Ofcom has announced new protective measures for broadcasters to better care for the wellbeing of reality stars of TV and radio.
It comes after a high profile suicide case when a contestant on The Jeremy Kyle Show named Steve Dymond took his own life after a traumatic appearance on the show where he was seen to have failed a lie detector test.
Love Island contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon, and host Caroline Flack have also taken their own lives following their time on the show.
Ofcom launched an investigation into the welfare of such contestants, and concluded broadcasters must better protect them.
(Image: ITV)
“In recent years we have also seen a steady rise in complaints about the welfare of people taking part in programmes,” said the report.
“Under these new rules, people taking part in programmes must also be informed about any potential welfare risks that might arise from their participation, and any steps the broadcaster or programme-maker intends to take to mitigate them.”
It added: “Treatment of people who appear to be put at risk of significant harm as a result of taking part in a programme is now included as an explicit example of material that might cause offence to audiences.”
(Image: PA)
Adam Baxter, Ofcom’s Director of Standards and Audience Protection, said: “People taking part in TV and radio programmes deserve to be properly looked after.
“Our new protections set a clear standard of care for broadcasters to meet – striking a careful balance between broadcasters’ creative freedom and the welfare of the people they feature.”
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Originally from https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/ofcom-announces-stricter-regulations-protect-23191015