ANDI Peters was told by ITV lawyers that £1 million was not a ‘life changing’ sum if won by Sir Richard Branson.
The Good Morning Britain and This Morning star said he was shocked when legal eagles said it was not a fair phrase to use on the telly.
He told the What If? podcast: “We have this ridiculous situation where the ITV lawyers say you can’t say the word life changing unless it’s £101,000 or more.
“And I always argue saying ‘I’m really sorry, £3,000 changed her life, she doesn’t have to get the bus to work anymore, so for her it was life changing’.
“And it is all subjective. What is any sum of money?”
“Six years ago, we gave away £1million and they wouldn’t let me call the £1m life changing because – this is exactly what the lawyer said – ‘if Richard Branson won, it wouldn’t change his life’.
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“So we argued back and said ‘no, it would change his life, because in that minute he would be a £1m richer. That is life changing’.
“Wouldn’t let us say it. I took this all the way. I went all the way to the top.
“So now the rule is £101,000 and above is life changing. That’s the new rule. But if it’s ninety-nine (thousand) I can’t say it’s life changing.”
Remembering the viewer who said £3,000 had changed her life, he added: “We do one where I knock on your door and give you £3,000.
“So we did it, knocked on this woman’s door, gave her the £3,000 and I say ‘only’, I give away £250,000. This is in comparison.
“But you have to remember £3,000 is a lot of money and she sent me a tweet two weeks later that said ‘just so you know, my car which has been off the road for a year and a half and I’ve been getting the bus to work, I now can afford to have repaired, I can now go back to driving to work’.
“Things like that melt my heart. It’s £3,000 which to her was life changing.”
The TV veteran, who hosts the competition segments on ITV shows, also admitted people are so used to seeing him give out money that they simply expect him to do it when they meet.
Andi confessed that he has to let people down sometimes despite his sunny TV persona.
He said in a recent interview with Daily Mirror: “When I used to book a restaurant, they go ‘What’s the name?’
“I say ‘Andi Peters’ and they go ‘Have I won?’ I feel awful.
“I’m like ‘No I’m so sorry, but can I still have the table at seven?’.”
