ITV

Tag: Big Brother

  • Channel 4 postpones sex shows after Shetty controversy

    Channel 4 postpones sex shows after Shetty controversy

    MUMBAI: Following the criticism of racism on its show Celebrity Big Brother which saw Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty win, UK broadcaster Channel 4 has decided to postpone a series of shows on sex.

    The series of programmes were to be themed around masturbation. One show media reports state was a documentary about a charity ‘masturbate-athon’. Another programme called Virgin School, was to feature a 40-year-old former vicar being taught sex techniques in Amsterdam

    A spokesperson for the channel though was quoted saying that they will evenutually air. Clearly the channel does not want to air content that has the potential to lead to more negative publicity.

    Meanwhile the row over Celebrity Big Brother continues to make headlines.

    Reports state that one of Shetty’s three alleged tormentors, glamour model Danielle Lloyd, has met police for a three-hour discussion about the race row.

  • Shilpa Shetty trots away with ‘Big Brother’ win

    Shilpa Shetty trots away with ‘Big Brother’ win

    MUMBAI: Bollywood contestant Shilpa Shetty emerged as the winner of Channel 4’s reality show Big Brother on Sunday. Following a heated controversy sparked by alleged racial comments hurled at Shetty by inmates of the Big Brother house, earned her a lions share of the public vote of 67 per cent.

    In the last leg of the show Shetty beat MJ’s big brother Jermaine Jackson and was reportedly paid in excess of 40,000 pounds for her participation. Touted as the ‘hot favourite’ by bookies, the win seemed to have been an expected outcome for the Bollywood star.

    The racial slurs did not only have repercussions for the professional careers of those in question, namely Jade Goody, but also cost the show the withdrawal of one its biggest sponsors Carphone Warehouse, which said it did notwant bto e associated with claims of racist bullying.

    Both the broadcaster Channel 4 and television regulator Ofcom were said to have received more than 21,000 complaints in support of Shetty. The matter was further taken to the House of Commons by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in response to NRI MP Keith Vaz statements.

    As opposed to this, the Indian adaptation of Endemol’s reality format Bigg Boss crowned Rahul Roy as victor awarding him Rs 5,000,000. However, Shilpa’s teary eyed incidents seemed to have over-shadowed the ‘drama’ in the celebrity enclosure back home.

  • Big Bro loses sponsor over racist bullying row

    Big Bro loses sponsor over racist bullying row

    MUMBAI: It has become the ‘big brother’ of all controversies, with accusations of racism, the parliaments of two country’s wading in, and the show’s producers Endemol and UK broadcaster Channel 4 on a fast ride to ratings nirvana.

    And it doesn’t stop there. The latest twist to the story comes with one of the major sponsors pulling the plug on Celebrity Big Brother, the low brow reality show that is at the centre of a storm over the treatment meted out to Bollywood starlet Shilpa Shetty by her fellow “housemates”.

    Carphone Warehouse, the biggest mobile phone retailer in Europe, has pulled out its sponsorship of the current series saying that it did not want its name associated with claims of racist bullying. “We had already made it clear to Channel 4 that were this to continue, we would have to consider our position. Nothing we saw last night gave us any comfort. Accordingly we have instructed Channel 4 to remove our sponsorship name and branding with immediate effect,” Carphone Warehouse said in a statement.

    The statement added, “Nothing we saw last night gave us any comfort. Accordingly we have instructed Channel 4 to remove our sponsorship name and branding with immediate effect.”

    Carphone Warehouse has sponsored the show since 2004. The deal with Channel 4 and programme makers Endemol is understood to be in the region of £3million, Britain’s Sun tabloid reported.

    What would come as no surprise to most media watchers is that the controversy has also fuelled the ratings for the show. Tuesday’s telecast of the show was watched by over 4.5 million viewers almost 1 million more than the previous day. Interest in the show has skyrocketed both within UK’s Asian and white communities.

    UK’s broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has received a record 27,000 complaints, while Channel 4 has received 3,000 about alleged racism by the house mates towards Shetty. The show has also become a hot topic amongst bloggers making sure the interest in the show is kept alive.

    Ratings and voting revenues are likely to soar further after Goody and Shetty are now pitted against one another and depending on the most nominations received, one will be evicted from the house.

    Meanwhile Channel 4 released a statement insisting that there had been no overt racism, and claiming that the clashes were based on class and cultural differences.

    Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards has made it clear that he would not conduct a “kangaroo court” over the row. Richards was responding to questions over what action his organisation would be taking following accusations of racism in the show after his keynote speech at the Oxford Media Convention.

    One of the more ridiculous ofshoots of the controversy that everyone and their big brother is trying to cash in on came from online community Gottabet.com which is offering £10,000 to anyone “who can get a custard pie in the face of any one of the trio of girls” – Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara – who have been at the centre of allegations of bullying in the house.

    Celebrity Big Brother is now in its fifth season on UK’s Channel 4. Netherlands based Endemol is the series producer and had adapted the format to Indian television under the title Big Boss, currently running on Sony Television.

  • ‘Big Brother’ comes a knocking on Sony this November

    ‘Big Brother’ comes a knocking on Sony this November

    MUMBAI: Big Brother, Endemol’s top format show of 2005 in terms of turnover, is all set to launch on Sony Entertainment Television this year.

    Likely to hit the air waves right after the Champions Trophy ends in November; the show will have 12 celebrities from the films, television, music, modelling and sports frat under house arrest for 100 days and that too under constant surveillance by 35 cameras. Some of the personalities that the channel is in talks with are Pooja Bedi, Simone Singh and Arshad Warsi, to name a few.

    Big Brother, which contributes to over 25 per cent of Endemol’s revenues internationally, also has a lot of scope for spin-off segments. “We can have segments with psychiatrists talking about the behaviour of people who are participating in the show. There will also be an eviction talk show, wherein people who are voted out in each episode can speak about what transpired inside and why they feel they were voted out. More such spin-offs on the show like Big Brother’s Little Brother, Big Brain and Big Mouth will also be there,” says Endemol India managing director Rajesh Kamat.

    What’s more, Sony will also be looking at streaming Big Brother episodes on the internet. “Web streaming is definitely a possibility and we are looking at it very seriously,” says SET India senior vice president and programming head Anupama Mandloi.

    “In India we have seen that soaps and stories that are told well, deliver. Big Brother is a queen of all soaps and is very unpredictable too. We are sure that it is going to be huge and will break the clutter. The show will also be toned to match Indian sensibilities and culture,” Mandloi adds.

    Apart from Big Brother, preparations are also underway to launch Extreme Makeover some time early next year, which is being produced by Miditech. The call for entries began on 4 July and will continue till 18 July.

    And if you thought that was all from the Sony stable, think again! Shooting for the second season of Fear Factor India is also currently under way in Argentina. While last time we saw telly actors participating in the show, this time round one can look forward to some Bollywood actors doing some real time stunts – minus the body doubles – in Fear Factor India. Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgan are two action stars who come top of mind… well we’ll have to wait and watch if they’re there!

    So it’ll sure be another reality bonanza on Sony!

  • Reality show ‘Big Brother’ draws the ire of Australian authorities

    Reality show ‘Big Brother’ draws the ire of Australian authorities

    MUMBAI: The reality show Big Brother has run into hot water in Australia. The show is about a group of individuals living in a house and then getting voted out each week.

    In a controversial incident a few days ago, two contestants were thrown out of the show and the police were called in. Media reports indicate that one man held down a woman while another rubbed his crotch in her face.

    Not surprisingly, influential figures have criticised the show. Some have asked Channel 10 to take the show off the air. Australian Prime Minister John Howard got on the front foot saying that in the interest of good taste, the show should no longer be aired.

    Besides concern that the show sets a bad example, the Casey Pastors Network says that the drunk and sexual behaviour of contestants is having an adverse effect on the City of Casey’s youth. Instead, the broadcaster should have shows that motivate Australia’s youth to excel in life.