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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Race row 'saved dull Big Brother' | Race row 'saved dull Big Brother' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The controversy over alleged racist bullying in Celebrity Big Brother saved the show from being dull, according to Channel 4 chief Kevin Lygo. | The controversy over alleged racist bullying in Celebrity Big Brother saved the show from being dull, according to Channel 4 chief Kevin Lygo. |
| "This was in danger of being the most boring BB that we'd had in many years, maybe ever," the channel's director of television told Broadcast magazine. | "This was in danger of being the most boring BB that we'd had in many years, maybe ever," the channel's director of television told Broadcast magazine. |
| Lygo admitted wondering "what can we do?" before the race row "erupted into this extraordinary story". | Lygo admitted wondering "what can we do?" before the race row "erupted into this extraordinary story". |
| Broadcast reported that no jobs would be lost over the situation. | Broadcast reported that no jobs would be lost over the situation. |
| The allegations of racism, which dominated headlines last week, centred on celebrity contestant Shilpa Shetty. | |
| Housemate Jade Goody was seen calling the Bollywood star "Shilpa Poppadom". | |
| I think we made the right decisions all the time Kevin Lygo, director of programmes, Channel 4 Goody admitted her behaviour was "nasty" but has denied being racist. | |
| 'Right decisions' | |
| Lygo, who was giving his first interview since the Big Brother row began, said he stood by the programme's producers. | Lygo, who was giving his first interview since the Big Brother row began, said he stood by the programme's producers. |
| "I think we made the right decisions all the time," he said. "I don't think looking back at it we'd say: 'If only we'd done that' or 'if only we'd done this.'" | "I think we made the right decisions all the time," he said. "I don't think looking back at it we'd say: 'If only we'd done that' or 'if only we'd done this.'" |
| Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncan also stood by the programme, and denied it would harm the channel's campaign to secure new funds from the government. | |
| "Politicians are more than capable of separating the furore about Big Brother from long-term policy decisions," he said. | "Politicians are more than capable of separating the furore about Big Brother from long-term policy decisions," he said. |
| Duncan has said Channel 4 urgently needs a new form government subsidy to replace the free broadcasting space it was given when it launched, and which has become increasingly redundant as viewers switch to digital. | |
| Media watchdog Ofcom has received more than 40,000 complaints about the alleged racist bullying in the current series of Big Brother. | |
| Duncan said Channel 4 regretted causing offence, but would not apologise for broadcasting the footage or sparking a debate on racism. | |
| The broadcaster, which has faced calls to axe the show completely, was ordered to conduct a review of Big Brother by its board earlier this week. |