Millions of callers to GMTV were encouraged, over a four-year period, to enter premium-rate phone competitions when they could not win, in what could be TV's dirtiest secret.

fraud – which happened at the programme's phone-operator Opera Interactive Technology – could have amounted to an estimated £45,000 a day. Or £10 million a year.

insists it was not aware of the scandal – but last night angry viewers warned that their trust in the programme had been destroyed.