BB in race row

Big Brother could be pulled off air if allegations of racism are upheld after viewers complained about the language used on screen.

10:42 30 June 2005

Big Brother could be pulled off air if allegations of racism are upheld after viewers complained about the language used on screen.

Complaints were made over the way Saskia argued with Zimbabwe-born Makosi recently and Channel Four bosses are concerned that the row could be construed as racist, the Daily Star reports.

If TV watchdog Ofcom deems the comments to be in breach of the Race Relations Act then the show could be pulled and criminal action could even be taken.

The incident in question came when Saskia told the African nurse: "You lot always have a chip on your shoulder", as well as making derogatory comments about her afro hairstyle, saying: "And you wear a f***ing wig on your head."

Although the 23-year-old later had an apology accepted, the comments have concerned TV officials.

"If it's found that we've breached race laws then we'd have no option but to end it early," a Channel Four source told the newspaper.

The row comes just 24 hours after the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, Trevor Phillips, praised the positive effect shows such as Big Brother have on society.

"So called 'reality TV', has given many British people a chance to encounter people from other ethnic groups they would never meet in their own everyday lives," he said.

"And I don't suppose that the Big Brother house is most people's idea of any kind of reality. But in Kemal the bisexual Muslim; Derek, the world's poshest black man and Makosi the feminist Zimbabwean nurse, we have three people who would confound any possible stereotyping."