1313 CALLS IN 18 HRS.. AND WE LOSE pounds 1,000.

WE hit the phone lines to find out just how easy it is to lose money on the premium rate TV quizzes. This is how we spent more than pounds 1,000 over 18 hours during which we won back only pounds 20.

11PM: We start on ITV PLAY where viewers text a combination of numbers. We get it right once but a text reply says: "You found the answer but someone got there before you."

11.29PM: Next is BUZZWORDS where we text in words made from nine letters on screen. We win nothing.

TEXTS SENT: 68 COST: pounds 57.80

12.09AM: On ITV, GLITTERBALL starts. We start dialling to guess words made from letters from the word CELEBRATE for the chance to win pounds 10,000.

12.13AM: A woman wins pounds 1,000 for "tree". Nothing for us.

12.16AM: The top prize is up to pounds 15,000. In 41 calls we have heard only messages.

12.30AM: Game over and nobody guessed any more. The prize word was "belter". A new round starts with ELEGANTLY. A caller, Chris, wins pounds 500 with "tangle".

1.43AM: After 96 more calls, we hear: "You've nearly made it, keep your fingers crossed and see.. oh no, it wasn't your turn, you were so close." Sue from Bristol guesses "lent" and wins a holiday.

CALLS MADE: 149 COST: pounds 111.75

1.55AM: We turn to QUIZ CALL on Freeview to guess words that come before or after "water". The first three callers get nowhere with "slide", "closet" and "tonic", then a woman wins pounds 150 with "heavy".

2.06AM: We get through on our 14th call, but "water feature" isn't on the board.

3.08AM: After 96 calls we get through, but "waterworks" and "watersports" aren't there either.

3.21AM: The prize goes up to pounds 1,200. Only one other winner, "water tank", is found.

CALLS MADE: 110 COST: pounds 82.50

3.31AM: We switch to CASH CALL on Freeview, where viewers guess the hidden names of football teams to get pounds 100.

3.58AM: The presenter reveals the first letters of one of the teams, "Po", and puts an extra pounds 50 on each name. Someone calls in with "Portsmouth", but it isn't correct.

4.07AM: A caller named Emily wins pounds 150 by guessing "Port Talbot".

4.24AM: After 145 calls we get through. But our guess, "Fulham", isn't on the board.

CALLS MADE: 145 COST: pounds 108.75

4.27AM: Back to QUIZCALL where three more answers have been guessed on the water quiz - "cycle", "come hell or high" and "toilet".

4.53AM: A clue - WATER SPL-SH. Another caller gets in first and wins pounds 100. The winning words are revealed - "welder", "ouzel", "rail", "milk and", "raw" and "orange flower".

CALLS MADE: 87 TOTAL: pounds 65.25

5.05AM: Back on ITV PLAY it's BUZZWORDS. We text in 63 words and win the game, and are entered for a pounds 2,000 jackpot. But none of our numbers come up.

TEXTS SENT: 63 TOTAL pounds 53.55

9.30AM: After a break, more BUZZWORDS. We send texts but win nothing.

10.00AM: Next up is Izit?, where we guess catchphrases. A flurry of texts, no prize. Back to the quiz. The only winner is a caller chasing the pounds 2,000 jackpot who scoops pounds 50.

TEXTS SENT: 105 COST: pounds 89.25

10.40AM: Over to THIS MORNINGon ITV, and the chance to have your mortgage paid for a year. We dial up at pounds 1 per call and register. We keep calling to build up our chances.

CALLS MADE: 142 COST: pounds 142

12.20PM: The result of the THIS MORNING competition is announced. We haven't won.

4.15PM: DEAL OR NO DEAL on Channel 4, which has a pounds 1 per call viewers' quiz to win pounds 10,000. Calls are limited to 30 per household per day. Four times we're asked to leave details but the other 26 are unsuccessful.

CALLS MADE: 30 COST: pounds 30

4.20PM: BIG GAME TV viewers must name "something worn above the neck". After 25 minutes, we plump for a "bowler hat". It's not right, but the next call gets us another go. We guess "sunglasses" - wrong again. A caller scoops pounds 50 for "eyeshadow". Back to DEAL OR NO DEAL. We haven't won.

CALLS MADE: 117 COST: pounds 87.75

4.57PM: Over to IPLAY TV where we choose an angle between 1 and 360 degrees to blow asteroids out of the sky for a pounds 2,000 prize. But we don't make the shortlist.

TEXTS SENT: 45 COST: pounds 38.25

5.20PM: BIG GAME TV is still naming things worn above the neck. Our luck changes. We get through and say: "Goggles." It flashes on screen, and we hear buzzers on the phone. "Well done," the presenter screams. "You've won pounds 20. Hold the line and congratulations."

CALLS: 187 COST pounds 140.25 WINNINGS: pounds 20

5.40PM: A new game starts with the question: "What would you see in your shed?" After another 65 calls we get through to the studio with "shovel". Incorrect. Twenty-five calls later we make it on air again, with "secateurs". Wrong again.

CALLS MADE: 65 COST: pounds 48.75

Totting up the totals, we realise we have spent an incredible pounds 1,055.85 in 18 hours, winning back just pounds 20.

CAPTION(S):

THIS MORNING We dial Fern and Phil to try win our mortgage payments - no luck; GLITTERBALL After 149 calls to ITV show we've lost pounds 111; DEAL OR NO DEAL Our calls to Noel's show ring up pounds 30; QUIZ CALL We finally get on the Freeview show but our guesses don't win