Big Brother descends into chaos and violence

Reality series such as Big Brother may gain good viewing figures, but this latest incident illustrates exactly what can happen when broadcasters raise the stakes in order to generate an 'incident'. Whether or not it was deliberately intended for a fight to erupt may never be known, but the producers must have had an idea that such extreme provocation would result in such a reaction.

Both Channel 4 and Endemol must be secretly elated at the additional publicity the incident has generated for Big Brother, but serious questions need to be asked relating to the use of psychological manipulation on such a grand (and damaging) scale since it is the house occupants who are being manipulated in the quest for 'good television'. And yet again this shows that so-called 'light touch regulation' simply doesn't work when it comes to television and a broadcaster's appetite for ratings; more channels require more regulation, not less.