Late Late Phone/Text quizzes

Watching end of Late Late Show €10k competition last night and got curious about the system of winner choosing (yes I have a TV licence).

You can phone in or text. The text system only asks for the answer (and charges you).

When PK rang the winner last night, a "Trish" answered and Pat looked at the card and said he was looking for a "Michelle" who duly came to the phone.

If the system doesn't look for a name when calling or texting and there is no mobile phone number/name directory, how does Pat know the name?

I'd imagine that — like so much else on the show — this is not really a 'live' event. Someone backstage has first checked out that the line is available, the winner at home (and unlikely to start roaring abuse at PK), etc.

Hmmmmmmm for €10k I'ld even leave the abuse for another day!

Sounds to me that if what you say is true, it leaves the system open to abuse. Surely the whole ethos of TLLS is the fact that it is live and not subject to 'editing'. God be with the days when Gaybo rang looking for a distant relative of mine (for a minor prize) who was down the pub - the babysitter had the presence of mind to say who she wasn't and accept the prize.

SineWave said:

Hmmmmmmm for €10k I'ld even leave the abuse for another day!

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That'd be a 'close call' for me...

But I'm sure that they have a four-second delay built in, and someone standing ready to hit the 'CUT!' button in case of emergency.

SineWave said:

If the system doesn't look for a name when calling or texting and there is no mobile phone number/name directory, how does Pat know the name?

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I entered this. You were asked to text your answer, late, and your name to the text no. Bummed I didn't win.

Watched some of TLLS for the first time in ages last Friday and saw this competition. I think it was €1 per phone call which given that the viewing figures are usually over 500,000 means that they'd only need 2% of their viewersto enter once to break even. This probably means that they are making a decent profit on every competition I wonder do they do a deal with AnPost every time they have a postal competition.