Get tv studio audience tickets for free!
by Kelly Henderson (follow Kelly on Twitter: @kellythekiwi)
Love quiz shows, talent contests and reality TV? Read this to find out how to watch for free the filming of your favourite shows!
I love competition TV so I have always wanted to go and see the shows being filmed. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities to do so in London.
How do I get free studio audience tickets?
#1 You can apply directly to the BBC for free studio audience tickets to some of their shows such as A Question of Sport and Later… With Jools Holland. You can do the same thing for ITV’s Jeremy Kyle (if you actually want to see this) and Countdown on Channel 4.
#2 For pretty much all shows, the ONLY way to get studio audience tickets is by a third party company. There are 3 major websites to take a look at:
Applause Store
Applause Store is the biggest company and manages the ticket bookings for shows such as Britain’s Got Talent, Celebrity Juice and Top Gear.
Lost in TV
Lost in TV manages the bookings for the BT Sport packages as well as shows like The Chase and Surprise Surprise.
SRO Audiences
If you want to be in the audience for Pointless or 8 out of 10 Cats then SRO Audiences is the website that you need.
All you need to do is choose the show that you want to go to, select the date and fill in the application form. If your application has been successful then you will receive a confirmation email that contains your free audience tickets.
Things to remember…
#1 Applying for a show does not guarantee you tickets. Some of the websites operate on a first in first serve basis, whilst other tickets are given away through a lottery.
#2 Even if you have a ticket, entrance is not guaranteed. Studios do not want any empty spaces so they give out more tickets than seats. How early you need to arrive depends on the popularity of the show – I read that they recommend you arrive 2 hours earlier if you are going to see QI being filmed!
#3 A lot of the shows will not allow you to take photos – when I went to a filming of The Voice we had to hand our phones and cameras in when we entered the studio.
#4 Show filming takes a lot longer than the actual programme time. Be prepared to be there for 2-3 hours plus queuing time.
#5 Keep an eye out for SPECIAL EVENTS – recently tickets to the X Factor Musical and Sports Relief have been available.
Being part of the studio audience can be a great night out – you can peek at celebrity judges, laugh along with comic geniuses and see the talent before it hits the screens. It may take a long time, and there will be no posting of sneak pictures online but you will be entertained from start to finish.
