A This Morning competition has been dubbed “dystopian” and like something out of Black Mirror after offering viewers the chance to have their energy bills paid for as a prize.
Monday’s edition of the ITV daytime show saw the return of its popular Spin To Win game, which usually sees cash prizes or holidays up for grabs.
However, amid the energy crisis, a change to the format has seen the introduction of the chance to win four-months’ worth of bills covered.
Many fans couldn’t quite believe things had reached a level where this was being offered as a competition prize, as the nation looks towards a bleak winter amid soaring energy costs.
HuffPost UK has contacted an ITV spokesperson for comment.
Monday’s edition of Spin To Win did indeed see the caller – who said he had a pre-payment metre, which he described as “absolutely murder” – win the cost of his energy bills covered.
“Oh my god, thank you. Fantastic. What a relief,” he told hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
Newly-appointed Tory party leader Liz Truss is reportedly considering introducing a freeze on energy bills after she takes over from Boris Johnson as prime minister on Tuesday.
The energy price cap is set to soar to £3,549 come October 1, an increase expected to leave millions of households in fuel poverty and prompting speculation that there could be organised blackouts within the UK.
Truss promised to introduce help to all struggling households facing soaring energy bills within a week during a BBC interview on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, but did still did not reveal any more details.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.