Bradley Walsh's Channel 4 show 'The Million Pound Shot', where contestants seemed to gamble their own money, is a HOAX

Bradley Walsh spent a week promoting 'The Million Pound Shot' on Channel 4 as a real gameshow in which contestants risked their own savings, before revealing live on air that the entire premise was an elaborate hoax.

Contestants were told they were gambling their own cash — one said 'I can't afford to lose £3,000' — unaware the jeopardy was staged.

Channel 4 billed the deception as a 'wake-up call', with its underlying message described as 'terrifying'.

The reveal comes amid growing debate about whether audiences should be warned before broadcasters stage real-life psychological stunts.