Lottery: clapping numbers

[JamesEverton]

Why does the audience cheer when a number comes out of the machine on the National Lottery? Obviously there's a man with a sign saying 'cheer now' but it has got to be the single most mind numbingly stupid thing in the history of the human race. From the noise that's made you'd think that everyone in the audience had just won the jackpot. Has anyone been in the audience for this show? And, if so, how did you feel about manically cheering an irrelevant random event?

Just wanted to get that off my chest.

[petesgrayz]

Do you think there is an audience in the studio or is it canned applause. If you listen carefully, every cheer sounds exactly the same.

[jenstar]

They don't. It's all canned applause. They don't actually have a live audience for any of the lottery shows.

[Postdog]

Cor, let's hope the lottery isn't a con too!!.....

[purpose]

I'm so glad this quesion was submitted! I thought it was canned applause but assumed it wasn't as WHY THE **** would they bother with it in the first place????

Do the powers that be think no one will watch if there is no 'audience'?

Btw, no, i don't watch it, but have been subjected to it whilst sitting in the take away!

[2hot2handle]

I have been meaning to ask anyone who had been in the audience of Lottery Show just how in advance the QUIZ is recorded. It may only be a matter of minutes BUT it quite obviously recorded. I had assumed that there is an audience but your answers explain all. Along with most viewers, I find the stupid cheering most irritating but I see now it is just another ploy to give the appearance of a live show. It annoys me when Fatso keeps referring to `being live this Saturday` just as Tarrant does on Millionaire and Dick Whitely used to do this is such a giveaway. (As opposed to Brucie who made jokes about this audience being better than last week). I now realise that when the Wednesday edition is on late (up to 11pm) because an actual live event is on before, we still get this idiotic cheering. Also, they often refer to the Lotto Extra being drawn earlier, which I now realise is just another effort to make us think it`s live.

[Coobeastie]

The lottery jet set does have an audience.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets/shows/jet set.shtml

At shows that I have seen filmed (not the lottery) the sound guys do seem to use laughter/clapping recorded during the filming but not necessarily in chronological order.

[Joe Shmoe]

Imagine if this happened in real life. Picture the scene. You are in the supermarket at the checkout the cashier says that will be ten pounds exactly please! Then the rest of the queue start screaming . Arrrgh.

[beejaybee]

Who cares if programmes are "live", prerecorded or what. The majority are crap anyway.

[JamesEverton]

Too many good answers to add stars but thanks to everyone for making me feel better about it!