Actors union Equity are blasting Endemol and the BBC for refusing to pay the contestants on their recent talent show, The One and Only.

In the primetime show impersonators were competing for a performance contract in Las Vegas, however unlike previous BBC talent shows How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do, the participants were not even paid the minimum wage.

Assistant general secretary of Equity, Andy Prodger said: “Endemol is one of the biggest and most profitable independent TV producers, yet despite numerous approaches by Equity they have refused to pay even the smallest possible fee to the 24 contestants which have made The One And Only such a big hit.

“When the BBC produced their own talent shows, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do, they acted honourably and engaged all the finalists on proper industry-standard contracts with pay rates well above national minimum wage and have agreed to do so again in the forthcoming shows I’d Do Anything, which hopes to cast parts in a forthcoming production of Oliver. Unfortunately Endemol is apparently happy to exploit the dreams of aspiring performers without offering them a penny.”

He said: “I am very disappointed that the BBC, which is funded by the licence fee, allows such exploitation and doubt if the viewers who spent good money on telephone voting knew that none of the money would go to the performers who entertained them so well.”