Pastor saves team from Crazy Frog

The Crazy Frog versus Desperate Housewives radio competitors dwindled from three teams to one yesterday, after one family pulled out and another left after being paid off by an Auckland pastor.

Waikato mother Tabitha Allen and her 6-year-old son, Blain Johnson, left the Crazy Frog caravan after taking a cash offer of about $2000 from the City Impact Church - given by a pastor who likened the radio stunt to child abuse.

But that offer came too late for Christchurch mother Kylie Hadfield and her 7-year-old son, Jordan, who at lunchtime yesterday decided they were having a toad of a time anyway and jumped ship.

The radio station contest pushes boredom thresholds to the limit. To win a $3000 cash prize, three mum-and-child pairs were this week lined up to endure up to 72 hours of living with one another in a caravan.

To make matters worse, they were made to listen to an electronically produced hit tune, Crazy Frog, played continuously 1500 times, complete with video.

After being made to stand and face the TV for two hours yesterday morning, the Christchurch mum took action.

"That was the final straw for us," she said. "For me it was the well-being of Jordan I was worried about. It was getting to the point where we were going a bit mad."

City Impact pastor Peter Mortlock, of Auckland, said he was disgusted with the radio station.

He wanted to offer "a few thousand dollars" to each contestant still in the competition.

"I'm doing it for the sake of the kids. Who wants to put a child through that? What's it going to do to them?"

Only Auckland mother Emma Lomas and 7-year-old daughter Rachel remain in the contest. They must stay in the caravan until Friday to win.