Ofcom received more than 270 complaints from viewers claiming that Big Brother exploited vulnerable contestants and encouraged bullying in its most recent series.

It was criticised by mental health charities after Shahbaz Chaudhry threatened to kill himself on air, sparking claims that the makers had exploited the self proclaimed “Paki Poof’s” volatile mental state. Some viewers also said the show used winner Pete Bennett’s Tourette’s condition as a form of entertainment.

But Ofcom rejected the complaints, saying “adults make informed decisions about their participation in such programmes” and it was not for the watchdog to over-ride those decisions.

It also defended Petes being placed in the house, saying: “There is rightly no reason why someone with a disability cannot and should not exercise the same degree of informed choice as any other adult – including choosing to enter the Big Brother house.”

I am sure that Dawn Blake will have something to say about this!