London: The BBC has been accused of deceiving viewers after scenes in a popular reality TV show about confidence tricksters were allegedly faked.
Viewers are given the impression that victims of frauds featured on The Real Hustle are innocent members of the public who have been hoodwinked. But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that many of the ‘victims' are actors and extras — and some have even been paid to take part by the independent production company which makes the show.
One extra, Lucas Yashere, who received £20 (Dh119.20) for pretending to be taken in by a cashpoint fraud, said: "It was complete rubbish... it was faked. I was shocked when I found out they were claiming everyone in the show was a member of the public."
The embarrassing revelations follow a string of BBC fakery scandals which a scathing independent inquiry said had "tarnished" the corporation's reputation. BBC1 controller Peter Fincham resigned in disgrace in 2007 over a trailer for a documentary which misrepresented the Queen. And the following year the broadcaster was fined a record £400,000 for "deliberately" misleading audiences and running unfair competitions.
Tory MP John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sport select committee, said: "The BBC is supposed to have new procedures to stamp out this sort of unacceptable practice. It is not just a case of misleading the audience, it is a case of stating something that is untrue."
