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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Mollie Quirk

ITV bosses ban Andi Peters from calling huge cash competition prizes 'life-changing'

Good Morning Britain 's resident cash competition presenter Andi Peters was banned by ITV bosses from calling cash prizes "life-changing" – the 51-year-old dubbed the ban as "ridiculous".

ITV insist that prizes of £100,000 or less are not life-changing, with the broadcasting conglomerate fearing that a winner might sue them if their life doesn't change as a result of the cash prize.

Andi recently appeared on the What If? podcast and branded the ban as a "ridiculous situation" and then went on to reveal that ITV lawyers have said that presenters "can't say the word life changing unless it's £101,000 or more".

He added: "And I always argue saying 'I'm really sorry, £3,000 changed her life, she doesn't have to get the bus to work anymore, so for her it was life changing'.

"And it is all subjective. What is any sum of money?"

Touching on a million pound giveaway he fronted, the self-confessed foodie said: "Six years ago, we gave away £1million and they wouldn't let me call the £1m life changing because – this is exactly what the lawyer said – 'if Richard Branson won, it wouldn't change his life'.

"So we argued back and said 'no, it would change his life, because in that minute he would be a £1m richer. That is life changing'.

"Wouldn't let us say it. I took this all the way. I went all the way to the top.

His witty segues always impress viewers at home (ITV)

"So now the rule is £101,000 and above is life changing. That's the new rule. But if it's ninety-nine (thousand) I can't say it's life changing."

Andi then recalled the moment that he told a GMB viewer that she had won £3,000 and claimed it changed her life.

"We do one where I knock on your door and give you £3,000," he explained, "So we did it, knocked on this woman's door, gave her the £3,000 and I say 'only', I give away £250,000. This is in comparison.

Andi Peters is always a hit with fans and viewers at home (ITV)

"But you have to remember £3,000 is a lot of money and she sent me a tweet two weeks later that said 'just so you know, my car which has been off the road for a year and a half and I've been getting the bus to work, I now can afford to have repaired, I can now go back to driving to work'.

"Things like that melt my heart. It's £3,000 which to her was life changing."

The Mirror contacted ITV about banning Andi Peters from using the phrase 'life-changing' and their reasoning behind their decision.

A spokesperson for ITV told us: "We choose language for the scripts of promoted ITV competitions carefully, within agreed editorial guidelines.

"The term 'life-changing' is only used for larger prize promotions of £100k or greater, where this amount could be considered as such for the majority of the audience."

The 51-year-old TV presenter who hosts competitions on ITV daytime programmes recently opened up to us here at the Daily Mirror and gave us an insight into what it's like to be him.

The 51-year-old fronts cash comps as well as being a self-confessed foodie and host on QVC (ITV)

Because he often fronts cash comps, when he's off duty and living his day-to-day life, sometimes people think that he's actually working and going to surprise them with a cheque.

He told us: "When I used to book a restaurant, they go ‘What’s the name?’

"I say ‘Andi Peters’ and they go ‘Have I won?’ I feel awful.

"I’m like ‘No I’m so sorry, but can I still have the table at seven?’."

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct at 0207 29 33033

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