15 December 2005 12:27:30 GMT
ViewLondon
Pop mogul and X Factor creator Simon Cowell has praised the brains behind the operation that has cracked down on a £100,000 reality TV betting scam.
Online bookmaker Betfair launched an investigation into a spate of large wagers placed immediately before eviction results on ITV's X Factor and I'm A Celebrity, as well as the Beeb's Strictly Come Dancing and Channel 4's Big Brother.
Following the investigation, Betfair discovered a ring of fraudsters who had managed to get hold of leaked results and place increasingly large sums on the eviction outcomes.
And Cowell said that the fact the gang has now been caught is good news for consumers who are now once more "safe to put a bet on".
"Maybe in a strange way it's good that it's been caught now so at least people who put bets on these shows know that there's people looking into this stuff," he added to the BBC.
"With anything like this, there's always the risk of insider knowledge but they have got caught."
It is thought the gang accrued £105,000 before being foiled by the team of investigators.
