KEY POINTS:
If you had a sneaking suspicion that the guests of Game of Two Halves were pretty smart with their answers you'd be right - they know what questions are coming.
A source who worked on the TV One sports quiz show told the Weekend Herald that guests were primed on what to expect - particularly on any questions coming up in their sport.
"If it was Greg Murphy, for example, before the show we'd be saying, 'Remember that guy who crashed into you in such-and-such a race?'
"What's given away depends on the calibre of the guest, but we don't want them to look stupid."
The Tony Veitch-hosted show is currently off air, but the last series regularly pulled in more than 200,000 viewers.
The next series will, for the first time, let viewers make the move from the couch to the studio and pit themselves against the experts. But it's unlikely they will get the kind of help offered to sports stars.
The source said David Tua's infamous "O for awesome" appearance was awkward and the boxer would probably never be allowed to forget it.
"We want contestants to want to come on to the show and they won't if they think we're setting them up."
Another source who worked on the programme said even the regulars - Martin Devlin, Mike King, Marc Ellis and Matthew Ridge - were given answers to some rounds, such as the charades category.
That had even led to the correct answer being given, despite the wrong charade being performed.
But the source said it was necessary to ensure the show flowed smoothly.
"In the case of charades, if a contestant stands there and can't think of how to act out, say Beatrice Faumuina, then it's pretty shit television."
However, a spokeswoman for TVNZ denied the regulars were given any of the answers before the show screened.
She admitted celebrity guests were briefed on the types of topics coming up, saying the show was an entertainment programme all about the "banter, joking and interaction".
The source said priming the contestants did not mean the quiz was not competitive.
Ridge and Ellis were genuinely upset if they lost and it was sometimes a case of "who can cheat the best".
Another producer who has worked on several game shows since they made a comeback on New Zealand TV this year, said cheating happened only on Game Of Two Halves. "If there's any money or prizes involved it's triple verification of everything. There's absolutely no cheating and no way anyone can."
Game shows and TV phone-in competitions have been in the spotlight in the UK after it emerged entries from people calling to win prizes, or in some cases vote on an issue, were never registered.
Suspicion here has fallen on The Rich List and whether contestants are briefed on what lists they are likely to face, an accusation that has been strenuously denied by the broadcaster.
A spokeswoman for the Broadcasting Standards Authority said broadcasters were subject to an ethic of social responsibility under the Free-to-Air Television Code of Broadcasting Practice.
That made broadcasters responsible for making sure a programme "does not deceive or disadvantage the viewer".
