Aug 12 2009
Channel 4 Big Brother Disgrace – Freddie Halfwit Emotionally Terrorised by Housemate Bea
Channel 4 Big Brother 10 Disgrace – Freddie Halfwit Emotionally Terrorised by Housemate Bea
After watching the main show of Big Brother on Channel4 at 9.00 on August 11th, I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth.
I could hardly believe what I had just witnessed. -
The dyslexic and emotionally fragile housemate Freddie, (Halfwit) as Big Brother officially re-named him by deed poll had just been severely mentally abused by housemate Bea, a malicious psychology graduate from Bristol.
As she laid into the quivering Freddie, twisting the knife at every opportunity, he convulsed into a panic attack and uncontrollable floods of tears.
He could hardly string a couple of words together in defence as his mind and body broke down as the verbal attack continued.
Channel 4 saw fit to air this viscous bullying under the guise of entertainment on a show which was screened at 9’0’clock at night.
They also did not intervene. They let Bea rip him apart mentally like a pit bull with a rag doll and he was left totally distraught to sob himself to sleep.
This level of psychological bullying can have devastating effects, not just in the present, but also for the future of the individual involved.
How can the Channel 4 bosses responsible for the show justify taking the risk of letting this repeatedly happen to a housemate without stepping in and taking some kind of harsh action against the perpetrator.
This was car crash television with the BB eye firmly on the ever decreasing ratings. What kind of message is the approval of bullying putting out there?
It was disgraceful that Big Brother had let Freddie suffer in this way without pulling up, or rightfully, removing the obnoxious and vindictive housemate Bea.
As the complaints flooded into Ofcom: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/progs/specific/?itemid=414131
And Channel 4: Julian Bellamy Head of Channel 4 Editorial Administrator: Claudia Emery Telephone - 0207 306 5537 Email - cemery@channel4.co.uk
The Big Brother Forum was in uproar, with everyone demanding she be removed from the show immediately. The posts were coming in all night long for Channel 4 to take action at once and take out the disgraceful housemate who had gone way too far.
Granted, there will always be arguments and petty fights in a reality show such as this, but the actions and mental abuse that housemate Bea dished out to Freddie does not belong on our television screens and in our living rooms.
I myself complained immediately to Ofcom and received a reply. I also complained to the head of channel 4 and as expected, I have received no acknowledgement to my email as yet.
After enduring 5 weeks of initial bullying by the ‘bus stop gang’ housemates, spear-headed by skinhead Lisa when the show first started, Freddy was put up for nomination, week after week.
His posh accent, anaylitical brain and his peace loving philosophy on life left him sadly misunderstood. After finally being accepted into the fold, Bea broke down all the hard work he had done to gain respect amonst his fellow housemates in one foul swoop.
Judge for yourselves! – If you haven’t watched the show this will be out of context, as many cleverly engineered, wearing down instances inflicted upon the gentle hippy, Freddie by Bea, which led to the final emotional straw for him.
- Halfwit under Attack -
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/video/5c13066ddd6eb1cf7202b51fcd403394/play.c4
The moral responsibly of Channel 4 is to look after the housemates physical and mental welfare whilst under their care and beyond the conclusion of the show.
On this instance the mental welfare of Freddy has been sorely ignored, and all in the name of the ratings game.
If they are not careful they could have a repeat performance on their hands.
Only recently ex housemate Sree slashed his wrists after watching footage of the show and ex housemates Ashlene and Chanelle have previously attempted suicide since leaving the reality show.
The disgraceful and harrowing footage of August 11th cannot be swept under the carpet as if nothing has happened.
Viewers have been calling for the removal of Bea from the Big Brother house with immediate effect. Surely we, the licence payers should have a strong say when it comes to what we deem acceptable viewing, and bullying someone to the verge of breakdown is not in any way an acceptable form of television entertainment. -
Shame on you Channel 4…
What do you think?
A very well written article, and it’s my personal belief that Bea should definitely be removed from the Big Brother house for her actions. The psychological bullying that she dished out really shouldn’t be accepted. She niggled at him until he cracked, and Big Brother just stood by, doing absolutely nothing to stop it from happening.
If it was physical bullying then they would have stepped in straight away before things were able to get out of hand, as it was psychological bullying they did absolutely nothing however, and yet the effects of psychological bullying could be far worse.
Big Brother should have intervened at the very least, instead they chose to ignore Bea’s behaviour however, and have kept her in the house despite her actions, and also despite the fact that many people have e-mailed in, requesting for her to be reprimanded for her actions.
I am not a Halfwit fan, far from it in fact, the way Bea has behaved towards him is quite obviously wrong however, and she deserves to be severely punished. Big Brother is supposed to take responsibility for housemates welfare, in keeping Bea in that house they’re going against that however, and putting other housemates at risk of further psychological bullying.
Big Brother should take immediate action, and Bea should be removed from the Big Brother house.
I quite agree! and the sooner the better. She should be removed at once! Freddie is really suffering at the moment but trying to hide his emotions and that in itself can be very damaging.
How can Channel 4 stand by and do nothing. I wonder if they have consulted their so called psychiatrists about the situation???
I very much doubt it otherwise they would have removed Bea from the show by now!!!
the fact of the matter is channel 4 do not care. all they want is too boost viewng figures. they doi not give to sh*ts about the mental welfare of the housemates. if they did she would have got kicked out as soon as he had a panic attack and came back to proceed to make it worse. Ands whats the worst thing. channel 4 had the nerve to put halfwits reaction on not once but twice. the first as soon as it came on and the right at the end of the show. if that wasnt to get rating then id eat my own foot.
Whether its a gameshow or not, she is still bullying Fredie. Fredie is an emotionaly sound guy. He so far has had to put up with alot at the start but has never actualy cried untill now. The problem is although bea is so horrible she is also very smart, so instead of people being aware that she is being so mean, she is turning people to make it look like she has done nothing and no one will stand up to her, maybe because they have no proof or because they are all just cowards. I do agree though it does not make very good television and i feel very sorry for fredie even as annoying as some people find him. At the end of the day he is genuine, nice person and Bea certainly aint this free loving hippy chick she makes out to be. Realy, she exploits the behaviour of some-one with many personal issues who i think needs to seek some mental health advise. She is not safe to be in the house i think, but maybe why that is why they put her in there!
She Is horrible!
Completely agree with the author of this article.
Bea has to be removed. It was awful and painful to watch the way she was mentallly hbullying Freddie. Very disturbing!
I am very surprised that she got away with this. Very bad example for young people. Channel 4 has to wake up!
I think the way Big Brother has been this year; even if their psychiatrists phoned them up and told them that they should remove Bea from the house, they wouldn’t. They certainly don’t seem to be listening to the fans, and short of the threat of a major international race row I don’t think they’re ever going to intervene!
I undoubtedly agree. Futhermore I agree C4 should have housemates best interests and welfare at heart, however I feel the main issue lies within the message that is being portrayed to the public. On reflection of last nights episode one led by influence would see domestic abuse to be deemed acceptable. Not only have channel 4 so far ignored it but let George Lamb encourage viewers to laugh at Freddie on bblb and highlight it as “best bits”. I am disgusted. Domestic abuse is no laughing matter. There are people at home trapped in a situation like this and cannot get out or away from it.
Things Can be easily distorted, confused and amplified on television but considering the disturbance this has caused on the bb forums alone i am shocked channel 4 have not intervened, unless they do something pretty sharpish it will be clear this is a message they are quite comfortable with broadcasting.
bullying again last nite in the big brother house.why are you letting them get away with it,they are like the mafia,charley david, roddy and lisa.they have ruled the house,and you have let them get away with i,it is a disgrace.