ITV rapped over obscure quiz answers

ITV'S phone-in quiz channel has been found guilty of breaching the broadcasting code by making its answers too obscure.

ITV Play ran a competition on its Quizmania programme asking viewers to call in and identify "things you find in a woman's handbag".

The quiz ended with only seven of the 13 available prizes won.

When the remaining answers were revealed, they turned out to include "Rawl plugs" and "balaclava".

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Four angry viewers contacted Ofcom to complain. The media watchdog ruled: "The inclusion of these answers was unreasonable and the competition was therefore not conducted fairly."

ITV Play is a digital channel but its shows, which include Quizmania and The Mint, are also screened on ITV1 late at night.

ITV insisted the competition in questions was a "one-off error of editorial judgment".

A spokesman said internal procedures had been tightened since the incident.