Bradley Walsh says his Channel 4 hoax game show was a 'vital' gambling warning after it left viewers 'in tears'

From the Newshound archive · first published 2 November 2026 · last updated 3 November 2026.

Bradley Walsh fronted the elaborate Channel 4 stunt, in which every contestant, girlfriend, floor manager and even the heckler in the studio audience were actors hired to mimic gambling industry manipulation tactics. Walsh told the stunned studio audience: 'The whole thing was a performance — everything you've seen tonight draws on the techniques used by the gambling industry to manipulate its customers.' He later posted on Instagram that he knew it was a 'bit of a shock' but called the subject 'vital'.

Actor 'Reece' fed his debit card into a machine repeatedly, racking up £6,000 in losses as the live crowd cheered him on.

The Chase's Mark Labbett publicly criticised the show, saying he 'wished they'd actually made a good new quiz show' instead.

Viewers called the whole thing 'ironic' — Walsh's own show 'The Chase' is sponsored by a bingo and gambling company.