the 10p calls - 3.25p from each call went to Unicef.