Big Brother in trouble over nursing home task?

Big Brother in trouble over nursing home task?
Big Brother in trouble over nursing home task? (Image credit: PA Archive/PA Photos)

Celebrity Big Brother has been forced to defend its decision to get housemates to pretend to be residents and carers in a nursing home as part of a task. Presenter Davina also offended some fans this week by attacking real life care for the elderly in the UK, reports The Mirror. Davina wrote on her Twitter page on Wednesday: "This is what is is really like... This is how the elderly in a home feel. Uncared for, frustrated, not heard." But angry viewers responded with comments about Davina's statement. One said: "My Granny is a carer in a home and she treats her people wonderfully, she listens to them and cares. Not all carers are bad," while another wrote: "I am a nurse and this is suddenly not funny anymore." Frank Ursell from the The Registered Nursing Home Association told The Mirror: "We are appalled that Channel 4 producers think it's OK to represent older people and nursing homes in such a puerile and ill-informed way. "It is an insult not only to the 190,000 residents in Britain's nursing homes but also to the many tens of thousands of hard-working, dedicated staff who look after them round the clock. "Specific scenes in the programme, such as the instruction that carers should liquidise all the food consumed by the residents of this 'pretend' nursing home, are as unrealistic as the idea for this ill thought out 'game' is silly." A Channel 4 issued a statement defending their decisions which saw Ivana and Stephanie as carers for the other celebs. They said: "This is a light-hearted task which is in no way meant to cause offence or offer any political comment on the issues around old age." A spokesperson for Davina added: "Davina has the upmost respect for all carers and the amazing work they do and in no way wanted to cause any offence."

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.