Child Genius show rocked by cheating row

The show has become synonymous with pushy parents going to extraordinary lengths to ensure that their child comes out on top. 

But tonight one self-confessed "helicopter mum" took the competition on Child Genius to another level when she accused other parents of cheating to get ahead. 

The competition, which sees children between the ages of eight and 12 pipped against one another in intelligence tests as viewers marvel over their ambitious families, was immediately halted as the claims were investigated. 

Susan, who had two children in the running and had already courted controversy when she admitted she was rooting for her nine-year-old son Fabio over her 12-year-old daughter Olivia, told the independent adjudicator she had seen others mouthing the answers. 

"When I was actually sitting in the audience in the last round there was a few family members who continuously throughout their child's round were mouthing the answers. I'm saying to you with the two eyes, the two glasses, that is what I saw," she said. 

Olivia van der Werff said that there would be "serious repercussions" if true, adding: "The competition rules are very clear on this and there cannot be any suggestion that anyone is helping any of the competitors."

She reviewed the footage but said that the child concerned, who was not identified, did not even look up as his mother appeared to be "praying" in the audience that he got the correct answer. 

Instead of remonstrating the children, who at points are so stressed by the cut-throat competition they are seen in tears, Ms van der Werff took the issue up with the parents. 

"Parents, quite a lot of you when you know the answer you are saying it to yourself. However, if your child was looking at you you at that point and if they were able to make out what you were saying you would help them," she said. 

"That hasn't happened today, but you need to be ver very careful because if I believe that your child has benefited from you whether you meant to help them or not then we will have to take whatever action we think is appropriate."

When a teaser for the cheating row had been aired on Tuesday night viewers had taken to social media to complain that it was in fact Susan who had been cheating to help Olivia. 

Susan, a stay at home parent who describes herself as a "helicopter mum", was seen raising her hands in the air as her daughter was asked to complete the name of a bus stop beginning with the word Kensal. 

Viewers claimed her gesture had helped her daughter get the answer "Kensal Rise". 

Twitter users accused the parents of "blatant cheating" whilst another added: "Hang on Sue, how can you kick off about cheating?!"

A spokesman for Channel 4 said that "the independent adjudicator is satisfied there was no cheating taking place.”

The  Channel 4  show will see twenty contestants whittled down to one winner over the course of a week. 

It is the second time it has been rocked by accusations of foul play in its five-year history. 

Last year it ended in controversy when the Sonal, the mother of winner Rhea, was accused of swindling her daughter's victory by intervening to get adjudicators to remark her answers and therefore get her through a tie break. 

Sonal later claimed that the show had given an " inaccurate idea" of what happened, adding: “From day one, parents were contesting things they weren’t happy about. We were all encouraged to. One child was awarded not one, but multiple points for doing so. We were just the only parents to be shown doing it.”