This Morning: Viewers stunned as 'paying energy bills' now a prize on 'Spin the Wheel' segment in 'sad reflection of society'

This Morning viewers have hit out at ‘a sad reflection of society’ which saw having ‘energy bills paid for four months’ as one of the top prizes on ITV’s This Morning.

The cost of living crisis is continuing to dominate with the average annual energy bills going up by 80% in October from £1,971 to £3,549, and widespread anger over wages failing to keep pace with the increase in inflation.

And the scale of the crisis was further highlighted today when Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield made their return to ITV’s This Morning after a summer break.

One of the top prizes on the show was having your bills paid for four months, with many viewers hitting out at the segment and surmising that it showed just how bleak life in the UK was for many amid the cost of living crisis.

This Morning returned today with a new prize on its Spin the Wheel segment

The wheel, which is a popular part of the show usually involves contestants winning cash prizes, however, payment of energy bills was added to the list.

Phillip Schofield explained to viewers: “This week we’ve got our usual cash prizes, but you could also win some extra cash to pay your energy bills until the end of the year. That’s four months of energy bills taken care of."

Holly Willoughby chimed in with: “Wow, that’s very important right now.”

While the contestant who had called in won the energy payment over the £1000 cash he expressed his relief saying: “Oh my God! Thank you! Fantastic, what a relief, thank you very much!’

Many viewers simply could not believe what they were seeing.

How standing charges for energy bills in Scotland compare to the rest of the UK

One viewer tweeted: “Paying for viewers' energy bills just feels wrong. Obviously it's a nice incentive, but wow, it just shows the grim reality we're all living in."

Another wrote: “"Has it all got this bad that Holly and Phil are now giving away free energy bills on This Morning? I can't believe it honestly”

Surmising, one social media simply wrote: “This country is a tire fire”

TV critic Scott Bryan wrote on social media: “This Morning has turned completely dystopian and Black Mirror by offering to pay energy bills as a competition prize.”

Rob O’Hanrahan added: “'This Morning' in the UK offering a competition prize of paying for energy bills. If that wasn't dystopian enough, the music in the background is.”