Graham Norton on Big Brother
Irish comic and chat show host Graham Norton has waded in on this year’s Big Brother, berating producers for allowing unstable contestants like Shahbaz to enter the house.
Surprisingly, he’s also taken a wallop at housemate Richard Newman for being an “evil bully” toward Shahbaz. Norton thinks that it should have been obvious to the housemates that Shahbaz had mental problems.
But isn’t that the problem with Big Brother? The contestants are expected to be a strange mix, and someone with a serious problem might not be picked up, because it is assumed that they’ll be eccentrics - harmless oddballs. Isn’t that how most people felt about Shahbaz until he started talking about “coming here to die” and killing himself on screen?
The interesting thing about Graham Norton’s statement is that he’s come off the fence - normally Graham would make caustic comments about the housemates, but I don’t think he’s ever openly criticized the show’s producers before.
In light of the growing backlash against Big Brother and the endless series of mental health professionals clamouring for airtime over this, I think Graham’s is the most sensible commentary I heard so far.
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bb is da best i hate richard 2 an think hes a bully vote him out save imogen and susie
I picked up Shabbaz had mental problems from the start and look what happened to me and how I was treated by Big Brother.Graham Norton’s complaint is a carbon copy of my OFCOM, MIND, SANE and the mental Health foundation a complaint. However it always has more impact when the concerns come from someone white. As I was saying this two days into the programme.
Mind have recently had talks with endemol and Channel four over this issue. they have used my documentation and unbroadcast footage.
Dawn
To be fair Dawn, I don’t think Graham Norton is given more credence because he is white, surely it has more to do with his fame and celebrity status, not everything needs to be about race.
Although I agree with the point that Graham Norton has made in his statement, I wonder if he really feels strongly about this, or if he is trying to grab some media attention in time for the launch of his newest show “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria’
Of’course this is about race, the whole of the production team is white.
Shahbaz went into the house auditioning himself as a ‘paki poofter without a corner shop’ and a ‘whacky pakie’ so of course it is about race. I note that Richard did not or does not call himself a ‘white honky poofter’ so what motive did the white production team have selecting an asian man, clearly unstable, mentally ill, never worked in his life, who uses the word paki to describe himself and his people and does his best to please white people all the time, even if it means humiliating himsef for thier amusement all the time. Of course its about race. This is a set up by white people to make ethnic minorities look unstable. the white people were so blinded by racial hatred when they picked shahbaz, they completely dismissed the fact that he was obviouly mentally ill and it was a source of amusement to the nation and the production team to see this asian man being pushed so far that it culminated him to consider to want to commit suicide on national tv. Shahbaz is a minority of a minority, so they dug pretty deep to find him, they scraped the barrell to find an asian man so low.
Anita Asian woman
The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) have instructed the Sun newspaper to put your letter in thier paper today.
I think is very noble of you considering how indecent and racist the sun were to you at the time.
And of course this is a bout race.
Dawns letter is on page 42 under the ‘Dear Sun’ section, it reads as follows
I WOULD like to make clear I washed and showered during my time as a contestant in the Big Brother house. I was only allowed to take in my inhalers but not any change of clothes. underwear or toiletries. i am the only person who has left in the same clothes they came in and i left wearing paper pants. i asked to leave the house before i got a message from a family member and was removed the day after i asked to leave on the day i was removed.
The Big Brother contract states it may not be possible to leave the house on the same day a request is made.
when one racial group has complete autonomy of another racial groups and the other racial groups are affected in a different (negative) way to the dominating groups own racial group. This is called racial prejudice.
Shabbaz was the only asian man on the BB programme this year . I think there has only ever been two Asian men in Big Brother in its seven year span. Can you expect me to believe that Shabbaz’s inclusion is a mere accident. There have been scores of whites on the show , but the only person who wants to top themselves is the second only asian man they have put on the programme.
The decision making staff at endemol are white, the psychologist is white, the counsellors are white, the medical officers are both white.
Shabbaz is only the second Asian man on the programme and the first person ever to want to commit suicide on air. Even though he has never been mentally able to hold down a job in all his adult life and endemol had access to his medical records.They thought it was o to put him on the programme.
Do you honestly believe that his inclusion in the programme was by accident. The trouble with racism is that it is ok doing it, as long as no-one finds out.
Also the trouble with racism is that people do not want to believe it exists and is a mythical being , like a fairy or elf.
Everything is about race when an asian man who constantly calls himself derogatory racial names deteriorates so badly that he wants to commit suicide on air.
I have to ask myself what the hell were people watching. If Graham Norton wants to jump in and various psychologists do to. Why should anyone object about their motives a least the motivation to comment isnt racial hatred.
Shabbaz was subject to serious racial hatred and bullying in the Big Brother House. Certain people overreacting to anything he did because he was Asian. No-one was so evil to Nikki , her behaviour was even celebrated, her comments were considered, she was loved and popular with all, people felt sorry for her , made exceptions for her , sympathesised with her, as she is white.Like everyone else at endemol, she is also a racial majority.Good luck to her, no doubt she will do brilliantly in life
I have reviewed the Race Relations act with new ammendments.
Did you know If Shabbaz’s treatment had occurred outside the clutches of the hideous bigoted Big Brother house, certain housemates could be prosecuted under “HATE CRIME “.
If you joined in with all the laughing at shabbaz that is your problem , you have to come to terms with your own actions. At least Graham isnt a bigot , but can spot a bigoted bully when he sees one. If you didnt spot Richard’s behaviour it is because you are closer to his views and opinions than you now would like to think. I mean what sane Asian man would constantly refer to himself as a “Paki”.
Dawn, I have to say that while I agree with some of your points, I think you have strayed off the point of this particular article.
I was not trying to say that there are no race issues in Big Brother. Of course I think this is something that Endemol needs to look into.
What I took issue with was you saying that Graham Norton’s statement had more impact and was more respected because he is white. I do not believe that race had anything to do with the media coverage given to Grahams views on Big Brother, rather it was his celebrity status and fame that earned him the tabloid’s attention.
race has nothing to do with this.
if shabaz had been white, but with the same personality, then the bb audience would have laughed just as hard at him making a fool of himself.
Niki was celebrated because she appealed to more people, and shabaz may not have had this pull.
At the end of the day, Big Brother is a gameshow, and everyone in it is a contestant. All of the contestants want one thing. To win. So will do anything to get this. Shabaz wanted to win, and worked himself into a state when he realised that he might not have a chance of it.
So what if there is a white cast?
Its just a colour of skin.
Everyones the same inside.
Get over it.