Would your let your child watch this?
Youngsters’ easy access to shock show
CHILDREN have much too easy access to shocking TV shows like Naked Attraction, campaigners have claimed.
Concerned groups have hit out after it emerged that, despite it screening after the 9pm watershed, the controversial Channel 4 dating show is available to view by youngsters anytime on its catch- up service.
Naked Attraction sits in the most popular section of the channel’s on-demand service alongside soap Hollyoaks, a favourite among young viewers, and can be easily accessed by children if parental controls haven’t been set.
Norman Wells, director of Family Education Trust, said: “Although it’s broadcast after 10pm, many young teenagers will be aware of it and will be able to access it online without too much difficulty.”
Naked Attraction drew a torrent of complaints from viewers after it aired on Monday, featuring 378 instances of full frontal nudity.
The premise of the show supposed ly to reverse the dating process b y having LOVE ISLAND REIGNING Miss Great Britain Zara Holland was stripped of her crown earlier this year after having sex on the ITV2 reality programme.
In the dating show, hosted by Caroline Flack, young hopefuls holiday together in a luxury villa, which strangely enough only has one communal bedroom.
is someone pick a potential partner based on viewing them naked.
Thousands of viewers took to social media to condemn the programme, with some calling it an “all- time low” for television. So far Ofcom has received 98 complaints about the episode. A spokesman told The Sunday Post they will assess these before deciding whether or not to investigate. Sam Burnett, acting director of Mediawatch UK, said:
“We’re con- UNDRESSED A DATING show on satellite station, TLC, in which two people on a first date strip to their underwear and lie in bed together.
Apparently the premise of the show is to literally strip away inhibitions and see if strangers can fall in love, but critics have called it an example of how low TV will go. cerned that programmes like Naked Attraction are freely available via on-demand apps with barely more than a box-ticking effort to ensure the person watching is over 18.
“As programme- makers chase publicity and controversy they’re encouraging young people to seek out inappropriate content to keep up with playground gossip.”
He continued: “We have an anything- goes culture in television production.
“Just because a programme is on late at night with fewer viewers doesn’t mean that standards should be thrown out of the window.
“That record- breaking nudity is no longer as bad as it once was NAKED JUNGLE CHANNEL 5’S one-off game show in June 2000 saw nudists take part in an assault course.
It was hosted by Keith Chegwin, who was also fully nude, and gave the channel a then-record viewership of two million. It was criticised in the House of Commons and Cheggers called it his worst career move. isn’t because we are more enlightened, it’s a sad reflection of a society grown dull through over-exposure to pornography.”
Mr Wells added: “Sexually explicit programmes like this one are sending out mixed messages to children and young people.
“On the one hand, parents and teachers are warning them about the dangers of sexting and encouraging modesty and restraint, while on the other hand sexual exhibitionism is being promoted as a legitimate form of entertainment by a public service broadcaster.” THE WORD IN a segment called The Hopefuls, people desperate to appear on the ’90s late-night show would indulge in disgusting acts for a few seconds of fame.
The horrors included someone licking sweat out of an overweight man’s belly button and a man drinking his own vomit.
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT THE DEATH OF THE WATERSHED?
GEORDIE SHORE VICKY PATTISON may have established herself as a TV personality after winning I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! but she gained notoriety earlier in her career after having sex on Geordie Shore with her then-boyfriend. She later said she regretted it massively and was actually a bit of a prude.
mscougall@sundaypost.com