[Captain.Remy]

This is a news following this thread: Here.

The producers of Big Brother have been criticised for targeting amputee soldiers to appear in the next series.

Veterans’ charities have condemned Endemol after they attempted to recruit wounded servicemen and women to appear in the eleventh series of the reality television show.

An email sent to the Army Benevolent Fund from the programme makers said: “As well as the open auditions we always cast the net far and wide. I'd like to politely enquire if any of your members would be interested in BB11?”

ABF spokeswoman Annabelle Fuller said in a newspaper interview: “We're a charity, not a selection box for bad TV programmes. The people we help are often vulnerable.”

Endemol reportedly asked the charity for case studies of soldiers who had been made homeless or severely wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fuller later wrote on her blog: “'How heartless do you have to be to think that putting a homeless person in a house where they face a weekly eviction vote is a good idea?”

Dr Hugh Milroy, chief executive of the Veterans Fund, who also received an e-mail from Endemol, called it a “new low for reality TV”.

In a joint statement today Endemol and Channel 4 said: “Big Brother aims to cast the net far and wide to ensure that a diverse range of people get the opportunity to audition and take part in the programme.

“Many different groups and organisations have been approached as they have strong networks within more isolated communities and can help to spread the word about the dates of open auditions.”

Big Brother is no stranger to controversy and criticism, having attracted record complaints for a 2007 celebrity version, in which Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty appeared to suffer racist abuse at the hands of fellow housemates, including Jade Goody.

Big Brother 11, which is scheduled to be the last series, will be screened next summer.

Source.

[Stu]

Homeless amputees? Christ. At least Endemol would be taking better care of them than the fucking government. I'd be thinking about Big Brother too.

[Captain.Remy]

I think it'd be a great idea to be honest. I mean, Big Brother has always been about showing the diversity of a society and pushing the boundaries to what people consider "normal". I think it may change views about a few things war related.

Whether these soldiers will be in the house or not, it shows the producers are pushing hard for the last series which is good news.

[Tom]

LMFAO @ the homeless bit. That would be hilarious seeing them evicted, most likely for the second time

[Patrick]

'Not a selection box for Bad TV Programmes'

That part still pisses me off, 'Bad' TV Programmes, well they can **** off who wants them in the house anyway.

And pmsl at Tom

[Captain.Remy]

Originally Posted by Patrick

who wants them in the house anyway.

Channel 4 obviously.

[BB11UK]

This reminds me of a BB10 YouTube auditionee called Angel (I think it was Angel).

He was a military kid (and I think he was gay as well), and I remember people were really interested in him because it was something really new.

Like, I liked that he was a military kid but was a little camp - you kinda expect them to be big and brawny like their soldier parents. And if he was gay, then that goes against the stereotype enough to make him quite a unique character.