I’ve made just £500 from watching telly and sharing my views – you can earn up to £26 per hour doing it
TELLY addict Mary Quinton earns up to £26 per hour from watching her favourite shows.
The retired teacher, 67, has made around £500 reviewing episodes for a website called The Viewers.
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She’s been paid to share her review on a remake of legendary detective series Bergerac, Channel 5's The Weekend Travel Show, and Nicola Walker crime drama Annika.
She said: "I love watching TV, so getting paid to do it, it is certainly not the hardest money I've ever earned!
"Aside from the money, the best part is getting to see shows that haven't yet been released - you feel like you're a step ahead of everyone else."
Mary, who lives in Mulbarton, Norfolk, signed up for The Viewers after stumbling across the website by chance.
The sign-up process is free, after which opportunities to review shows are emailed to users on a regular basis.
Mum-of-two and grandma-of-one Mary said: "When I was signing up, the website asked a number of questions about my age, sex, education, where I lived, and how much TV I watch, as they want to ensure all shows are reviewed by a mix of people.
“It was easy and any adult living in the UK can sign up, there's no qualifications needed.
"After that it was a question of waiting for the first survey opportunity to come along - but I wasn't waiting very long."
In recent days alone Mary has watched yet-to-be released shows including new Neil Morrissey and Martin Clunes travel series Bon Voyage, and an episode of a new murder mystery starring John Simm.
Over the last 12 months, she's seen many others.
She said: "Annika, starring Nicola Walker, was my favourite, as I love a crime drama.
"I also really enjoyed reviewing The Weekend Travel Show, as I'm always looking for inspiration for my next trip abroad."
When it comes to providing the feedback she's being paid for, Mary explained: "Throughout the show I'm asked to rate it out of 100 for how much I am enjoying it, and whether there are any points when I would have stopped watching the show, if I wasn't being paid to keep viewing.
"Then at the end there are further questions about the characters and the plot - who did I like and dislike, and did I find what was happening confusing or easy to follow. It usually means writing a little bit in a text box.
MANY people feeling strapped for cash are boosting their bank balance with a side hustle.
The good news is, there are plenty of simple ways to earn some additional income - but you need to know the rules.
When you're employed the company you work for takes the tax from your earnings and pays HMRC so you don't have to.
But anyone earning extra cash, for example from selling things online or dog walking, may have to do it themselves.
Stephen Moor, head of employment at law firm Ashfords, said: "Caution should be taken if you're earning an additional income, as this is likely to be taxable.
"The side hustle could be treated as taxable trading income, which can include providing services or selling products."
You can make a gross income of up to £1,000 a year tax-free via the trading allowance, but over this and you’ll usually need to pay tax.
Stephen added: "You need to register for a self-assessment at HMRC to ensure you are paying the correct amount of tax.
"The applicable tax bands and the amount of tax you need to pay will depend on your income."
If you fail to file a tax return you could end up with a surprise bill from HMRC later on asking you to pay the tax you owe - plus extra fees on top.
"You have to watch on a laptop - not a phone - so sometimes I miss opportunities to review a show because I am out with my granddaughter when they email me, and by the time I get home the survey has closed."
Mary, who also runs an online business, is paid for her reviews via bank transfer, but reviewers like her can get slightly more money if they are happy to be paid in gift cards instead.
She usually makes around £15 per hour of TV watched, though earnings through The Viewers website can reach £26 per hour.
The fee earned varies depending on the type of research users carry out.
If you prefer not to watch an episode, standalone surveys about the type of TV shows and actors users like and dislike are the lowest paid, and while some longer surveys pay up to £10, those completed by Mary are usually shorter and pay only around £3.
Spending just under an hour reviewing a 45-minute episode with a 5-minute questionnaire beforehand, a few questions during the show, and a longer 10-minute survey afterwards, will usually bag her £10, though some episodes pay up to £15.
The largest rewards come from being part of a focus group, carried out either online or in-person, which pays up to £26 per hour.
These focus groups can involve discussing a specific programme, but The Viewers adds: "You could be involved in generating or developing programme ideas, titles, marketing, having your say on major channel changes or even helping launch a new TV channel."
Mary added: "When it came to taking my cash out the first time, I was a bit nervous in case it somehow turned out the whole thing was some kind of con - but actually it was really very easy and straightforward.
"After I made the request I had the money in my bank account in around three days.
"You actually only get the full amount if you take payment in Amazon or other website vouchers, but if you opt for cash like I did then you get £9.50 for every £10 earned which I was happy with."
"I first signed up in 2023 but over the last 12 months I've spent more time doing the surveys and in total I've made £500 which I'm absolutely thrilled about."
She said it means she earned the cost of her TV license back in "just a day or two".
Mary added: "This money is a great top-up to my pension, and as I did it all in odd hours here and there.
"Although in total it added up to several days I had spent watching shows, it never really felt like I was sitting down to do a full day of work. “
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