This Morning’s controversial game Spin to Win, which angered viewers for offering to pay a contestant’s energy bills as a prize, has been used as part of Russia’s propaganda machine.
The segment saw hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby spin a wheel of fortune, with viewers given the chance of winning prizes including £1,000 in cash or their energy bills paid.
With the cost-of-living crisis seeing households struggling, Spin to Win was widely condemned for making ‘careless entertainment’ out of hardship on social media.
Despite the backlash, the game reappeared on the following episode of This Morning on Tuesday, with fans enraged to see the bills prize hadn’t been scrapped.
Instead, it had been upped to cover the cost of a contestant’s entire household bills, albeit only up to the value of ‘£3,000’, according to Phillip, 60.
‘Badly done, graceless, prickly and tone-deaf,’ a viewer described Spin the Win.
Now, the game has been covered in Russia as propaganda, with state-owned channel Russia-1 airing the segment on Tuesday.
A screenshot of a Russian presenter alongside a clip of Spin to Win was posted on Twitter by BBC journalist Francis Scarr, who monitors TV from the country.
@Schofe @hollywills You are famous on Russian TV for yesterday ðŸ
ƒ #thismorning #Russia #UK pic.twitter.com/Yya4719cmA — bob (@thebizz888) September 6, 2022
It is thought the This Morning clip was used to poke fun at energy struggles in the UK after Russia shut down all gas supplies to Europe.
State-owned energy giant Gazprom said ‘malfunctions’ meant a planned shutdown for maintenance will last longer than expected, blaming Western sanctions for delays.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Russia is planning to land a decisive blow to the European energy supply this winter.
In a recent video address, Mr Zelensky cautioned: ‘Russia is preparing for a decisive energy attack on all Europeans this winter.
‘And the key responses to this should be two things. First, our unity, unity in defending ourselves against the terrorist state. And second, increasing the pressure we put on Russia.
‘This includes increasing sanctions at all levels, and limiting Russia’s oil and gas revenues.
‘The more blows we all inflict together, the fewer blows these terrorists will be able to inflict [on us].’
This Morning air weekdays on ITV at 10am.
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