Phillip Schofield hits back at 'This Morning' critics as Spin To Win prize extends to all household bills

Watch: Phillip Schofield hits back at This Morning critics as Spin To Win prize extends to all household bills

Phillip Schofield has hit back at critics of This Morning's bill-paying prize as the jackpot has been extended to cover all household bills.

On Monday, viewers of the ITV daytime show complained on social media as it was announced that one of the prizes on Spin To Win - a competition where viewers call in to spin a wheel which lands on one of a range of prizes - would include the chance to have your energy bills paid until the end of the year.

Read more: This Morning celebrates 20 years of Phillip Schofield with flashback

Host Schofield made reference to the gripes which had likened it to dystopian TV show Black Mirror by asking how much of the new prize would be complained about online.

Starting the game by acknowledging: "Everyone's talking about it," he went on to explain that the bills prize had been increased from just energy to cover all household bills.

He said: "Our boss is incredibly generous, he's decided to increase the money to include all of your household bills, so that could be your mortgage, your petrol, your food, your energy - you decide, we'll pay your bills until the end of the year up to a value of £3,000."

The winning caller, Fiona from Edinburgh, didn't win the bills prize, but did bag £3,000 in cash which she said she was going to go shopping with.

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As Schofield congratulated Fiona, he said to co-host Holly Willoughby: "I wonder how much of that they're going to complain about online."

But people still weren't impressed by the prize, with more complaints coming in.

One viewer tweeted: "Ahhhh so it’s now spin to win your household bills being paid now @thismorning tomorrow will most probably be spin to win your council tax paid."

Someone else wrote: "You know what? I’m done. This lot have the audacity to change a segment of the wheel from “energy bills” to “household bills” - it’s still technically the same thing! They think they can turn a serious situation into careless entertainment? Who are these people?"

Another person tweeted: "And also, changing it from "energy bills" to "household bills" doesn't make it any less dystopian or shameful. It's still making entertainment out of poverty."

Someone else added: "Somehow I think replacing energy bills with all household bills is worse #ThisMorning"

Others felt that Schofield had missed the point of the complaints, with one person tweeting: "The fact is we shouldn’t have to rely on a tv show for help towards household bills #ThisMorning"

Monday's prize was heavily criticised on social media with many liking it to a dystopian sci-fi show or movie.

One Twitter user wrote: "This Morning having ‘energy bills’ as a prize on their Spin To Win is the most dystopian and sad reflection on society right now… How did we get to this point? Madness."

Another viewer commented: "It’s so sad that if you win spin to win, they’ll pay your energy bills. It used to be win a holiday. The absolute state of things is horrifying."

Watch: This Morning celebrates 20 years of Phillip Schofield with flashback