Tourette's sufferers praise TV's Pete
Rob Sharp, arts and media correspondent
The success of Big Brother winner and Tourette's sufferer, Pete Bennett, has been hailed as 'the best PR job anyone could have done' for the condition.
Christine Sharp, whose 18-year-old son, Matthew, has Tourette's and became friends with Bennett, 24, when they both attended the specialist Parkwood Hall School in Swanley, Kent, said that his win, watched by 8.2 million viewers last Friday, helped demonstrate the individuality and character of those affected.
'I have found it a lot easier over the past three months. People have said, "Oh, it's OK, he's got what Pete from Big Brother's got". Pete has done the best PR job for people with Tourette's anyone could have done,' she said. 'When Matthew was 11, Pete was a fantastic support to him. It's a very hard thing to come to terms with when you're going through adolescence, and Pete helped tremendously.'
However, the win received only a guarded welcome from Judith Kidd, chief executive of the Tourette Syndrome Association. She welcomed that it would bring 'understanding of the problems that Tourette Syndrome can cause', but added: 'If I had a residual concern, it would be that only 10 to 15 per cent of people who suffer from Tourette's have involuntary swearing.'
Friday night's viewing figures and the positive press surrounding the winner may go some way to scuppering the grumbles of critics, many of whom claimed the programme was predictable. None the less, makers Endemol UK have already signed up with C4 for a new series next year.
Danny Cohen, C4's head of factual entertainment, said: 'People who are saying that it's losing its way are expecting it to stay the same, but we work very hard to think of new twists and turns for the show.'
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