invention winner

[fatcat]

This is going back a year or two. There was a programme on BBC1 where the public sent in their ideas for new inventions with the winner getting their idea patented and made for general sale. The final three were a couple with a collapsible bin, a rather snobby couple with a nibless pen ( i think) and two men with leakproof swimming goggles. Does anyone know who the overall winners were? It's the usual story, watched the whole series then missed the final programme. Thanks.

[LiverpoolLou]

Hi fatcat, if it's the same programme, my cousin entered it, he was the one who came up with the idea of putting lights on bycicle spokes and babys pram wheels. He didn't go on to win the show, but he got his idea patented by Raleigh.......and if I'm right, as I only heard this from a family member Raleigh went bust.

Not sure if it's the same programme, but it's the only one I can think of.

[jenstar]

The show you're thinking of was "Innovation Nation" and the winner was the collapsible bin.

[jenstar]

Oh, and I think LiverpoolLou is probably talking about "Best Inventions", which was a different show.

[fatcat]

Thanks guys. Glad that snobby couple with the pen didn't win. Thank God someone invented Answer Bank!

[jenstar]

Interestingly, "that snobby couple with the pen" later made a major complaint about how the programme had misrepresented them. The BBC governors' response has only just been published and it basically says "nah, the BBC are great and we did nothing wrong", but it's clear that the couple did have a HUGE grievance over it. The governors' report is in the Jan-Mar bulletin at http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/review_reports.shtml if you're interested.

[fatcat]

You're not related to them are you Jenstar? From what I seem to remember the husband was fairly quiet but the wife was at times quite dismissive of the other contestant's inventions like they'd invented the wheel or something! Still, some of it could have been down to partial editing like Big Brother. Thanks for the update.