Panorama: TV's Dirty Secrets

Description: Callers to premium-rate phone competitions on the GMTV breakfast show have been defrauded out of millions of pounds a BBC investigation has found.Panorama found a company working for GMTV had been finalising shortlists of potential winners "long before" phone lines closed for the past four years.GMTV has moved to suspend all phone-in quizzes but said it was confident it had not breached regulators codes.The phone operator Opera Interactive Technology denied any wrongdoing.Panorama estimated people spent 45000 a day or 10m a year trying to enter the GMTV competitions but said many had no hope of winning once the shortlists had been finalised.GMTV presenters Penny Smith and John Stapleton told viewers on Monday: "GMTV knew nothing of this and is shocked to hear of these allegations."We are investigating further but do anticipate bringing our competitions back as soon as possible."GMTV added that its competitions were being run in accordance with the codes of telecoms regulator Ofcom and premium rate watchdog Icstis.Icstis says it is "chasing" Panoramas producers for their evidence before deciding whether to launch an investigation into the claims.