Bradley Walsh reveals his new 'gameshow' Million Pound Shot is FAKE and was staged to warn of the dangers of gambling - after sparking backlash with concept of contestants betting their own cash

It was lauded by Channel 4 as their next big game show, after successfully poaching Bradley Walsh away from ITV and the BBC.For the past week, the broadcaster has been promoting Million Pound Shot amid speculation on social media and even in the television industry itself questioning its authenticity.And last night, the presenter, 66, exposed his programme as nothing more than a publicity stunt with social commentary on the UK's gambling problem - a subject he said he 'feels strongly about'.During the first part of the show, which aired in the watershed slot of 9pm, viewers and the studio audience were deceived by Walsh and producers, believing they were watching a genuine new format whereby contestants played with their own money.They bet their cash according to how confident they were in their answers to general knowledge questions. Each question gave them the chance to win Bet Balls with a monetary value.The simple format meant they could either cash out, or risk, to increase their value and compete to win £1million. For the past week, Bradley Walsh's new gameshow Million Pound Shot has been eagerly promoted by Channel 4, but last night the presenter revealed it was a publicity stuntWhile three 'contestants' were introduced at the start of the show, it was player 'Reece' that ultimately succeeded in playing the game. Despite explaining money was tight, he said he had £1,700 available to gamble.As the rounds progressed and Reece became engrossed in the game and took bigger gambles, the audience were left in a state of despair when it was revealed he had lost a staggering £6,000 of his own money.The fake game was dramatically abandoned when Walsh offered him the opportunity to seep further into debt to 'purchase' another Bet Ball as an audience member started to heckle the host as Reece contemplated using his overdraft to fund the offer.'Is no one else here seeing what I'm seeing, is there no one else that thinks this is wrong?' shouted the woman, adding: 'The whole concept of this is disgusting, I'm worried about him, he shouldn't be put under this kind of pressure.'The distressing scenes culminated in Reece and his distraught girlfriend Leslie, who was watching in the audience, being led off stage.As the studio lights were brought up, Walsh then informed the audience that the 'whole thing was a performance'.He said: 'Our contestant Reece has been played by an actor, so was his girlfriend Leslie, the other contestants, the floor manager, even our heckler in the audience.'Everything you have seen tonight draws on the techniques used by the gambling industry to manipulate its customers.'He continued: 'I can't thank you enough for coming along and I hope you take a lot of it on board. The show was a ruse to provide social commentary on the UK's gambling problem with all of its contestants - and even a heckling audience member - played by actors'I feel strongly about this, which is why I've taken part in the show. I wanted to share with you how dangerous this industry can be.'During the 60-minute show, it is revealed Walsh's language had been mimicked from well-known betting companies, such as telling the on-edge contestant 'I have a good feeling about this one', which was taken from Sky Bet's advert where footballer Roy Keane is sat in a cafe with his friend, as he turns to his phone to place a bet.The Chase presenter then explained how the player was inspired by the real-life story of Patrick, a teacher who became addicted to gambling while in university.While hungover with his mates, Patrick placed £2 into a roulette machine in the local bookies. It was his £72 win that he attributes to kickstarting his problem.Over the 13-year addiction, Patrick said his crippling addiction led to him asking the parents of the pupils he taught for cash, using excuses such as emergency dental treatment and issues with his car.After accumulating £300,000 worth of debt, his final bet happened in 2018 during the Cheltenham Festival final.'If I win all the money back, life can continue. If that horse didn't win, I was going to go and do the unthinkable and kill myself,' he heartbreakingly told viewers.After losing, he said he 'felt nothing, I was just broken'.The Daily Mail can now reveal the lengths producers went to prevent the stunt being uncovered before the broadcast - including gagging the audience.An insider said: 'The show was only recorded just over two weeks ago in a studio in Maidstone, which is an incredibly fast turnaround for a game show.'Members of the audience were under the impression they would be watching an episode of the new show with Bradley being recorded, but they were kept completely in the dark.'Once they arrived, they were handed a nondisclosure agreement and told if they didn't sign it, they would not be allowed in.'To comply with broadcasting standards, they were only told the recording would contain themes of gambling.'The Gambling Commission say they have implemented a wide range of consumer protections in recent years, including tightening rules on free bets. They say all operators are required to look out for and act on the warning signs of harm.