<P> The Phone - a-Friend lifeline provided multiple instances of controversy during the show's run . A 2002 edition of the Daily Mail reported that many contestants had selected strangers who were "contacts among the quizzing fraternity" to act as their Phone - a-Friends . Specifically, game show champion Daphne Fowler was approached by a man she had not previously met and asked if she would be his lifeline in exchange for £ 200 . Fowler refused, adding: "I thought a fair price would be a quarter of whatever the man won, so if I helped him get from £ 32,000 to £ 64,000 I would expect to get £ 16,000 ." The man was later revealed by ITV sources not to have made it onto the programme . </P> <P> In March 2007 various UK newspapers reported that an organised syndicate had been getting quiz enthusiasts onto the show in return for a percentage of their winnings . The person behind the syndicate was Keith Burgess from Northern Ireland . Burgess admitted to helping around 200 contestants to appear on the show since 1999; he estimates those contestants to have won around £ 5,000,000 . The show producers are believed to have been aware of this operation, with Burgess stating: "The show knows about me and these types of syndicates, but they cover it up to keep the show going ." An earlier version of a Phone a Friend syndicate was reported in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo during 2003 . Paul Smith, the Managing Director of Celador Productions, stated: "We are aware of Paddy Spooner and what people similar to him are doing, and we have made a priority of changing our question procedure . We are confident we have now made it impossible for anyone to manipulate the system ." Since then, the options of people that can be called have a picture of themselves shown on - air . </P> <P> The show aired from 1998 to 2014 on ITV . Over this time, 30 series and 592 episodes were aired in total . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Series </Th> <Th> Start date </Th> <Th> End date </Th> <Th> Episodes </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 4 September 1998 </Td> <Td> 25 December 1998 </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 January 1999 </Td> <Td> 13 January 1999 </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5 March 1999 </Td> <Td> 16 March 1999 </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 3 September 1999 </Td> <Td> 14 September 1999 </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 5 November 1999 </Td> <Td> 26 December 1999 </Td> <Td> 18 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> 16 January 2000 </Td> <Td> 22 January 2000 </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 26 March 2000 </Td> <Td> 1 May 2000 </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 7 September 2000 </Td> <Td> 6 January 2001 </Td> <Td> 55 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> 8 January 2001 </Td> <Td> 26 April 2001 </Td> <Td> 45 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> 4 September 2001 </Td> <Td> 29 December 2001 </Td> <Td> 43 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> 5 January 2002 </Td> <Td> 9 April 2002 </Td> <Td> 55 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> 31 August 2002 </Td> <Td> 28 December 2002 </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> 4 January 2003 </Td> <Td> 31 May 2003 </Td> <Td> 21 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> 30 August 2003 </Td> <Td> 27 December 2003 </Td> <Td> 21 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> 3 January 2004 </Td> <Td> 5 June 2004 </Td> <Td> 23 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> 18 September 2004 </Td> <Td> 25 December 2004 </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 1 January 2005 </Td> <Td> 11 June 2005 </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> 17 September 2005 </Td> <Td> 31 December 2005 </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> 7 January 2006 </Td> <Td> 8 July 2006 </Td> <Td> 27 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> 9 September 2006 </Td> <Td> 6 January 2007 </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> 10 March 2007 </Td> <Td> 28 July 2007 </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> 18 August 2007 </Td> <Td> 30 October 2007 </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> 1 January 2008 </Td> <Td> 3 June 2008 </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> 16 August 2008 </Td> <Td> 31 January 2009 </Td> <Td> 18 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> 13 June 2009 </Td> <Td> 20 December 2009 </Td> <Td> 20 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> 13 April 2010 </Td> <Td> 8 June 2010 </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> 3 August 2010 </Td> <Td> 23 December 2010 </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> 2 April 2011 </Td> <Td> 19 December 2011 </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29 </Td> <Td> 3 January 2012 </Td> <Td> 20 December 2012 </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 30 </Td> <Td> 1 January 2013 </Td> <Td> 11 February 2014 </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> </Tr> </Table>

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