Dawn Blake: An Apology
Unreality TV has been visited quite regularly over the past couple of weeks by Dawn Blake, one of the contestants to leave Big Brother 7 early on in the show.
You may remember early on in the series, the Big Brother contestants were denied access to their suitcases. The press jumped upon the story and a couple of comments from the housemates about Dawn. At the time, we ran a tongue-in-cheek campaign to have deodorants donated to the Big Brother house.
Understandably, Dawn was upset about this and took the time to get in touch with us to set the story straight.
She sent me some diary room footage which featured her requesting her suitcase be returned as she was being forced to wear paper underwear and borrow clothes from other contestants. She also complained at the time of feeling humiliated and embarrassed about having to borrow from the boys as the girls’ clothes generally didn’t fit her.
While our article was intended as tongue in cheek, we would like to thank Dawn for raising this issue with us and apologise for any offense our article caused.
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:42 am
Thank you
August 6th, 2006 at 6:18 pm
[...] Endemol have stated that Dawn Blake, George Askew and Shahbaz Chauhdary will not be invited to return to Big Brother as they chose to walk out of the house, and were not evicted. To be honest I think that Big Brother producers are fully aware of the intense debate raging about Shahbaz’s mental health problems, and Dawns unfair treatment and are looking for excuses to exclude these two ex-housemates. [...]
August 6th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
Hi Dawn.
What are your opinions on the fact that you were allegedly “thrown out” for having contact with the outside world yet they allowed Jayne to consistently break this rule and tell other housemates how the public perceived them and now they are allowing a previously evicted housemate that has had up to 8 weeks contact with the outside world the opportunity to return?
August 7th, 2006 at 2:40 am
hmm.. there were a few other people in the house in the same boat at that time without their suitcases, none of which were demonstrating awful hygene - I disagree with her complaints, it goes to show that we live in a “Compensation society”. Dawn knew the risks of editorial exposure and the long and short of it is, she cheated.
As did Jayne, but on a completely different, more acceptable level.
August 8th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
hmmm………
Telly is fun,as you can say and do what you like, hypothesise, comment, cross the line and suffer no consequences.Thats why the rikki lake, trisha, jeremy kyle, big brother etc studio audiences are not made up of barristers and high court judges.
mr BENTLEY has collected all his evidence by watching telly, which is a great pasttime, but as useful in court and in the eyes of the law as a chocolate teapot. In the long of the short of it we dont live in Balamory and we arent five anymore. “I seen it on the telly your honour, so it must be true” is no defence or prosecution, thank God!
Big Brother can call me anything they like, say anything they like its in their contract, that they can.
According to their unilateral contract they have treated me fairly, they can say and broadcast anything they like. Its not an equal opportunities contract, it doesnt suggest it is.This is contract law.
However , Big Brother producers cannot overstep the other laws of the land. These laws could be regulatory body laws, civil laws, ofcom or in some cases CRIMINAL LAWS.
Producing a programme on telly doesn’t exempt you from breaking any of these codes or laws. After seven years of producing Big Brother the producers should have familiarised themselves with the codes and especially the law.
Beatrix: hello
The big brother contract (rule 12) states it can change the rules at any time, so they are entitled to bring anyone back to win the prize money , by overriding their own rules which stated this was not possible. Whether this means they break ofcom competition rules, advertising rules etc is another matter.
Some people are still under the illusion my complaint is about breaking big brothers non existant rules, my suitcase ,negative treatment while these are issues they are being investigating by regulatory bodies. They are not police matters.
The police have been investigating a complaint reported by me since june.A BB member of staff is to be interviewed very shortly.It is unlikely Big Brother will be mentioning this on the telly. However hertfordshire police can confirm this fact !
August 8th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
Ps : Shaun
You never know Big Bro might just give you a legal job to deal with all the complaints, mess etc , you cant do any worse than the present team. Or maybe you can ?
August 9th, 2006 at 8:22 am
To answer viewers enquiries :
Rule 11 in the big brother contract states “if you break the rules you may be aked to leave”.
It doesnt say you will be automatically ejected if you break any rule ( this is why the contestant jayne wasnt ejected), all the rules are of equal importance there are no rules that are “more accceptable” or ” less acceptable”. That doesnt exist in the contract.
In other words there is nothing in the contract that is so severe that you can be automatically ejected for or no soft rules that you can break so you avoid ejection. It is up to the producers.
So two contestants could break the same rule and one is ejected and one may be asked to stay,legally the one ejected would have no legal contract rights.
However the ejected party may have rights under “fairness” under the Broadcast Act.
They may also have rights under “fair competitions” also in the Broadcast Act.
Only rule 6 of the Big brother contract which is “you may not be physically violent to another contestant” might mean your instant ejection.
However this may not even occur if the other contestant or the police dont complain. As the contract does not state you will be automatically ejected, it is up to the producers, whether you stay or go, even if you violate this rule.
You also have to bear in mind rule 12)”Big Brother reserves the right to change the rules at any time” overides every single rule or regulation in the contract or in the Big Brother House.
The constant use of this rule 12 or the joker as I call it in BB7, may lead to the ultimate downfall of various members of the Big Brother team as in the real world it is a very flimsy rule and doesnt stand up to scrutinity or investigation.
I have no sympathy for them as they should have had the common sense to check their facts, as the show has always skated on thin ice and received more than enough warnings and complaints over the last seven years.
I think the show will survive.
The editorial
August 11th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
Hi Dawn,
I thought you were treated abysmally and am glad you haven’t given up the fight. Everytime I see you have got a little further on I give a little cheer.
Good luck and all the best.
Naomi
August 12th, 2006 at 7:35 pm
Hi Dawn,
I was really upset about the way they treated you at the time. All along, it was clear to me that the accusations of bad smell were ONLY coming from Nikki. Nobody else made any comments. Therefore, it seemed clear that she was just being a brat. The whole ‘cheating’ thing was also clearly an attempt to frame you, as you did not stand to win anything by your actions — you were obviously just trying to leave the house, and they were obviously not letting you. I thought this was because they had opened the phone vote to evict you AFTER you had asked to leave, which is very naughty.
I wrote long emails complaining to Channel 4, and also to Ofsted. Ofsted wrote me a letter back and said they needed exact transmission times etc. of the particular evidence of unfairness I was quoting. I did not have time/resources to do this.
There are a lot of people who wish you the very best with your campaign.
Best,
Sarah.
August 13th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Hi
I am sure I am not the only one who clearly remembers Dawn leaving the diary room and telling Richard she had a plan. She was to receive a message from her family and that was her hint to leave.
August 15th, 2006 at 11:23 pm
Yes, Linda,
Her hint to leave.
Point 1. Before that message came, she had already been asking and asking Big Brother to let her leave, because she had ALREADY decided she wouldn’t stay without her suitcase.
Point 2. Even if this were not the case, having a message to tell you when to leave is not going to help Dawn win the prize. It is not going to help her in the game show. So, it is not actually cheating. Cheating is when you try to win. Cheating is NOT when you try to leave the game. That is quitting, not cheating.
Can you see the difference?
The only real cheats were Big Brother, for conning people out of their money - getting them to pay to evict Dawn when she had already asked them to leave. They were the real cheats.
Still, i’s the people who shout the loudest who get believed.
Peace and love,
Sarah.
August 15th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Did you notice in tonights show when the housemates did their play, not one bit of footage was aired of the housemates impersonating Dawn. I figure that Big Brother know they already have p***ed Dawn off enough without adding fuel to her fire.
August 15th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Sarah: I’ve been in contact with Dawn and totally understand her point of view. However, I’d argue that cheating is more to do with rule-breaking than winning.
Remember, the winner of BB has very little influence - the shows ends with them and with it any media attention. You could argue that those who leave before the show ends have more press exposure and more opportunity to earn.
August 16th, 2006 at 3:08 pm
Hi Brad,
I understand your point and I may be wrong, but I think the only person I can recall getting any airtime for having walked was Germaine Greer - presumably because she is already a celebrity. The only other person who was thrown out for cheating was ‘Nasty Nick’ and he made his name from it. Therefore presumably there is money in ‘cheating’ but none in walking.
I may be wrong - but just like to get in on any debate going!!
Naomi
August 16th, 2006 at 3:46 pm
Brad,
There is much more to cheating that rule-breaking.
The word “cheat” has nasty overtones. ‘Rule-breaking’ does not.
Big Brother/Endermol decides who they call ‘cheats’ and who they call ‘rule-breakers’.
Therefore, they called Imogen a ‘rule-breaker’ for talking about nominations; they called Jayne and Nikki a ‘rule-breaker’ for blabbing about the outside worl; they called Glyn a ‘rule-breaker’ for climbing on the roof and leaving the confines of the BB house.
However, they called Dawn a cheat, for trying her utmost to leave the house when they weren’t letting her. Anyone else remember Davina shouting out “No, YOU shut up Dawn, you cheat” to a baying mob. Lovely.
I think it’s Endermol that are not playing fair here.
Sarah.
August 16th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Sarah,
I don’t remember thsi happening, did Davina actually shout that? What context was it in?
August 16th, 2006 at 9:44 pm
She said it on the Friday night. After they had shown the ‘Catch Up’ Highlights and before the Eviction of Bonneh. I found it really shocking. Before that moment I was actually a big Davina fan, and had been for some time. Since that time I just think of her as Endermol’s meat puppet. If that’s what she’s like, and that’s the kind of behaviour she’s promoting then one day her children will turn round and be as rude to her and she will have brought it on herself.
August 16th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Sarah is right - she did - also on other occasions has scowled and spat out the word Cheat whenever Dawn’s name has been mentioned.
Other infractions by housemates have been greeted with smirks and eyerolling.
They should have let Dawn go when she asked to go. There is no excuse for their treatment of her then and subsequently. It has made me feel very uncomfortable that is is allowed to happen.
Naomi
August 18th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
I really dont feel sorry for Dawn at all. I didnt watch BB 24/7 so didnt see Dawn asking time and time again to be let out of the big brother house. It just seems odd to me that Dawn was ‘made’ to stay in the house when people like George managed to tell BB he wanted to leave and then did so without accusing BB of keeping him against his will.
August 19th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
I think the first 2 weeks weren’t very happy ones for the Endemol producers. Shabaz quickly went into meltdown and had to walk for mental health reasons and then the problem with Dawn wanting to go and being ‘ejected’. When George decided he wanted out it would have been worse for BB to make a fuss so they let him go quietly. They had no reason to keep him - he wasnt up for eviction and they hadn’t started taking money on him.
Naomi
August 23rd, 2006 at 5:29 am
I take it the hunger strike didnt go to plan.
Obviously you did have a BO problem as i seem to remember the whole house gagging at the stench of the towel you used after you FINALLY had a shower.
Get over it, put big bro behind you, you were dull as dishwater, said and did nothing, cheated and rightfully kicked out.
How you got on the show i dunno, probably the token PC entry, which was probably a must have.
August 23rd, 2006 at 1:45 pm
B.O, cheating, you sound like a 5 year old in a play ground, tugging at the dinner ladies skirt.
BB housemates are not the most credible bunch of people or known for their honesty, mental stability are they now.
Some have been sectioned, some have drug problems,some have criminal records, some have mental health issues others have known behavioural problems.
Barring Glynn who is just terribly young, they would all make terrible witnesses for anything more than childish conversation. Can you imagine Nikki in court under oath, pleeeease!
Nikki ironically was the only person who used to insist on sitting on my lap like a baby and always wanted to go in the diary room with me, I do believe she thought I was her mammy / nanny.
PS the towel they were gagging at wasnt even mine , so how that for psychosis in reality tv contestants, but I think that is why they were there.
Unusually for a Big Brother contestant I fell out with the producers and production staff as I said too much
about the making of the programme and the behaviour of the producers. Which is probably not advisable
when it is their programme I was on, so course I knew they were out to get me. Which they did with the suitcase stunt and showing little Nikki’s mad ramblings.
I asked to leave according to the unbroadcast footage from endemol at 5-47pm after they changed the group decision about giving me my suitcase back.This conversation is about 35 minutes long which was never broadcast.( I believe some of the footage has been omitted , from the tape which was sent to me and the actual conversation lasted around 40 minutes).
I was asked back in the diary room 90 minutes later
and given a message from a family member. I never asked to leave after I was given the message, as my request had already been made.That is a fact. Also unbroadcast.
I asked to leave again acording to Big Brother producers
around 9-37 pm when they asked me back into the diary room and started some kind of childish interrogation.
Obviously they didnt let me go. I left elstree about 3pm the next day.
I cannot control what the producer wanted to show of me and what he wanted to broadcast. Thats up to him , that is why he is the creative director. The B B contract states they may film us, but they dont have to. I have no intention of suing or taking anyone to court for potraying me in a bad light. I wouldnt have a legal leg to stand on if I tried to do this anyway.
My detainment and events surrounding it is another more serious issue, which the producers as grown ups should be aware of.
James sweetheart,you’ll probably end up stalking the producers, because they havent personally told you the
truth and you have built up a relationship with them in your head as they would not personally lie to you cos they love you and want your babies etc.( if you are under 12 james I apologise for the sarcasm).It happens
Oh yes endemol wrote to me and refused to give me any unbroadcastfootage and documentation initially.
Thats why I went on my hunger strike. 15.5 days on the hungerstrike they caved in and agreed to give me some, not all of the footage 3 days later. Once I received them the tapes went straight to the Police. Who will have to verify the times of when I initially asked to leave and when BB big cheeses actually allowed me of the studio set.
For the kiddies among you such as James,the police want to establish how long it took them to kick me out, incredibly incredibly incredibly incredibly
slowly.
If you are interested in tv producer
scandal you might want to check out webpages that focus on , the biggest one to date. Which was a USA show called twenty -one , in the 1950’s. The producers
rigged contestants to win or loose based on their popularity with the public. A film was made called quizz show, which was loosely based on events.
Interesting reading……………
PS If I remember rightly jonathan king was also a sucessful TV producer and look what happened to him.
August 23rd, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Thanks for this debate folks even James should be thanked as his opinion does show how powerful a TV programme can be.
The “Quiz Show” film which I mentioned is sold like this
” fifty million people watched
, but no-one saw a thing”.
In my case it will be :
” 4.1 million people watched ,
some people saw,
some people didnt and some people were frantically trying to eat their way through kit kats in the hope of a golden ticket “.
Ta, some of you are right stars and you would have made far better housemates than the choosen 22 this year.
Does anyone else think this number was rather high and desperate. I thought they would resort to bringing chantelle, jade, nadia back at one point.
PS Davina wouldnt like me as I have an MSc Degree in exercise science and I was asked about celebrity fitness videos at my audition. I said the only people who were qualified to teach exercise to the public so far have been mr motivator and beverly callard , which is a fact.
All the others are cashing in with loose weight quick
claims in order to make dosh ,and they could easily qualify as instructors if it meant so much to them but they dont.
So this may be one of the many reasons Miss Macoll dont like me , as not doubt she will be producing yet another video after she has given birth to her baby.
I noticed Davina didnt like Makosi either (that sparked alot of OFCOM complaints in its own right), so, Unless Davina was wearing Hannibal Lechter style restraints and mouth guard , I dont think I would ever want to meet her.
I’m letting the police deal with any stuff, that may be criminal and OFCOM deal with the broadcast stuff. I’ll take it from there once investigations are complete
Dawn XXXXXXXXXXX
August 23rd, 2006 at 3:12 pm
I didnt mean to sound offensive, just…1) this probably isnt dawn….2) Dawn was a rubbish housemate and i still cant see why she wanted to get in and was actually allowed to get in…..3) I cannot stand the smell of BO nevermind BO on a girl….4) You cheated and lied about your family being in trouble…5) Im hungry
August 23rd, 2006 at 4:13 pm
I think Dawn was treated in an appalling fashion by BB and believe she is quite correct in enlisting the help of the police in investigating her complaints.
George did not have to go through all the procedures Dawn had to endure in order to leave. He was merely asked to reflect on it overnight to see if he changed his mind. He did not and was subsequently allowed to leave the following day!!
Davina’s comments upon Bonnie’s eviction were ‘bang out of order’. She is merely employed as a presenter and not asked to air her views. I hope she was taken to task over her comments.
Good luck Dawn in your future endeavours. Shame you didn’t stay - you were a voice of reason in that house and I still can’t forget your face that day in the DR when Nikki was screaming for bottled water. Your exasperation was becoming more apparent by the second.
Pity you didn’t smack her!
August 23rd, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Hi Dawn,
I’m so glad that you’re still fighting the good fight as I’ve always thought you were treated incredibly badly. I hope you get everything you want out of the BB bullies.
James - you are an idiot and a hard hearted one at that.
Good luck Dawn
August 23rd, 2006 at 5:17 pm
James: I can confirm that this is the real Dawn Blake commenting. She has been in direct contact with me for a couple of weeks now about this issue, which is why we issued an apology in the first place.
Like you, we made a number of assumptions about Dawn based on edits from a reality TV show. Her comments here have shown her to be a strong and often witty woman.
Dawn: How much can you share with the readers about your motivations for joining Big Brother this year and auditioning two years ago?
August 23rd, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Yep I auditioned two years ago,two promote my campaign to get rogue traders out of the fitness, beauty and complimentary industry that made false “health ” claims.
Some complimentary therapies claimed some things cured cancer , aids etc . some fitness products were just rubbish and would never work, some beauty therapies were not tested but made claims that they could do things such as loose body fat, build muscle or be an alternative to legislated practices such as physiotherapy.
There are also a suprisingly high amount of people in these industries that are not qualified, who just take ordinary folks money can potential injure you, harm you or just psychological dupe you. As i worked with ordinary people, people used to come up to me with adverts from papers etc and say ” is this going to work on by arthritis, kidney problem , body fat etc.
As I have academic science qualifications I would do the reserach and find out. This turned into me contacting the ASA to get people to re-write the adverts if their were misleading, some people completely withdrew ads when challenged especially some of the ones that made claims about curing cancer , aids , multiple sclerosis and other serious medical conditions. Soit was successful up to a point.
The campaign culminating in me presenting a 50,000 signature petition to 10 Downing Street to have proper regulation in these industries. I had good local coverage but the nationals would touch it, so I auditioned for Big Brother.
I auditioned two years ago at the start of my campaign , but i was told I was too diplomatic and only got through to stage 2.
As my campaign had finished and I needed national exposure, I auditioned as a more agressive campaigner, this year.
I was only able to keep this up in the group auditions, but i think the producers convinced themselves I was like this all the time.
My psychological assessment stated I was a grumpy female Urban Robin hood, social worker trade union type. I didnt think I would get in at this stage, but the producers were still convinced I was angry all the time.
A producer came to visit me and my friends and my friends said I was a campaigner and would intervene to protect anyone and I would. I’ve chased muggers down, if I see someone being bullied I will intervene to find out whats going on. Thats true and thats what they were told, but they still wanted me
I spent two weeks in isolation with a Big Brother member of staff in wales and was myself. Diplomatic but with strong views. I thought they would think I was a bit soft and changed their minds, but they still put me in the house.
Speaking to the producers before I went into the house, was strange as they still believed I was angry and going to bully people. They group was told there was abullying in the house and the bully was me.
The producers belived they had seen the real me at the first auditions and the last few months was an act.
There was another reason why I went into the Big Brother House which I didnt disclose to anyone at the time and that was to promote mental health problems.
I have worked with various mental health organsisations such as MIND , post natal depression groups, teeenagers who self harm and with eating disorders and I have also worked in a self help group attached to a psychiatric Unit. One in for people will get mental health problems but we have an awful stigma surrounding issues of mental health , we either ignore it or laugh at it, cos we are uncomfortable. I have also worked with people with learning difficulties which we also stigmatise.
I didnt reveal this at the auditions , but I revealed it in the house. So when I saw Shabbaz, Nikki, Lea and even Pete . I thought what the hell are these producers doing.
Nikki’s outburst are nothing I worked with a group of care home patients, teaching them exercise.
One of the 91 year old resident’s with dementia
was convinced I was a man who came in to flirt with the old ladies so I could have my way with them.
The only difference between her and Nikki was, some people believe Nikki is actually quite sane and so what she says is true. fortunately no-one believed I was a man trying to interfere with women in their ninties
At times in the house Niki didnt even know where the hell she was. Admittedly she can also be quite spiteful, but spite is not reserved for those who are sane in the head.
Being in the house did give me some evidence that mental health issues , certainly need tightening up and I have spoken to SANE, MHF and MIND , since leaving who shared my concerns, just by watching the programme.
FOR JAMES
And young james I dont remember saying my family is in trouble, I’m not Lassie. There was no mention of me saying all my family had fallen down a mineshaft and I needed to leave to get the sheriff and pull them out
with my teeth.
What I said to the group wasnt true , but the message was. I was in a constant argument with the producers
so they choose to show you nothing of me or nothing good. That is their prerogative.
What did you expect them to do james,give me open mic while I took the piss out of them,castigated them for putting together a load of old tripe.
They hated me , I thought they were warped, so I asked to leave. They didnt let me go and that James is not good.
Its not normal too keep people who want to go,
if you young james have people in your house at this moment who are asking to leave, you cant keep them.
The Jehovahs witness, the milkman , the man with the betterware catalogue release them now son.
The people who came to yor party three months ago, open the door and let them out Jim, theres a good lad,
they’ve got families. Its not normal or legal to detain people.
Thats what people are trying to tell you, but you cannot understand this concept. It is called ulawful dentention,false imprisonment, its not good. You cant do it on a TV programme or if someone comes to your house of their own free will.Its a bad thing, its kind of illegal.
James you sound like you stick with a point and obssess about it based on no evidence or facts and dont seem to have a grip on reality like one of the 1970 serial killers ie Son of Sam, Night Stalker, Zodiac killer , Hillside murderers, john wayne gacey, Ted Bundy, Al Bundy, Peggy Bundy and the man who played Van der Valk when he was the neck tie killer in Alfred Hitchocks 1972 classic
“FRENZY”
James,
I also bet you have auditioned for X-factor and been turned down for singing “Billy Jean he he he, shamoni”.
out of tune, with your hands in your pockets whilst staring at the floor.
You’ll stalk simon cowell or someone from the big brother team for breaking your heart and smashing an illusion or should I say delusion.
I like to know what you are hungry for and do you intend to bury the remainder of your meal under the floor boards or under the patio ????????????????????.
On the other hand James you may just be a talented
rabid dog , like KUJO,who has learnt to type, read and surf the internet.
If thats the case,well done boy,stay away from water,
men with rifles and dont be embarrased by the foam around your chops.
Thanks for the support folks its really appreciated, its nice to know that some people still have initiative and decency. However this would disqualify you from working for Big Brother UK. XXXXXXXXXX
August 23rd, 2006 at 9:30 pm
heya dawn talk 2 meeeeeeeee , hello , james is a dog hahah good one, i think thats what you meant……:D
August 24th, 2006 at 1:47 am
damn tht was unfair ting they done get you outta there shouldn hav happened
if you got msn den add me plzzzz pradeep_karir13@hotmail.co.uk
hppe chatt to u soon cya
August 24th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
Hi James,
Just one thing you might like to bear in mind next time you decide to post - Everytime you throw dirt you lose ground. Think about it.
Thanks
Naomi
August 25th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
Hi Dawn
How about another update from you?
Wasn’t the police interviewing the BB producers on 22/08/06?
Really glad you are putting the record straight about all the negative publicity you received. Hope you ask for an apology from Davina too.
Good Luck for everything
August 25th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Hi Dawn,
You go girl! I am so glad that you had the tenacity to see this through. BB7 was a shambles this year with the walk-outs, the appalling way you were treated, and also the return of the ex-housemates. (By the way, you quoted Rule 12 in an earlier post. That rule actually only applied to housemates inside the house - according to their website. It did *not* apply to the voting public. And that’s where everybody believes BB dropped another massive clanger. On their rules of the game page, it stated ‘The housemate that receives most public votes leaves the House and is out of the competition.’ Note those last words ‘out of the competition.’ After the outcry over the returning ex-HMs, the complaints about BB gathered and thousands contacted Ictis, BB, the sponsors Carphonewarehouse, C4 and Ofcom, also pointing out that particular rule. Imagine everybody’s contempt a few days later when checking C4’s website again, they’d had the audacity to alter that rule!! It now reads: ‘The housemate that receives most public votes leaves the House.’
Apparently it had been changed quietly in the dead of night. They really do insult people’s intelligence. But you already know that don’t you. Anyway, it was spotted, and the complaints started again. So, in many people’s opinions, this year’s BB was a total and utter farce. I’m afraid that Jayne was one of the biggest rule-breakers this year and she didn’t really get punished for it. Then along comes Lea & Pikki, Gross & Mikey again, and talking about the outside, telling Imagine that she won’t have to worry about money when out, etc. etc. Nikki passing positive comment and messages to Pete, but negative to Aisleyne. And to finish, it’s also in the rules that no employee of Endemol can take part in BB. Well, when Nikki went back as an ex-HM, she was an employee of Endemol - taken on to star in her own show ‘Princess Nikki’ which airs very shortly. I have no respect for the programme anymore. They cheat the public. Good luck Dawn I wish you every success in your fight. I hope you take them to the cleaners. Stay strong. Best regards, Caddy
August 25th, 2006 at 3:55 pm
Yesterday on the C4 BB Forum, I started a thread about Dawn. It had a couple of dozen replies before the entire post was removed this morning. I’ve just started a second thread, trying to find out why. For all I know, that one might disappear too. You might like to follow the drama here:http://community.channel4.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8850040854/m/7490046516
Stupidly, I neglected to make a copy of my original post, but it was just an attempt to find out why Dawn had had such a bad press, and why even people on the forum were referring to her as a “cheat”. I wish I’d saved it, so I could post it here. I don’t know whether anything libellous was said, either by me or by the reply posters, but I don’t think so. It looks to me like C4 following BB’s lead and making up the rules as they go along.
August 25th, 2006 at 7:09 pm
lol everytime i throw dirt i lose ground, are you american ?
August 25th, 2006 at 10:05 pm
Why dont you give this up now? Even if the police do investigate I dont see that it will come to anything. Doesnt anyone else here think this is a complete waste of tax payers money?
August 25th, 2006 at 11:19 pm
Terpsichore, I read your thread, very good. Sadly C4 always pull the posts that get near the mark yet are slow at removing rude or flaming posts.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:25 pm
Linda, no I don’t think it’s a waste of tax payers money. I’m a tax payer and I gladly donate my tax to help Dawn’s case. Shame on you. You obviously lack empathy. Have you tried putting yourself into Dawn’s shoes? If Dawn made a request to leave she should not have been held against her will. Had it happened to a member of your family would you really be so dismissive?
August 25th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
The thread I gave a link to has now been removed - sorry. It looks like anything with “Dawn” in the title vanishes from C4’s BB forum. I’ve asked the moderators for an explanation for the removal of the first thread, but no reply yet.
Do I think Dawn’s action is a waste of tax-payers’ money? Well, no - especially not in this case. When a company like Endemol thinks it has become so big that it doesn’t have to respect the laws of the land, I like to see the law coming down on that company from a great height. I’m also influenced by the consequences, in terms of Dawn’s continuing bad press, and the stress on her that is bound to result from that. She is in the same position as the victims of tabloid stories in years past who lacked the resources to answer back, and suffered damage to their personal lives long after the the tabloids themselves had forgotten about it and moved onto some other story.
But then I’ve had two of my own posts removed from the C4 forum that Endemol obviously has a powerful influence over, even though they contained nothing defamatory or offensive, so I might be biased. Others can answer for themselves.
August 26th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
For some reason all posts on the C4 forums containing references to Dawen seem to be pulled. We have had quite a lot of traffic from the forum and people linking to Dawns comments here, but when we go to read the threads they have already been deleted. Not very democratic eh!
September 9th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Caddy The answer to your question is YES if it was a member of my family in Dawns situation then I would be just as dismissive. They would know exactly what they were letting themselves in for by appearing in such a programme. Its not like this is the first series of BB is it? If my member of my family were so stupid as not to expect such treatment then they would deserve everything they get and as for Dawns imprisonment…. having to wait a day or two is no big deal when you already know the way the game is played.
September 11th, 2006 at 9:29 am
Linda, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I think that the most written sentence regarding BB is ‘they know what they’re letting themselves in for…’ But a) Do they really, or does excitement get in the way? b) Does that make it right? I think be it first series or 101st series, some HMs appear to get special treatment, some don’t. Personally I think they were heavy in Dawn’s case.
September 11th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
Well I’m Glad Linda you dont work for the Crown Prosecution Service or the Police.As you dont like evidence or facts and are driven by pure sentiment and emotion in your opinion.
PS I have been paying my taxes, national insurance for over 21 years ( as long a Shabbaz has been unemployed interestingly enough), so I am entitled to make use of the police service if I now need them.
Secondly the police did not initially investigate my case , simply because BB lied, yes they did and said I only threatened to leave in their press releases. The police at first believed this statement and did not launch any police enquiry.
When I started to talk to the press, BB changed and said I asked to leave cos I had a message from my sister and stated they ejected me immediately.
In reality I asked to leave 18.5 + earlier as they did not give me my suitcase and were changing the rules as they went along, so it would be specifically negative for me.
It was only when the police saw the unbroadcast footage, which I got from endemol a month later did they decide to investigate. So it wasnt a knee jerk reaction on their part either. They did not say “lets investigate and waste our time, because Dawns been on the telly and us coppers want to be famous”. The investigation is based on evidence and fact, not sentiment.
If BB felt they had not done wrong they would have broadcast the unscreen footage to the viewers , as they had time to do so and the opportunity. So they knew what they had done was not right from the outset, didnt they ?.
There are other issues with my detainment , which havent been released and I simply wasnt waiting in BB twiddling my thumbs.
If BB felt they had done the right thing with my treatment , they would have not been so clandestine in their approach.They are now only admitted the truth as the authorities have seen the evidence and they can no longer tell porkies about actual events.
Big Brother producers are not psychopaths ( I think) and linda your approach suggests they are and have no control over their behaviour and when people enter the BB house they are under the control of mentally ill producers with a known track record of abuse.Its a programme not a an asylum or prison
The producers knew what the law was and they also know what it states on their contract.
The contract states ” we dont hold anyone against their will”. While rule 12 states “they can change all their rules at anytime ” as they were doing with me constantly. When they decided to change this rule and hold me against my will, BB crossed the line of what producers can do. It aint my fault if they dont know the law.
If you are ridiculous enough to think that a TV programme will excuse you from the law you havent spoken to Jonathan King.
If you are thinking of holding someone against their will Linda, I would look up the the Crown Prosecutions service definition of unlawful detention, false imprisonment first as it is not a soft offence.
As I said, if BB felt they had done no wrong they would have shown the footage of me asking to leave from the outset, they knew they did wrong, so didnt screen the footage, didnt expect me to ask for it, didnt expect me to actually get it ( they denied giving it to me at first, hence the hunger strike. Now BB have to be responsible for their actions, all of them. They have not made it easy for themselves by witholding all this info either and the other issues of dodgy phone voting and golden tickets.
Linda, only the guilty blame the ones they abuse, so I question your inverted morality, as I did with their’s.
But you are entitled to your emotional/sentimental opinion as long as you are breathing in oxygen.
I also dont know why you ( Linda) are so interested in my case, as you dont seem to have watched the programme, you are not a legal eagle and you have not seen any of the evidence the authorities have.
So your opinions are rather like a puppy chasing its tail, you will go round in circles and get nowhere. But if this is what floats your boat be my guest.
The producer hated me as much as he loved Nikki and I cant do anything about that or want to. He can give her one of his own kidneys to add to her own programme if it makes him feel good.
Thats up to him, the law is fortuantely NOT up to him or “emotional” fact-less Linda . Thank God we live a democratic state with laws, penal system and just and reasonable people!
September 12th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
This is completely diversionary and off the point to the topic but :
Come the end of the tax year in April 2007, Linda can always refuse to pay tax contributions as a means of protest for the squandering of her Benjamins on frivolity.
I am sure the Chancellor of the Exchequer will manage to struggle on without Linda’s tax contribution come budget day. Although, We drivers may find we are hit in the pocket , when petrol goes up by a few shillings due to Linda’s monetary withdrawal from the financial chest.
Love I would check your HRT patch cos I think it as slipped off, turning you into a bit of an old “Bitterâ€? knickers”, your response on this blog is simply a diversionary tactic, to deeper personal issues and nothing at all to do with actual events, the law or Big Brother.
Methinks you dont have brothers, hated school, were adopted and found only recently, you wet the bed as a child and possibly as an adult etc etc.
So I will stop in mocking the afflicted. But I leave you with this.
Madam Linda what makes us superior to the lower species of animal is our ability to reason and process factual information with our highly complex brains. We do not solely rely on instinct and emotion as the lower order of animals have to do, cos they are more simple than us. That is why we don’t have horses for barristers, puppies for judges and we have not yet given the farmyard chickens the vote. The fact chimps can ride cycles is irrelevant, as if you ask them a simply question and to reason using evidence, they will simply throw their poo-poo at you.Which you have done on the occasion most expertly, but I do not think you are a primate.
No you are not michael jackson’s former best friend, your emotional and non factual ludicrous reasoning clearly demonstrates you are possibly an amoeba or at a stretch a hydra.
With the most sincere thought to the behaviour of your species please go self-reproduce, if you have nothing better to do with your time.
Bet, you also speak in tongues, handle snakes and do that automatic writing thing as well. Kisses xxxxxxx
September 14th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
Dawn I agree that as I do have a life I didnt watch all the footage of BB and I do feel sorry for the people who did. I also agree that the footage we saw of you was probably not the whole footage but my opinion was based upon what I saw. Now as to your personal attack on me..how clever and well thought out you may consider it all to be (btw you are wrong on all counts but hey facts never really have made difference to you) wasnt the fact you were personally attacked on BB part of your argument ie you smell. Your attitude is probably why the greater public arent behind you and your cause. Goodluck with your case. Personally I just assume you will whinge continuously untill endemol get fed up and pay you an out of court settlement. Not that you were only out to get money.
September 18th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Hello Dawn, “Mr Bentley” here,
Unfortunatly your response to my comments has made you look like a fool, a small child kicking and screaming because people have a negitive opinion of you. You stated in your interview video that you were an arse, an unlikeable individual with very little in life in the way of family and friends. You then went into the house, and showed the country why - Your Disgusting. Your dishonest and you smell, if I may be so blunt.
I’ll let you in on something else, Tv is a past time, its something I enjoy watching, and I was more than happy with the decision to send you packing. I was further pleased by the fact that you were not invited back, seeing you on prime time television again may well have induced vomit.
ignoring what I’ve seen on telivision, your comments here really put across the fact that your not very nice, so my previous comment stands.
I have no interest in working for big brother, but I appreiciate your kind words in respect of a possible career move.
Regards, Shaun.
September 18th, 2006 at 8:33 pm
Everytime you throw dirt you lose ground? how many websites did you traul through to plagerise that?..anyone can cut and paste love so please don’t think your clever.
Dawn,
I really hope you continue with your “cause” coz I love to watch people make fools of themselves which must be why I like watching BB. I really must say that for someone supposedly so well educated, your posts are full of spelling and grammatical errors.
I really do think there is a world of bigger and better issues to be concerning ourselves with than the dull ramblings of someone claiming to have been “imprisoned” against her will. So that obviously wasn’t you we saw smiling for the camera and walking up the steps and into the house of your own accord then was it dawn?
The term “false imprisonment” that you used in an earlier post to describe your experience in the house is simply laughable. Following this logic, I wonder if the likes of Nelson Mandella or Terry Waite took time out to AUDITION for their roles as captives? maybe you could ask for their advice?
September 18th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
Humm - plagerise - how can using an old Polish saying be classified as plagerism? What evidence do you have to support your claim that I searched the internet and ‘cut and paste’ my comment? I can’t understand your critisism of Dawn for spelling and grammatical errors when you clearly have problems with the meaning and use of basic words.
Calm down Steve. Breathe in the love, blow out the anger….(note I changed the accepted phraseology so as not to be charged with the heinous crime of plagerism).
Naomi
September 19th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
Steve,
I think you’ll find the spelling is “plagiarise”. If you don’t believe me, look it up on dictionary.com
While you’re at there, you might be surprised to learn the real meaning of the word. As Naomi points out, using a (very funny!) old saying is not plagiarism at all.
Unlike you, Steve, I am not actually bothered by people’s spelling or grammatical errors, or even misuse of words. I feel it is what they say that counts. However, seeing as you paint yourself out to be such a pedant, I thought you would want to be corrected.(Unless your self-confessed joy at “watching people make fools of themselves” extends to yourself).
Dawn - I think you might be surprised at how many people are in support of you. Please let us know about your original campaign to keep rubbish fitness instructors at bay. Is there a link?
Best wishes…
September 19th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
Dawn,
All the best,
Keep up your good work.
September 19th, 2006 at 10:11 pm
Dawn, in all honesty, I think you will be more suprised to see how many people are against you - and now your idiot followers who seem to find it difficult to put things into some sort of decent perspective.
You were kept against your will, I would insist you do approach Nelson Mandella or even Terry Waite to find out the true meaning of the words “kept against your will”.
The emotional part of me wants to fill this page detailing why you are no better than the nutters that saw fit to kill thousands of people on 9/11, or indeed the people who were behind the london bombings - but I wont.
I will say this though, anyone who can honestly say that Dawn has a legitamate arguement, one that justifys her little rants, and rediclous claims, I urge you to try and realise that you are the soul reason for the compensation socity that we live in today, and I can only hope you’re involved with something terrible, something that may put all of this into some kind of perspective for you, or that you change of your own free will after realising that your thoughts and opinions are just plain incorrect - but self critisizim doesnt seem to be something any of you are big on.
September 19th, 2006 at 10:54 pm
“Linda, no I don’t think it’s a waste of tax payers money. I’m a tax payer and I gladly donate my tax to help Dawn’s case. Shame on you. You obviously lack empathy. Have you tried putting yourself into Dawn’s shoes? If Dawn made a request to leave she should not have been held against her will. Had it happened to a member of your family would you really be so dismissive?”
Whaaat? Oh, Oh no. I’m TRAPPED, in a house, all on my own with no food, or wa…
Oh, oh wait. no, sorry, there is food, oh, and people. Lots of food, oh christ and a big comfy couch. wait, I’m not paying anything for all this? Awesome.
What, theres a fricking POOL!? AWESOME!.
… etc etc.
Why yes, I’m glad my taxs’ are going on Dawn’s case too, infact, I’d pay an extra 2% on my yearly earnings if she agreed to apologise to the police, channel 4, endomol and every other poor sap to look in on her rediclious plight and for her to go back on that hunger strike again.
September 19th, 2006 at 11:06 pm
Sarah,
Thankyou for correcting me on the spelling of the word “plagiariseâ€? I am man enough to admit that was a mistake. You say you’re not bothered by peoples spelling or grammar errors, well to be honest neither am I. Once again you are so absorbed with this joke of a “NON ISSUE” that you have completely missed the point. I was merely highlighting the futility (look that word up in your dictionary) and stupidity of this arguement and your blind devotion to it, which is I suppose honourable if more than a little amusing!
All this does is prove how utterly meaningless this complaint really is in the grand scheme of things. Let me try and put it into some sort of perspective for you.
FACT: Every 3 seconds a child dies from AIDS or abject poverty
FACT: More than 38 million people around the world are infected by HIV/AIDS, 25 million in Africa alone.
These facts can be found on http://www.one.org
FACT: There currently in excess of 380,000 people homeless in the UK at this current time.
This info was sourced from http://www.crisis.org.uk
And you people sit there and concern yourselves with the inane babblings of someone who was on tv for all of five minutes. Someone who was well aware of what was in store for her well before she went in and was given ample opportuniity to pull out before she went in. I’m sure Big brother producers kept Dawn in the house for longer to see if they would get their money’s worth out of her as clearly a lot of time and investment was put in. Clearly they didn’t get what they paid for as she was as dull as ditchwater and to that end I think Endemol should be the ones seeking some sort of reccompence.
I suggest some of you pay a visit to some of the websites I’ve mentioned above and educate yourselves. Theres a whole world out there!!
September 19th, 2006 at 11:20 pm
And just to add a further point…one that makes me VERY angry.
I think Dawn’s use of a HUNGER STRIKE too highlight her NON ISSUE is simply SICK and DISGUSTING given the points I raised in my last post about the plight of people in poverty around the world. To this end I demand an apology from Dawn for the complete lack of respect for people who have ACTUALLY SUFFERED and continue to suffer on a daily basis. These people have not been paid large sums of money for doing NOTHING on national tv. These people have not had anywhere near the opportunities in life that you have and your contempt for these people sickens me.
GROW UP DAWN!! YOU AND THE FOOLISH PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT YOU MAKE ME WANT TO VOMIT!!
September 19th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Annon, you sound very jealous of anyone who manages to get on Big Brother. Are you really that unhappy? Spewing out sarcasm on Internet forums is not going to make it any better. If you get out and start a new hobby or make friends, it will probably start to help you feel better about yourself. Failing that, exercise will activate the serotonin in your brain.
Shaun, sounds like you’re in need of a little TLC too. What comes across is that you’re having a tantrum. Does thinking about Dawn make you agitated and get your heart beating faster?
Next time you feel like calling a whole bunch of people you don’t know on a forum “idiots”…. or, next time you feel like comparing a woman who was held against her will on a TV show with terrorists who have killed thousands and left children without parents… The next time… walk away from the computer and hit a cushion.
Have you considered what’s really causing all this rage? Please talk to somebody you can trust.
Dawn, I wish you all the best in your campaign for justice.
September 19th, 2006 at 11:46 pm
I’m not angry, and I am very loved I’m happy to say. this isnt about my personal situation though, its about Dawn, and how idiotic her, and anyone for her cause is.
Maybe your personal attack on me was to avoid the point? - job well done.
I’ll restate mine, I still hope something awful happens to you, to help you put this thing into some kind of perspective. and your thoughts on the matter are still wrong and incorrect.
regards,
September 19th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
Spewing out sarcasm is what dawn has been doing throughout these posts, you closed minded incorrect idiot.
thankfully my right to freedom of speach (together with my right to not have to disclose my identity) are in tact.
lets try it out;
Judder, you are a dumbass.
annon.
.. just like that, everything was right in the world.
September 19th, 2006 at 11:51 pm
Spewing out sarcasm is what dawn has been doing throughout these posts, you closed minded incorrect idiot.
thankfully my right to freedom of speach (together with my right to not have to disclose my identity) are in tact.
lets try it out;
Judder, you are a dumbass.
annon.
.. just like that, everything was right in the world.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:06 am
Steve,
This will be my last response to you because you are rude.
I would just like to point out that, in my experience, people who are truly compassionate about the world at large are not the kind of individuals who shout and scream, insulting and haranguing and accusing.
If you want to be taken seriously you should consider putting your points across in a more logical and constructive way. At the moment you come across as someone who doesn’t care about the plight of anyone, but who is simply concerned with scoring points in an argument.
I’d like to make it quite clear that — contrary to your rants — there is no argument. Nobody on this forum has said at any point that Dawn’s case is the ONLY issue in the world, or that it is the most important issue. However, as this thread is about Dawn’s case, that is what we are talking about.
There are other forums to talk about other issues. Here we are talking about Dawn.
Please leave now, or I will have to.
Thank you.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:25 am
Shaun, I love you, but I completely disagree.
I think it is worth noting here that the ‘compensation culture’ society in which we live today stems from one thing, and one thing only… Money. And by watching and taking part ‘interactively’ in Big Brother, we are no better or worse than the people who try to sue B+Q because a lampshade fell on their head in 1999.
Dear Linda: As a mass audience, anually, we pump hundreds of millions of pounds worth of our money into ‘frivolous’ endeavours such as voting who to evict from Big Brother, I’m a celebrity, or Love Island (to name but a few) Even if we don’t take part in that sense, we tune in, we log on, we discuss and in turn promote. As a result, we line the pockets in one way or another of the fat cats at the top. They don’t care about us. They don’t care about the housemates. we are all but one huge ‘homogenious lump’.
There are laws in education and employment which prevent persons from being held ‘against’ their will so why should it be any different for an institution such as Big Brother?
In answer to your quote about ‘wasting tax payers money’ I would like to sympathise with Dawn. This is perhaps the most careless and ‘homogeniuos’ statement of them all… As a student, I rely heavily on government subsidies - simply due to the fact that I cannot independently fund myself. So it riles me when I hear comments such as ’students? living off us!’ because tax is an investment, which ensures that society is able to move forward and that good and right is done. Just remember, I am among the next generation of prime ministers, solicitors, doctors, TV producers… So don’t come crying to me in 20 years time when your kidneys or you marriage or your community is failing. That is all beside the point however…
What I would like to make clear re: ‘a waste of taxpayers money’ is that, by saying this so passively, you have become the worlds biggest hypocrite. Do you not remember what happened when Thatcher destroyed the unions? gave the ‘little man’ no leg to stand on for unfair treatment in the workplace? There was outcry. There was rebellion, because what the bouffon sporting, Mr Whippy inventing bitchbag had done was theoretically an infringement of human rights, which is exactly what Big Brother seem to have reflected in their manipulative treatment of Dawn…
There again, you probably had a lavish ‘child of thatcher’ lifestyle where daddy was a banker and mummy spent all day at home or in the Jeep. A true capitalist who is not prepared to part with their money for the good of the state and reputation - whether it be Dawn quite rightly pursuing her case against Endemol to make sure that housemates are treated with the respect and common courtesy that all human beings deserve, (just as we’d complain or refuse to pay if a waitress deliberately gave us cold food, or no knife and fork to eat our food) or whether it be to catch the people who planned to blow up 747s over Heathrow.
I would also like to come back to a point I made earlier on in this post…
If you want to complain about Dawn wasting tax payers money then why were you watching Big Brother at all? If it is so bad then you could always refuse to pay your TV licence? Let alone become involved in discussions about Big Brother - the biggest capitalist movement in television history. Something that eats away at public money… Money that could be spent on the ‘NHS’, ‘Railways’… Or (god forbid) student welfare in the UK. If what Dawn is doing is so bad then don’t contradict yourself by being involved in what could be considered as the biggest public money-waster since the Millenium Dome.
At the end of the day, Dawn is probably one of the most intriguing characters to come out of Big Brother to date. She is intelligent, witty, intellectual (hey, we all make speelng mistaks) and clearly defies what we consider as the quintessential Big Brother contestant. I personally would much rather open the paper and read about her battle to save at least a few members of the public from the brainwashing that takes place for 3 months every year. To me, it is far more entertaining reading than Nikki’s boobs on page three, or how many times Pete swore at a recent film premier. If anything, this shows to us that there are confident people out there such as dawn who are prepared to have their name blackened *apologies for politically incorrect phrase, no thesaurus to hand* for what is far more worthwile than Nikki having a tantrum over a bucket of haddock. Dawn is controversial, and people don’t like that… She is far too different and intelligent for the average ‘white trash’ television public to accept as a decent human being, so instead you throw insulting - bordering on racist - remarks her way. You should be ashamed!
I would personally like to thank Dawn for restoring my faith in the true depths of the human personality. For too long we have come to accept a standardized model of human interaction and behaviour. This has an effect on us. We now see the likes of Jade Goody cavorting around not knowing what east angular is, or Nikki just… Not knowing who or where she is as the ‘norm’ and disregard anything deeper or more meaningful as a waste of our time?
To round up… If Dawn is being such a silly billy over this whole affair then I suggest you take a good look at the society by which you have been brainwashed. Take a look at the tabloids next time you fill your car with petrol, and then you will see what UTTER tripe we are breast (no pun intended) fed on a daily basis. Surely you should worry about that first before you slam a woman who has quite clearly had wrong done to her and quite correctly, wants to put it right.
Chin up Dawn love. There are still some intelligent and persistent people out there who are quite willing to offer you their support. And I am certainly one of them
Love Nic xx
(Manchester)
September 20th, 2006 at 12:28 am
I feel an internet phrase coming on in response to sarah.
- Lol.
Steve, stay right where you are, we may be able to get rid of one of the few that think Dawn has a valid point. Where she may “Leave” to I have no idea, as her presence is not possible in any other form here other than text, so I can only presume that she may look into getting her ill thought comments off this page alltogether?
September 20th, 2006 at 12:38 am
As for the HIV issue. Don’t patronise people by intimidating them with figures about AIDS in the world. I know only too well what life is like living around somebody who is HIV positive, but to disregard the plight of anyone else who deserves to have her name cleared (whether it be Nelson Mandella or Dawn Blake) is utterly ludacris, not to mention ignorant.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:45 am
In response to the last comment by Sarah.
I agree on the one point this forum section is about Dawn and I would remind you that a forum is not a place where people of one opinion rule the day.
I’m sorry that because my opinion differs from yours you consider me to be rude. What I consider to be offensive is the type of person that has so little respect for someone else that they would use a hunger strike to make…well NO POINT at all really and this shows utter contempt which to me is offensive and it is my right to say so on a public forum.
And to answer the “points scoring” issue, I am not so much looking to win points but state an opinion and try and make people see the irationality of their comments. All along I have been sticking to facts, something to which others that have posted in this forum section have not. If this makes you uncomfortable enough to want to leave then by all means do so, although methinks there are more underlying reasons why you wish to leave, maybe a lack of any real arguement perhaps?
I have not insulted anybody or shouted, screamed or harangued unlike Dawn and her followers who seem to think they are witty when they come across as blind sycophants with no real mind of their own.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:48 am
Shaun, I love you, but I completely disagree.
I think it is worth noting here that the ‘compensation culture’ society in which we live today stems from one thing, and one thing only… Money. And by watching and taking part ‘interactively’ in Big Brother, we are no better or worse than the people who try to sue B+Q because a lampshade fell on their head in 1999.
Dear Linda: As a mass audience, anually, we pump hundreds of millions of pounds worth of our money into ‘frivolous’ endeavours such as voting who to evict from Big Brother, I’m a celebrity, or Love Island (to name but a few) Even if we don’t take part in that sense, we tune in, we log on, we discuss and in turn promote. As a result, we line the pockets in one way or another of the fat cats at the top. They don’t care about us. They don’t care about the housemates. we are all but one huge ‘homogenious lump’.
There are laws in education and employment which prevent persons from being held ‘against’ their will so why should it be any different for an institution such as Big Brother?
In answer to your quote about ‘wasting tax payers money’ I would like to sympathise with Dawn. This is perhaps the most careless and ‘homogeniuos’ statement of them all… As a student, I rely heavily on government subsidies - simply due to the fact that I cannot independently fund myself. So it riles me when I hear comments such as ’students? living off us!’ because tax is an investment, which ensures that society is able to move forward and that good and right is done. Just remember, I am among the next generation of prime ministers, solicitors, doctors, TV producers… So don’t come crying to me in 20 years time when your kidneys or you marriage or your community is failing. That is all beside the point however…
What I would like to make clear re: ‘a waste of taxpayers money’ is that, by saying this so passively, you have become the worlds biggest hypocrite. Do you not remember what happened when Thatcher destroyed the unions? gave the ‘little man’ no leg to stand on for unfair treatment in the workplace? There was outcry. There was rebellion, because what the bouffon sporting, Mr Whippy inventing power napper had done was theoretically an infringement of human rights, which is exactly what Big Brother seem to have reflected in their manipulative treatment of Dawn…
There again, you probably had a lavish ‘child of thatcher’ lifestyle where daddy was a banker and mummy spent all day at home or in the Jeep. A true capitalist who is not prepared to part with their money for the good of the state and reputation - whether it be Dawn quite rightly pursuing her case against Endemol to make sure that housemates are treated with the respect and common courtesy that all human beings deserve, (just as we’d complain or refuse to pay if a waitress deliberately gave us cold food, or no knife and fork to eat our food) or whether it be to catch the people who planned to blow up 747s over Heathrow.
I would also like to come back to a point I made earlier on in this post…
If you want to complain about Dawn wasting tax payers money then why were you watching Big Brother at all? If it is so bad then you could always refuse to pay your TV licence? Let alone become involved in discussions about Big Brother - the biggest capitalist movement in television history. Something that eats away at public money… Money that could be spent on the ‘NHS’, ‘Railways’… Or (god forbid) student welfare in the UK. If what Dawn is doing is so bad then don’t contradict yourself by being involved in what could be considered as the biggest public money-waster since the Millenium Dome.
At the end of the day, Dawn is probably one of the most intriguing characters to come out of Big Brother to date. She is intelligent, witty, intellectual (hey, we all make speelng mistaks) and clearly defies what we consider as the quintessential Big Brother contestant. I personally would much rather open the paper and read about her battle to save at least a few members of the public from the brainwashing that takes place for 3 months every year. To me, it is far more entertaining reading than Nikki’s boobs on page three, or how many times Pete swore at a recent film premier. If anything, this shows to us that there are confident people out there such as dawn who are prepared to have their name blackened *apologies for politically incorrect phrase, no thesaurus to hand* for what is far more worthwile than Nikki having a tantrum over a bucket of haddock. Dawn is controversial, and people don’t like that… She is far too different and intelligent for the average ‘white trash’ television public to accept as a decent human being, so instead you throw insulting - bordering on racist - remarks her way. You should be ashamed!
I would personally like to thank Dawn for restoring my faith in the true depths of the human personality. For too long we have come to accept a standardized model of human interaction and behaviour. This has an effect on us. We now see the likes of Jade Goody cavorting around not knowing what east angular is, or Nikki just… Not knowing who or where she is as the ‘norm’ and disregard anything deeper or more meaningful as a waste of our time?
To round up… If Dawn is being such a silly billy over this whole affair then I suggest you take a good look at the society by which you have been brainwashed. Take a look at the tabloids next time you fill your car with petrol, and then you will see what UTTER tripe we are breast (no pun intended) fed on a daily basis. Surely you should worry about that first before you slam a woman who has quite clearly had wrong done to her and quite correctly, wants to put it right.
Chin up Dawn love. There are still some intelligent and persistent people out there who are quite willing to offer you their support. And I am certainly one of them
Love Nic xx
(Manchester)
September 20th, 2006 at 12:54 am
I dont think its about having her name cleared that is getting peoples backs up though, its the issue of no one having NO clear idea of perspective with this. I can see the point of the above mentioned statistics - thats someone coming in saying “hey, you know what, this is not a big deal”. This whole thing is causing anger and agression, for me - I felt attacked by Dawn for me putting in an opinion in very early on, on saying I felt attacked, I was actually being attacked, with sarcasam and belittleing, to which I was stupid enough to rise to. This is something i feel very strongly about as All I can see in this whole thing is someone persuing compensation of some sort. You know those “Had an accident at work…” adverts? She is one of them, a walking talking example of how, with a little knowledge of the law, you can sue anyone for pretty much anything.
I dont know weather its the money or the fame she wants, but for someone to go infront of a camera in an audition situation and say what she said, I will NOT accept shes doing this to clear her name.
*sigh*
September 20th, 2006 at 12:56 am
And in answer to Nic Stacey:
Clear her name of what exactly??? she was on TV for a few days and left due to having the personality of a gnat!! Surely the point of going on an entertainment show is to entertain?
My point is she hasn’t been through any “plight” so how can I disregard it? being kept in the lap of luxury for a few days does not constitute a plight by any stretch of the imagination.
I am not ignorant, the reason I showed the figures I did, wasn’t to patronise people but to highlight other peoples ignorance on this forum section. ONCE AGAIN missing the point.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:00 am
To have an opinion about Dawn is all well and good. But remember she is a human being too.
Also.
Whether she is going on to seek compensation (which, she argues, is probably futile) is irrelevent. What I mean is that, the UK has laws… OK, some of them stupid and petty, but they are laws. And Big Brother have clearly broken them. Like a teenage boy who steals a car, or the man who threw the egg at Mr Prescott. However large or small, it is a law… That has been broken here, and Dawn, has the right… Should she choose to pursue it… To request somesort of compensation. Whether she does is clearly the final confirmation of her character?… No?
September 20th, 2006 at 1:04 am
And, as for clearing her name? Surely a massive part in everybodies preconceptions about Dawn is based on how she was portrayed in the Diary room before she left. Again, Big Brother get off injury free, yet this woman is left with a lasting stigma.
So, by clearing her name, I mean that, she wants to prove that she was being aggressive to Big Brother for a reason, and not because she is a nasty person.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:15 am
I agree with the points raised about the tripe we are fed on a daily basis by our political leaders etc and the dumbing down of society. To me this further illustrates my point about the wider issues being more important here than someone who is merely out for a buck. The waste of tax payers money arguement wasn’t an issue I raised as its not something I agree with.
Nic I applaude your last post because, while differing from my opinion, it finally offered up a FACTUAL alternative discussion as opposed to the “I love dawn..for no apparent reason” garbage.
You made your point well, at last a decent debate.
September 20th, 2006 at 9:04 am
I am confused - Shaun/Annon are you one and the same person? Are you posting twice to back yourself up and agree with yourself?
Please clarify.
Also - to everyone participating in this discussion - can we keep it clean please and stop the name-calling, personal comments and shouting. It doesn’t lend anything to the debate and just lowers the tone.
So far, from most of the nay-sayers it has sounded like an ugly scream of vitriol - why? I don’t understand. As there are so many other more important issues in the world why waste time on a little issue of civil liberties like this?
Whether or not I agree with Dawn is irrelevant. She is a strong, educated woman and is not taking the easy path - for this you have got to admire her. Here comes another saying….’If no-one else is going your way - walk alone’. This is the bravest path and not for the faint-hearted. I wish her all the luck in the world.
Naomi
September 20th, 2006 at 9:29 am
Yes. I wondered about that whole Shaun/Annon double-post thing. Looks like you’ve been rumbled, Shaun.
Also, Steve, are you just another user name for Shaun/Annon? I’ve noticed that your posts are just as contradictory as theirs. Look at yourself…
_____
by Steve on 19th September 2006.
GROW UP DAWN!! YOU AND THE FOOLISH PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT YOU MAKE ME WANT TO VOMIT!!
_____
by Steve on 20th September 2006
I’m sorry that because my opinion differs from yours you consider me to be rude… I have not insulted anybody or shouted, screamed or harangued unlike Dawn and her followers who seem to think they are witty when they come across as blind sycophants with no real mind of their own.
____
September 20th, 2006 at 11:19 am
I refuse to admire someone that shows contempt and disrespect for others…simple as that.
Maybe we should re-name this forum section “the Dawn supporters club” as most of you seem to have missed the whole point of a forum entirely and refuse to acknowledge that there maybe other opinions out there and that not everyone supports the idea of someone who simply craves attention but hides under the cloak of civil liberty law.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:56 pm
I sincerely apologise if any of my remarks seemed personal last night. Naomi you are right.
I also have to agree in parts with what you are saying here.
As I made clear last night, I have the utmost respect for anybody who is prepared to tackle the wrong-doings of a major institution such as Big Brother. To offend and dismiss somebody for doing so, surely shows a lack of human compassion towards one another in society? By disregarding Dawns battle and labeling it as a waste of time we are letting the big boys win. Maybe the hunger strike was a step too far Steve, but also consider the fact that, if you really believe in something and nobody is listening to you, the best way to get results is to be drastic. It clearly worked for Dawn… ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’
To clarify, Dawn has been the subject of an illegal act, however big or small. And, as a human being, she has the right to challenge this fairly.
Surely she should not be an embarrassment but an example to us all. At times we are all faced with similar ethical dilemmas but refuse to pursue them and pass them up on the grounds that it would be almost impossible to win in a court of law or perhaps they are just too ‘embarrassing’ and ‘insignificant’…
In Dawn’s case, she has been publicly embarrassed and humiliated via her negative representation on the television, which, in turn led to a torrent of negative press and name calling by television’s ‘mother figure’ Davina McCall. Which is disgraceful to say the least.
I am by no means a ‘lover of Dawn’ Steve. I hope you realise that by now. Under normal circumstances I couldn’t care less what ex-big brother housemates were up to… However, this case has intrigued me somewhat because somebody has actually CHALLENGED the ways of Endemol and clearly done her research which is admirable.
Whether you see her fight as positive or negative is besides the point. This woman is an example to us that, if you personally feel injusticed for whatever reasons, then - at all costs - You should fight to have it put right.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Cloak of Civil Liberties - what a lovely concept. Yes civil liberties are there to cloak and protect us, and thank God for them.
Whole point of the forum. Well, as I understand it, Dawn responded to an apology and a conversation started from there - the difficulty is that those who do not agree with what she is doing have tended not to let little things like facts and evidence get in the way of the vitriol.
Why are you taking it so personally? Why did you shout? I don’t understand why you are getting so het up. Even if you think Dawn has ulterior motives that doesn’t detract from the fact/possibility that a crime was committed. Everyone, even people you don’t like because they make you queasy, is entitled to the protection of the law.
I am presuming you have read 1984 and understand the concept of Big Brother on every level. I think if you did then you would be using all this energy and concern on things like the fact that threads about Dawn are deleted from the C4 website. I find that worrying in the extreme.
I may not agree with your opinion but I will fight to the death to protect your right to voice it. Yes, Dawn has a lot of support - why do you begrudge it her?
Nsomi
September 20th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
To add.
Steve: I understand totally what you are saying and I think we’d get on in the house of Commons. However, May I just raise one more point…
When you said that dawn had the ‘personality of a gnat’ and remarked on her going onto an ‘entertainment show’ and ‘not entertaining’ I was quite shocked. For someone of such well structured and (most of the time) diplomatic capabilities I simply do not understand why you have adopted this ‘fat woman in her forties with a packet of walkers and nothing better to do with her time’ attitude?
Should Big Brother be JUST about entertainment? I don’t think so… If it was ITV would have bought it?… The sheer fact that Channel 4 have rights to it is because if offers up a lot of political and social issues which appeal to a completely different cross section of society (different from the cheap thrills brigade of middle England)
By saying that Dawn has the personality of a gnat you are clearly a slave to the dumbass blonde culture that Big Brother has spawned . I didn’t see enough of Dawn on Big Brother to possibly comment, but judging by what she has said and written since… She would have probably contributed in a fantastic way had she stayed in.
Consider this…
If Dawn hadn’t been represented so awfully in the days after she left, would everybody still have these hostile opinions toward her? I think it is well worth questioning… If it was Nikki or Richard fighting Big Brother we may be more sympathetic?
Just take what you see on Big Brother with a pinch of salt. Don’t let them try and tell you WHO Dawn is… I am glad I read this forum, because, it has shown me that she is somebody who is completely different to the Dawn that Big Brother tried to con us with…
September 20th, 2006 at 5:09 pm
First I have quite severe dyslexia , so I will always make spelling mistakes, so what.
I am also an asthmatic and have quite bad eczema, which also werent included in my BB biography, that aint my fault I didnt write it.
I was actually having nightly asthma attacks in the BB house, because of the air conditioning, dust and the producers giving me my anti-histamine extremly late. I refused to see their GP and asked to be let out to see my own. I wasnt.
My eczema and asthma were not being managed in the house under BB care as they had promised, so this was another reason for my request to leave the house, which I did state in the diary room.
Frankly some of the people on the blog Shaun/ steve and Anon otherwise known as the holy trinity are quite touched in the head.But the world is a bit more colorful with them in.
BB did state to the public and press, I only threatened to leave. This has now been memoralised in the press and websites.BB went to great lengths to state this was true. Journalists have since told me, that they take press releases and BB website as “FACT”.
1) BB producers Allowed people to vote for me, when I stated I was no longer taking part in the programme and I had requested to leave, creating the illusion I was co-operating in the programme. Not true
2) Press release to the tabloids 25th May
” Dawn has threatened to leave, we DONT keep people against their will, she is a hot -head and we cant stop her leaving”.BUT YES THEY DID AND I CERTAINLY WASNT HOT- HEADED ON ANY OF MY DIARY ROOM REQUESTS TO LEAVE.
Sorry whether you have no morals or sense , you cant release a press release like that, knowing the exact opposite is occuring and expect to GET AWAY WITH IT.If BB producers felt keeping me for 24hrs, was not a problamatic issue, why not keep it secret, why release a lie?
2)Its also infantile to say that you should only complain about issues that effect the whole world.
So if someone wrecks your car or breaks into your house, leave it cos people are dying of Aids in Africa.
If you get mugged dont report it, as you werent murdered and street children are being murdered in Brazil.
If you go to work tomorrow and your boss or teacher slaps you in the face dont do anything because Terry Waite was a hostage.
If we turned a blind eye to every incident that wasnt a national tragedy in Britain, there would be complete anarchy . So that argument is just stupid, lacks adult analysis and reasonable thought.
The holy trinity should just become a politician and stop showboating about your political knowledge behind the veil of Big Brother.
The holy trinity guy ( whoever you) has some valid points about the world, it is pretty crap, but what the hell do you want me to do about it, for you.
Why dont you lobby endemol (they are a multi-million pound organisation) to make a programme about your world concerns on your behalf and stop whingeing on this blog about tragedies no-one here has the power or money to change. BB made princess nikki, so surely they can make your programme.
Infact tell them to use the money they got from their phone votes (mine included) to allow you to realise your goal.
To the person who wished I was dead, dying or in such bad shape I wished I was dead, cos I went on a hungerstrike.
If anyone wishes I was dead because I received footage from BB producers via my hunger strike to take the police. Fair enough. But I would rather have the footage than you wanting me to live a bit longer.
PS Kidnap : is abducting someone and then holding them hostage ie Terry waite. However he did go to the country of his own free will (negotiate hostage releases)
Holding someone against their will :
is refusing to let someone leave, when they asked to .
Even if they intially come to you voluntary with a big cheesey grin on their face and run into your arms. It is not their coming that is under dispute or scrutinity, it is their going.
Note To Holy Trinity Guy :
Nelson Mandela was considered a terrorist, by the south african government and Margeret Thatcher and the british government at the time of his incarceration.So they argued his time in jail was justified.
He was only considered a hostage by certain people who were more left wing or humanitarians. I considered him a hostage, but many others at the time stated, He and the ANC was an african version of the IRA and should be given no sympathy or thought.
To the gnats personality man :
I dont know what a gnats perso