The top 10 funniest excuses for TV licence fee dodgers
The funniest was: 'My mum died. She had a payment card. I'm going to a clairvoyant to ask her where she put her card.'
18:20 17 December 2014
The funniest and most unbelievable excuses for not paying for a TV License have been revealed by the company itself.
Based on official figures, there are about 1.5 million homes that watch their pick of the programmes without paying £145.50 for a colour TV license.
Reacting to the funniest excuses given people, consultant psychologist Kerry Daynes said: “We tell little white lies all the time, usually to lubricate passage through our daily lives and often to make other people feel better.
“It is interesting that the more outlandish excuses have been judged by the evader as more socially acceptable, and therefore less embarrassing than the truth, whilst others may offer an extraordinary reason as a covert way of showing contempt.”
The top 10 excuses stated by TV licence dodgers:
1. “My mum died. She had a payment card. I’m going to a clairvoyant to ask her where she put her card.”
2. “My son lost his tooth and the next day we found the TV under the stairs. We thought it was a present from the Tooth Fairy so didn’t need a TV Licence.”
3. “My cousin is not here anymore, she used to pay it for me. And now she has left me. She was also my wife. I’ve lost my cousin and my wife in one go.”
4. “I don’t need one because I’m Jesus Christ.”
5. “I don’t use my TV to watch TV programmes. I use it to hang my clothes so they dry.”
6. “My husband gave me the TV Licensing money and I spent it on my new Kurt Geiger shoes.”
7. “I was told I didn’t need a TV Licence because I haven’t got a remote control.”
8. “I couldn’t afford to pay it as I had to get the cat neutered.”
9. “I’m Australian and I only watch Home and Away and Neighbours, and I don’t pay for a TV Licence in Australia, so I shouldn’t have to pay it here. Australia is 12 hours ahead, so it’s not live here.”
10. “The TV belongs to my dog. He got it for Christmas. Ask him to pay.”