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| Britain’s Got Talent should have made stunt double dog clearer, says ITV boss | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| ITV boss Peter Fincham has admitted that viewers should have been told that a stunt double dog was used by the winner of Britain’s Got Talent, prompting hundreds of complaints from viewers. | ITV boss Peter Fincham has admitted that viewers should have been told that a stunt double dog was used by the winner of Britain’s Got Talent, prompting hundreds of complaints from viewers. |
| The makers of the Simon Cowell show have apologised for not making it clearer to viewers that a lookalike dog was used for the high-rope walk by winner Jules O’Dwyer. | The makers of the Simon Cowell show have apologised for not making it clearer to viewers that a lookalike dog was used for the high-rope walk by winner Jules O’Dwyer. |
| Related: Britain's Got Talent producers sorry for switched dogs in final | Related: Britain's Got Talent producers sorry for switched dogs in final |
| Media regulator Ofcom has so far received 206 complaints about the final, which aired on ITV on Sunday night and was watched by a peak of more than 13 million viewers. | Media regulator Ofcom has so far received 206 complaints about the final, which aired on ITV on Sunday night and was watched by a peak of more than 13 million viewers. |
| ITV director of television Peter Fincham said the way the act was presented was a “judgment call”. | ITV director of television Peter Fincham said the way the act was presented was a “judgment call”. |
| “In the semi-final it was made quite clear the other dog played a role in it,” he told the Voice of the Listener and Viewer conference in London on Tuesday. | “In the semi-final it was made quite clear the other dog played a role in it,” he told the Voice of the Listener and Viewer conference in London on Tuesday. |
| “In the audition it was made quite clear this was a dog act with a range of dogs. In hindsight, in the final it would have been better if that was clear.” | “In the audition it was made quite clear this was a dog act with a range of dogs. In hindsight, in the final it would have been better if that was clear.” |
| But Fincham declined to apologise, saying: “To be absolutely clear these things are a judgment call that producers make.” | But Fincham declined to apologise, saying: “To be absolutely clear these things are a judgment call that producers make.” |
| It emerged on Monday that O’Dwyer’s winning act, a dog called Matisse, was substituted for a lookalike in the high-wire stunt that helped the animal and its owner win the talent competition. | It emerged on Monday that O’Dwyer’s winning act, a dog called Matisse, was substituted for a lookalike in the high-wire stunt that helped the animal and its owner win the talent competition. |
| O’Dwyer had appeared with several dogs in the semi-final of the show, but during the final, and unbeknown to viewers, a dog called Chase replaced Matisse in the tightrope act. | O’Dwyer had appeared with several dogs in the semi-final of the show, but during the final, and unbeknown to viewers, a dog called Chase replaced Matisse in the tightrope act. |
| The switch prompted a social media backlash after O’Dwyer admitted substituting Matisse because he is scared of heights. | The switch prompted a social media backlash after O’Dwyer admitted substituting Matisse because he is scared of heights. |
| “Matisse is a little bit afraid of heights, so although he could officially do it, Chase is the action dog, so he plays the double for him,” O’Dwyer told ITV breakfast show Lorraine. | “Matisse is a little bit afraid of heights, so although he could officially do it, Chase is the action dog, so he plays the double for him,” O’Dwyer told ITV breakfast show Lorraine. |
| O’Dwyer later said that she was “shocked and surprised” by viewers’ reaction. | O’Dwyer later said that she was “shocked and surprised” by viewers’ reaction. |
| But the accusations of fakery will bring back unhappy memories for ITV executives, who paid out a record £5.7m fine in 2008 for “seriously and repeatedly misleading” audiences over TV phone-in deceptions on hit shows including Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. | But the accusations of fakery will bring back unhappy memories for ITV executives, who paid out a record £5.7m fine in 2008 for “seriously and repeatedly misleading” audiences over TV phone-in deceptions on hit shows including Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. |
| Britain’s Got Talent, one of ITV’s most valuable and important shows, now faces a potential Ofcom investigation after complaints that millions of viewers who voted for Matisse may have been conned. | Britain’s Got Talent, one of ITV’s most valuable and important shows, now faces a potential Ofcom investigation after complaints that millions of viewers who voted for Matisse may have been conned. |
| The number of complaints is expected to snowball with further press coverage of the fallout from the stunt. | The number of complaints is expected to snowball with further press coverage of the fallout from the stunt. |
| O’Dwyer had narrowly won the public vote in Sunday night’s final, winning £250,000 and the chance to perform in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. O’Dwyer and Matisse received 22.6% of the votes while magician Jamie Raven got 20.4%. | O’Dwyer had narrowly won the public vote in Sunday night’s final, winning £250,000 and the chance to perform in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. O’Dwyer and Matisse received 22.6% of the votes while magician Jamie Raven got 20.4%. |
| Ofcom said it would assess the complaints to see whether a formal investigation of a potential breach of the broadcasting code was warranted. | Ofcom said it would assess the complaints to see whether a formal investigation of a potential breach of the broadcasting code was warranted. |
| According to its code, broadcasters must not “materially mislead the audience”. And in terms of competitions “broadcasters must ensure that viewers and listeners are not materially misled about any broadcast competition or voting”. | According to its code, broadcasters must not “materially mislead the audience”. And in terms of competitions “broadcasters must ensure that viewers and listeners are not materially misled about any broadcast competition or voting”. |
| A peak of more than 13 million viewers watched O’Dwyer and Matisse become the second dog act to win Britain’s Got Talent, following Ashleigh Butler and Pudsey in 2012, in the highest-rating final since that year. | A peak of more than 13 million viewers watched O’Dwyer and Matisse become the second dog act to win Britain’s Got Talent, following Ashleigh Butler and Pudsey in 2012, in the highest-rating final since that year. |
| Related: Britain's Got Talent final watched by 12 million, biggest show of 2015 to date | Related: Britain's Got Talent final watched by 12 million, biggest show of 2015 to date |
| Outraged viewers claimed to be “misled” over Matisse on the tightrope stunt. Rachel Louise wrote: “How can BGT allow a stunt double for the dog and try to hide it, shouldn’t be allowed to be the winner!” | Outraged viewers claimed to be “misled” over Matisse on the tightrope stunt. Rachel Louise wrote: “How can BGT allow a stunt double for the dog and try to hide it, shouldn’t be allowed to be the winner!” |
| Niamh Skinner said: “I’ve just been informed that Matisse had a stunt double doing the tightrope walk. Absolutely fuming. I voted for that dog!” Andrea Foreman wrote: “I think they should step down and give it to the magic man.” | Niamh Skinner said: “I’ve just been informed that Matisse had a stunt double doing the tightrope walk. Absolutely fuming. I voted for that dog!” Andrea Foreman wrote: “I think they should step down and give it to the magic man.” |
| A spokesman for the producers of Britain’s Got Talent, which is made by Cowell’s production company Syco and Fremantle Media said: “The audience had previously seen from Jules’s semi-final routine that she works with a second dog Chase alongside Matisse. | A spokesman for the producers of Britain’s Got Talent, which is made by Cowell’s production company Syco and Fremantle Media said: “The audience had previously seen from Jules’s semi-final routine that she works with a second dog Chase alongside Matisse. |
| “For the final performance, as Jules has said publicly herself, Chase completed the tight-rope walking section of the act. | “For the final performance, as Jules has said publicly herself, Chase completed the tight-rope walking section of the act. |
| “During the competition viewers have seen that Jules’s act involves a team of dogs, including Chase and Skippy, alongside starring dog Matisse, to perform her unique mixture of dog agility and storytelling. We are sorry if this was not made clearer to the judges and viewers at home during their final performance.” | “During the competition viewers have seen that Jules’s act involves a team of dogs, including Chase and Skippy, alongside starring dog Matisse, to perform her unique mixture of dog agility and storytelling. We are sorry if this was not made clearer to the judges and viewers at home during their final performance.” |