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Channel 4 accused of being "supplied" with contestants from Agency [fake contestants]


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Old 11-07-2002, 15:58
Elysium
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This was posted in the Channel 4 forum earlier. Has anyone seen the article in one of the daily’s or news-sites?
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]
Found this earlier:
-----
A TELEVISION producer who was found to have faked scenes in a documentary said yesterday that programme makers were continuing to turn a blind eye to hoaxers and fake guests on their shows.

This comes on the back of recent accusations made concerning this years reality TV programme Big Brother, produced by Endemol, and favoured largely by the 16-35 age groups. The concerns made regard one of the shows more popular contestants Jonny Regan who stands accused of hoaxing with the full consent of Channel 4 who broadcast the programme as “reality TV”. The implication remains that he and one other contestant, Alison Hammond, who has now left the show, are actually jobbing actors brought in to portray ‘factual’ people but are in reality acting to deceive the audience to the tune of the £70.000 prize money.

The Big Brother Show, a popularity contest by any other name, caused controversy recently after it emerged that contestants had frolicked naked and performed sex acts whilst in the show, but more worryingly that two of the contestants, Jonny Regan and Alison Hammond, were supplied by an entertainment agency to provide the “comedy” of the house. Both stand accused of pretending never to have met before despite, in this case, having met each other days before the programme went to air and regularly “encouraged” by Big Brother to perform a certain way to keep the show lively for its daily half-hour updates.

Philip Harding, a controller of editorial policy, said that, if programme makers let faking go unchecked, it could become a "cancer that will spread throughout television". He said it was dangerous to pretend that fakery on light-hearted programmes such as chat shows and reality-tv was any more acceptable than on serious documentaries.

He said: "When you are presenting it to the audience as factual or reality TV, you can't draw a distinction between light-hearted and serious. If you suggest this is fact, what you broadcast must be true and accurate. If someone suggests it doesn't matter if it is light-hearted, I think that's the beginning of a slippery slope and a dangerous trend in TV." He added: "If the audience begins to mistrust one form of factual or reality TV, they will begin to mistrust the others."

Ms Burton, a PR consultant for numerous TV shows said better training of TV researchers would provide "some form of protection" against hoaxing, but in some instances there was no excuse but to come down heavily, particularly when money is being taken from the public by telephone voting in the expectation that they are “buying into” all that they see.

Channel 4 were unavailable for comment last night.
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:08
ubermind
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Alison and Jonny are pretty useless actors they are by far the most boring HMs out there.

So if this is real they should both be fired. Maybe this is why we still have to put up with Alison on Rise.
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:10
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Apart from the fact that this "story" has been around for a while consider for a moment how valid this might be:

First of all - why bother - why not just choose people who are going
to act the fool in the first place.

Secondly - what happens in the house is unpredictable - EVEN if they
are trying to manipluate it it will not be an easy task.

Thirdly - if you are going to all this trouble to fake it why do such
a crap job - they lost one of their supposed plants very early on (and
if you belive the other conspiracy theories they engineered Alisons
departure) and as for Jonny - well if you where going to hire a plant
you could do considerably better than Jonny and choose someone can act
and isn't depressed/stressed out.

The bottom line comes down to Occams Razor - why bother faking it when
they get all the controvesy etc. when they don't. As for trying to
cheat the public and not pay the 70k - do the sums - they could lose
70k down the back of the sofa and still have made shit loads of money

Channel 4 were unavailable for comment last night.
...when we phoned them at 2 O'clock in the morning but it makes our
story look good 'cos it sounds like they are tryig to avoid answering
the question
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:10
TeenyShiny
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Although I agree that there is a trend to use fake 'guests' or HM's in this case on light entertainment programs I don't think it necessary applies here.

This would hold more water if it had been Alex, Kate or Jade who were supposedly planted but what producer in their right mind would plkant a morose Jonny to boost ratings?
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:12
Carlos_dfc
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Elysium - I noticed that the first name you mention is Jonny.
Couldn't resist it ?
BTW. I can't speak for Alison, but, my father-in-law knows Jonny's father and a couple of his relatives. He is NOT employed by BB as an actor, (as you imply) he is a 'real' person and is actually, as he claims, a fireman.
However, he does seem to be a bit of a wannabee (he has an equity card by way of doing a few bit-parts in tv & a movie)
PS. I'm not particularly a Jonny fan either, I'd now like to see Kate win.
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:13
Lucytash
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I don't like but Jonny but surely, if all that were true, BB would not have picked a working fireman as it must be easy to prove if he's just been working or not and the fact that he has an Equity card has been mentioned by, I think, PJ.
Furthermore, isn't it more likely that if anyone could be accused of acting it's Jade, whose behaviour is unbelievable.
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:16
Sinner
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Yet again another gem from Elysium. I have watched this site for a while before succumbing to the need to take part, and I have been impressed with your well thought out and presented arguments, even if somewhat one-sided.
I have to agree with many of your views on Jonny, and have expressed similar on the BB3 website (bag of sh*te). I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate him, as others do, but there has been a nagging doubt with him for a good while. I think I finally knew he was not as he appeared after his nomination of Spencer and his subsequent retraction in the DR. Also, I find his constant 'centre of attention' complex irritating. He really doesn't like it when someone else is funny and has to jump in and steal the thunder (e.g. Kate). However, he can't compete with the more sublime dry humour of both PJ and ,dare I say it, at times Alex.
Keep up the contributions as I really like to see these Jonny lovers wound up. I also think that the message about Jonny is filtering through to the public now and Kate is running a storming final leg.
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:27
Tracy
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Someone put this article onto the BB newsgroup earlier I wonder where it comes from.
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:29
LauraBelle
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What's so big wow about that? All Wanabees go for as many avenues as they can...Jade was an extra on the bill for example...I think I also read somewhere that Jonny had been an extra in something too...Alex is a model & has worked with some 'big names' It wouldn't surprise me if Alison had previous work in TV/Media.....Wanabees will do all they can to be seen and what better floorspace than the BB house?
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:31
andrewd_1984
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What a load of absolute bollocks.

So their families are all actors too?

Andrew
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:32
pRy
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Nah I dont buy this. If Alison was hired to keep the show lively, she didn't do a very good job. She put a stop to the pillow fight by telling them to go to bed, because it was late and she wanted to sleep.

Although I get a little sus when contestants like Alison suddenly start fronting BB adverts.
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:34
yanspam
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Elysium - you don't seriously believe that rubbish do you? You've come out with some semi-reasonable ideas so far on this site - don't discredit yourself entirely with that crock of s**t!
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:36
yanspam
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Oh...and according to yesterday's Daily Star - Jade IS the Creature from the Black Lagoon... but maybe she is... maybe BB are just TRYING to make us THINK she's human... yeah I bet that's it!
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:49
Dr Mick
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Yup.

Jonny also shot JFK, employs Elvis as his backing vocalist, has Adolf Hilter hiding in his garden shed and that corned beef he brought into the house was the remains of Shergar.

He is currently unavailable for comment........
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:53
Dr Mick
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Originally posted by pRy

Although I get a little sus when contestants like Alison suddenly start fronting BB adverts.
Well, Sandy said "**** yis aw", Spencer couldn't be arsed, Sophies in Ibiza and Lynne was pished.

Hobsons choice really.
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:53
Elysium
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Originally posted by yanspam
Elysium - you don't seriously believe that rubbish do you?
Its not for me to believe or disbelieve, that’s your department, surely?.. either way it throws an interesting slant on the whole proceedings of certain housemates being picked specifically with agency background, with the intention of providing the comedy-value to the house.. also the inference that they have both been ‘coached’ at times by Big Brother.

I'm sure someone posted a message earlier about Jonny being told by Big Brother before leaving the DR (about the slave/master incident) as to how he could "make it more funny" .. obviously with the 10pm show in mind.

You make of it what you will .. I really don't mind
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Old 11-07-2002, 16:58
LauraBelle
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Originally posted by Dr Mick
Yup.

Jonny also shot JFK, employs Elvis as his backing vocalist, has Adolf Hilter hiding in his garden shed and that corned beef he brought into the house was the remains of Shergar.

He is currently unavailable for comment........
ROFL Dr Mick
Am soooo glad that humour is still alive and kicking within these threads!
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Old 11-07-2002, 18:24
Swonky
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Originally posted by Elysium
This was posted in the Channel 4 forum earlier. Has anyone seen the article in one of the daily’s or news-sites?
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]
Found this earlier:
-----
A TELEVISION producer who was found to have faked scenes in a documentary said yesterday that programme makers were continuing to turn a blind eye to hoaxers and fake guests on their shows.

This comes on the back of recent accusations made concerning this years reality TV programme Big Brother, produced by Endemol, and favoured largely by the 16-35 age groups. The concerns made regard one of the shows more popular contestants Jonny Regan who stands accused of hoaxing with the full consent of Channel 4 who broadcast the programme as “reality TV”. The implication remains that he and one other contestant, Alison Hammond, who has now left the show, are actually jobbing actors brought in to portray ‘factual’ people but are in reality acting to deceive the audience to the tune of the £70.000 prize money.

The Big Brother Show, a popularity contest by any other name, caused controversy recently after it emerged that contestants had frolicked naked and performed sex acts whilst in the show, but more worryingly that two of the contestants, Jonny Regan and Alison Hammond, were supplied by an entertainment agency to provide the “comedy” of the house. Both stand accused of pretending never to have met before despite, in this case, having met each other days before the programme went to air and regularly “encouraged” by Big Brother to perform a certain way to keep the show lively for its daily half-hour updates.

Philip Harding, a controller of editorial policy, said that, if programme makers let faking go unchecked, it could become a "cancer that will spread throughout television". He said it was dangerous to pretend that fakery on light-hearted programmes such as chat shows and reality-tv was any more acceptable than on serious documentaries.

He said: "When you are presenting it to the audience as factual or reality TV, you can't draw a distinction between light-hearted and serious. If you suggest this is fact, what you broadcast must be true and accurate. If someone suggests it doesn't matter if it is light-hearted, I think that's the beginning of a slippery slope and a dangerous trend in TV." He added: "If the audience begins to mistrust one form of factual or reality TV, they will begin to mistrust the others."

Ms Burton, a PR consultant for numerous TV shows said better training of TV researchers would provide "some form of protection" against hoaxing, but in some instances there was no excuse but to come down heavily, particularly when money is being taken from the public by telephone voting in the expectation that they are “buying into” all that they see.

Channel 4 were unavailable for comment last night.
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]
And suddenly things become a tad clearer !!

Call me a cynic, but I find this to be entirely believable. Now I'm not an E4 viewer, so I could be wrong on this, but I have wondered why we havn't seen any of Jonny's fireman friends turning up for eviction nights or interviewed in the papers or doing some sort of 'strip for jonny' campaign ( imagine it if you will...second page of The Sun, there's hoses, there's jonny posters, there's fire engines in the background). For some reason I would have thought his fireman friends would have been there cheering along ! It has always struck me as odd that its all quiet on that front.

Plus, both he and Alison seem to have a stored repotoire of 'fun games to play'...be it word games, relay games, or 'sex games' its all paint by numbers humour. Almost planned.

Of course their families aren't actors, but that dosn't mean that they can't know that their son/daughter IS and is being paid for a role which requires them to play along. Jonny/Alison get a lump sum for providing guarunteed humour.

If this is true in any way then it means Big Brother itself is totally unbelievable and the whole philosophy or the programme is ruined.

And to think I have wasted £1.50 on them ! Oh the humanity.

Cathy xxx
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Old 11-07-2002, 18:35
chr1sb
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Originally posted by Swonky
Call me a cynic, but I find this to be entirely believable.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaetc.

Elysium you truly are a master of spin, if I was a politician I'd hope to god you were on my side.
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Old 11-07-2002, 18:35
Lucytash
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Originally posted by Swonky


And suddenly things become a tad clearer !!

Call me a cynic, but I find this to be entirely believable. Now I'm not an E4 viewer, so I could be wrong on this, but I have wondered why we havn't seen any of Jonny's fireman friends turning up for eviction nights or interviewed in the papers or doing some sort of 'strip for jonny' campaign ( imagine it if you will...Cathy xxx
...............
Jonny's firemen friends & family have been on morning TV - RI:SE or GMTV - can't remember - when he was nominated and the other firemen were much dishier than Jonny
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Old 11-07-2002, 18:39
Swonky
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Originally posted by Lucytash
...............
Jonny's firemen friends & family have been on morning TV - RI:SE or GMTV - can't remember - when he was nominated and the other firemen were much dishier than Jonny
Well in that case I stand corrected

They haven't been on the eviction shows on C4 though have they ?

Dishier ? I don't doubt it, for some reason Jonny reminds me of Pob.

Cathy xxx
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Old 11-07-2002, 18:40
accidie
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Originally posted by Swonky


Well in that case I stand corrected

They haven't been on the eviction shows on C4 though have they ?

Dishier ? I don't doubt it, for some reason Jonny reminds me of Pob.

Cathy xxx
They probably have fires to put out
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Old 11-07-2002, 18:43
Swonky
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Originally posted by accidie


They probably have fires to put out
A very valid point ! County Durham sleeps safe on a friday night.
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Old 11-07-2002, 18:43
Lucytash
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Originally posted by Swonky


Well in that case I stand corrected

They haven't been on the eviction shows on C4 though have they ?

Dishier ? I don't doubt it, for some reason Jonny reminds me of Pob.

Cathy xxx
I'm not sure about the firemen but his parents & I suppose his fiancee have been on the eviction shows. Weren't they the ones booing at Adele in the studio last week?

Jonny's mum even treated us to a viewing of his bedroom & his pathetic, naff slippers!
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Old 11-07-2002, 18:47
deniiiise
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the other firemen were much dishier than Jonny

Like that would be hard.
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