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Aussie Big Brother contestant not told of father's death

25/05/2007

The Australian version of Big Brother has been criticised after one of its contestants was not told about her father's death.

Emma Cornell's father passed away last week after a long battle with cancer.

Contestants taking part in the hit reality show are cut off from the outside world during their stay in the house.

This rule has been waived in the past, but Ms Cornell's family has backed the decision not to tell her until she comes out.

"I personally spent the last week of dad's life by his side and one thing he was absolutely certain about was the fact that he didn't want his death to impose either negatively or positively on Emma's Big Brother experience," her brother Matt said in a statement on the Big Brother website.

"He made us promise him that no-one would notify Emma of his death."

Yesterday, the UK's television watchdog Ofcom said Channel 4 would have to make three on-air apologies after Shilpa Shetty, a contestant on last year's Celebrity Big Brother, was the victim of alleged racist bullying.

This comes ahead of the launch of Big Brother VIII, which begins next week with a fresh crop of fame-hungry contestants and a new-look house.


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