Oz Big Brother in dead dad ding-dong

The Oz version of human zoo Big Brother has copped flack for not telling a contestant her dad has died, the BBC reports. Emma Cornell has been in the BB house for a month, and is unaware her father Raymond succumbed to cancer last week. The show has moved quickly to stem criticism of the decision not to inform her by publishing …

[Ian Ferguson]

More about the contestant than the show

Much as I despise this kind of television production, the fact that the woman went into the show knowing that she would not be part of her father's last few weeks on the mortal coil says more about her and her relationship with her father than the show.

[Morely Dotes]

She knew what she signed on for

The shallow bint knew when she signed up to make real-life Hentai that her old man probably wouldn't be alive when she finished. Clearly, money or the possibility of money was more important to her than family, or even of knowing that a family member had died.

Let her get on with her poor excuse for a life and, if you're really upset, boycott the crappy show. It's no business of anyone else what the producers tell or don't tell their participants.

[Dillon Pyron]

Meanwhile in the US

Someone correct me if I'm wrong (I don't watch "reality TV"), but I don't think we've had BB here in a few years. Are American viewers somehow smarter than their Brit and Aussie counterparts? I thought not.

[Kjetil]

Re: Meanwhile in the US

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(US_TV_series)

Need I say more?

[Scott]

Her decision is final

Okay, I'm NOT a hardcore BB AU fan, BUT there are a few things I'd like to point out:

- Emma knew FULL WELL what was potentially going to happen and accepted the risk. The producers accepted her decision to go into the house with (one would assume) FULL disclosure. Ergo, (unforntunately) life happens.

- PM John Howard is NOT a reliable source for the majority of Australians. The two guys last year DID break the rules and GOT OFF VERY LIGHTLY in the eyes of the Law. It could have been MUCH worse for them, but that was clearly wrong.

People do different things all the time. What we perceive those decisions to be (whether right or wrong) , is NOT OUR CALL. Let them be and BB world wide should NOT be singled out just because of certain incidents. If the "teabagging" happened outside of the house, they would be punished severely, regardless. A situation like Emma's would NOT rate in ANY form of media if she wasn't in the BB house. Build a bridge and get over it people. :(

[yeah, right.]

As the man said...

her brother, who presumably knows her much better than any of the pundits here or in the other press, says that they went into it with their eyes wide open. Other papers, perhaps trying to be a little less sensationalist than the Register, have noted that one of her fathers last wishes was that she not be told.

So I propose that those who object to this arrangement should get their noses out of other peoples business and private lives. It's got nothing to do with Big Brother, and everything to do with how other people decide to live their lives and how they handle a long expected death in the family.

It's also obvious that most of the pundits around here don't have a damn clue about how you can't put your life on hold while waiting for someone you love to die. Especially when it could happen now or in several months. You make your peace and you live your life. Just because you don't see the person die in person doesn't make the grieving any less real when you do find out about it. If they've already said what they had to say to each other, what the hell business is it of anyone elses to second-guess their decision?

[the Jim bloke]

request

that any and all so-called news about BB anywhere be ignored. The only time I want to hear about BB, or the the rest of 'reality TV' is when they are declared crimes against humanity and the producers assets confiscated to make restitution to everyone harmed by them.

[Hamish]

Well said "yeah, right"

I can't help but wonder whether all the people clamouring for her to have been told are doing so for voyeuristic reasons rather than out of concern for what's best for her.