Before its first broadcast,
Balls of Steel received publicity during the London premiere of the film
War of the Worlds when actor
Tom Cruise was squirted with a water pistol disguised as a microphone as a part of
Olivia Lee's
Prank TV segment. Four people involved were arrested but were later released on bail. However, Cruise did not press charges, with his publicist saying, "These guys aren't worth the time or energy". Others who were squirted with a water pistol included
Fredrik Reinfeldt,
Prime Minister of Sweden.
Sveriges Television, where the Swedish version
Ballar av stål was going to air, decided to cancel the show after massive criticism. The show has also had its fair share of complaints from viewers. Some complaints were directed at the Annoying Devil for his roller coaster stunt where he threw buckets of "vomit" at the passengers. Balls of Steel responded to
OFCOM saying that the vomit used by the Annoying Devil was fake and a disclaimer was added when the episode was repeated. A further complaint to OFCOM was not upheld when the show explained that the "victims" in Neg Dupree's
Big Stranger Rodeo Urban Sports segment had been "set up". Barrie Hall, who played the Annoying Devil in series two and three, said in an interview that "just about everyone we 'get' has been set up by friends!" ==References==