Paul O'Grady: Hosts should quit over phone-in scandals

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The chat show said presenters have a duty to take responsibility for duping viewers.

He said: "If it was my show, I'd probably leave. If you were running a pub and your name was over the door and someone was selling drugs in there then you'd be liable.

"If your name is connected to a show but you don't know what's going on with it, you need to take more notice.

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Host: Paul O'Grady says he would quit if his show duped viewers

Ant and Dec, who are also executive producers on ITV'S Saturday Night Takeaway, deny knowledge of the Jiggy Bank competition scandal.

Earlier this week, they apologised to their fans and viewers for the way they were treated.

They added they will donate profits from the next series of their show Saturday Night Takeaway to charity as a "gesture of goodwill".

The duo said they were "deeply upset" by the findings of an independent review that phone-in lines had been rigged and stressed they had received no financial benefit.

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Sorry: Ant and Dec have denied involvement in the scam, but apologised to viewers earlier this week

Richard and Judy also insist they were not involved in the You Say We Pay competition scam.

The Paul O'Grady show host told The Sun: "I think it's good this stuff has been exposed. If it wasn't for the viewers we wouldn't be here, and if they're being ripped off then it needs to stop."

A number of other television programs have been investigated over viewer rip-offs, including ITV's X Factor, I'm A Celebrity, Soapstar Superstar, Dancing On Ice and BBC1's Blue Peter.

Scandal: Richard and Judy say they were not aware of the phone-in rip of their program