Bookmaker Ladbrokes is considering stopping taking bets on shows such as The Great British Bake Off after launching an investigation into insiders on the hit BBC1 programme gambling on the winner.
Ladbrokes, which first raised concerns about insider betting on the pre-recorded show in August, has launched an investigation into dozens of new gambling accounts created with links to BBC staff and members of the GBBO production company, Love Productions.
“We flagged at the start of the series that we thought something smelled a bit strange,” said David Williams, head of media at Ladbrokes. “We are looking into it further. If we feel we’ve had the equivalent of a custard pie thrown in our faces we will think twice about whether we should bet on markets like this again in the future.”
The final of the show, which will see Ian Cumming, Nadiya Hussain and Tamal Ray compete to be crowned champion baker, airs on Wednesday night but was recorded weeks ago.
Ladbrokes is reportedly investigating 42 new accounts linked to insiders created in a 72-hour period just before the latest series launched in August, according to The Sun.
The bookmaker has reportedly taken 529 bets from suspicious accounts with a potential payout of £10,000.
“We have no knowledge of these claims and have asked The Sun to provide us with details to be able to look into it,” said a spokesman for the BBC. “We are still waiting.”
Love Productions said that it was “surprised” Ladbrokes would take a risk running bets on a pre-recorded show.
“Everyone who works on the production of the Bake Off series is bound by confidentiality,” said a spokeswoman for the company, which is controlled by Sky UK. “We take any allegation of breach extremely seriously, although we have not been presented with any evidence to support such a claim. We are surprised that Ladbrokes chose to take bets on a series which they know to have been pre-recorded.”
In August, judge Mary Berry highlighted the perils of pre-recording the show when she accidentally revealed the name of a contestant leaving the show while on Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 breakfast show.
