Ben Shephard sets record straight on how Tipping Point machine really works after 'fix' claims
BEN Shephard has set the record straight on how the Tipping Point machine really works after 'fix' claims.
The ITV quiz show began in July 2012 with Ben, 47, at the helm as players try to win £10,000.
They do so by answering questions to win tokens to then put into the giant Tipping Point machine, a bigger version of the ones you see in arcades.
The players drop their tokens in and hope that it lands in a position that will then push the counters out, with each counter earning them £50.
The final round sees the last player standing try and win the jackpot counter from the machine, which is worth a whopping £10,000.
However, over the last decade, some viewers have become convinced that the machine is 'rigged' or the show is 'fixed' to benefit one player over another.
Read More on Tipping Point
Tipping Point fans all say the same thing about show’s first blind contestant
Ben Shephard stunned as Tipping Point contestant says ‘I’m not playing anymore!’
Some even joke – we think – on Twitter that there's a little man with a magnet who dictates which player can win big.
But Ben has revealed that the machine is very complicated, and while a real life human DOES sit behind the machine to make sure it's working correctly, they don't interfere with the game play.
He told Huffington Post : "It’s a really complicated system that is run by the gallery.
"It’s such a complicated set up, which is why when people ask if we can take it on the road, that’s the reason why we can’t."
Most read in TV
brekkie drama 
Naga Munchetty blasted for 'outrageous slur' on BBC Breakfast
Emmerdale spoilers: Al Chapman becomes an unlikely hero in gang horror
James Corden reveals secret to his incredible six stone weight loss
Jeremy Kyle Show guests who turned lives around – one addict looks unrecognisable
He added about the person behind the machine: "He has to make sure the hydraulics are going at the right pace, because sometimes they can be too fast.
"He has to make sure the hoppers that feed the counter are full."
A ladder is also placed behind the machine to allow a member of production to fill it back up with counters when they're ready to be dropped.
To start the game, 40 counters are placed – not dropped – in no particular order, and when any have been pushed over the tipping point, a runner comes out to count how many dropped so Ben can then tell the players, before the runner clears them away.
The production team are meticulous with the details of the show, and even polish each counter individually before each episode so that no marks show up on the camera.
Tipping Point airs weekdays at 4pm on ITV.
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Showbiz team?
Email [email protected] or call us direct on 0207 782 4220 .
We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
Source: Read Full Article