Deayton defies game show critics

Angus Deayton has hit back at tourism chiefs in Bognor Regis, who complained about his new show poking fun at their resort.

His new ITV1 panel show Bognor Or Bust offers a trip to the West Sussex town as a booby prize.

Councillor Sylvia Oliver had previously complained: “It is disgraceful for a TV company to pick on our town like this. We rely on tourism as a major industry, and people who live and work here are very proud of this traditional and beautiful town.

“Last year we had the most hours of sunshine on the mainland, we have beautiful beaches and plenty of attractions. Bognor is not a booby prize, it’s a first prize.”

But Deayton told Teletext today: "I've never actually been to Bognor, but I have been upstairs on a bus. I believe the adrenalin rush is roughly comparable.

"We've had complaints from the tourist board that we're depicting the place in a negative light. All we do is award one person a holiday like Sydney or Barbados, and the other a weekend in Bognor. What is negative about that?

"To soften the blow there will be extra prizes such as a complementary ticket to Bognor's Wireless Museum and £1 in 2p coins for the coin cascade."

Published: 20 Aug 2004