Channel 4 board set to decide on fate of Big Brother

by Darren Davidson, Brand Republic 22-Jan-07, 08:33

LONDON - The board of Channel 4 is preparing to meet later today to discuss whether 'Big Brother' should be axed after the current series ends.

Several members of the board believe the show is doing immense damage to the channel's reputation and damaging race relations.

Today the board, chaired by Luke Johnson and whose members include the film producer Lord Puttnam, the former head of BBC News Tony Hall, the dotcom entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox, and managing director of Birmingham City football club Karren Brady, will ask for a paper to be drafted quickly to explore went wrong last week and to examine whether the programme should be axed.

Andy Duncan, Channel 4 chief executive, is expected to be heavily criticised at today's meeting. Some of the board members believe the producers should have intervened when the Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was first subjected to racial abuse by other housemates.

On Friday, Jade Goody, one of the main proponents in the race row, became the third housemate to be evicted from the 'Big Brother' house.

Audiences peaked at 8.8m as Goody, who attracted 82% of the vote, was forced to explain her behaviour upon eviction.

Channel 4 was accused of giving Jade an easy ride and coaching her in what to say in an attempt to save her media career. Goody shares the same manager of a number of people involved with 'Big Brother', including: Davina McCall, host of the 'Big Brother' eviction show and the person who interviewed Goody on her eviction; Russell Brand, host of 'Big Brother's Big Mouth'; and Dermot O'Leary, host of 'Big Brother's Little Brother'.

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