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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| TV kidney competition was a hoax | TV kidney competition was a hoax |
| (about 23 hours later) | |
| A Dutch TV contest that purported to show a dying woman choose a patient to receive her kidneys was a hoax. | |
| The "donor" in the show was in fact an actress - though the three people vying for an organ were real patients in need of a kidney transplant. | The "donor" in the show was in fact an actress - though the three people vying for an organ were real patients in need of a kidney transplant. |
| The three knew that The Big Donor Show, which aired on Friday, was not real. The producers say it was made to highlight the shortage of Dutch donors. | The three knew that The Big Donor Show, which aired on Friday, was not real. The producers say it was made to highlight the shortage of Dutch donors. |
| Before the hoax was revealed, the show had attracted widespread criticism. | Before the hoax was revealed, the show had attracted widespread criticism. |
| "We are not giving away a kidney here, that is going too far even for us," presenter Patrick Lodiers said at the moment when the fake donor was apparently about to reveal her choice of patient. | "We are not giving away a kidney here, that is going too far even for us," presenter Patrick Lodiers said at the moment when the fake donor was apparently about to reveal her choice of patient. |
| The 37-year-old "donor", identified only as Lisa, was to make her choice based on the contestants' history and profile, and conversation with their family and friends. | The 37-year-old "donor", identified only as Lisa, was to make her choice based on the contestants' history and profile, and conversation with their family and friends. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Bad taste or not, the programme has achieved its goal of raising awareness of the issue Rob Angell, UK Send us your comments | |
| Earlier, Lisa had said that it felt like playing God. "Think of it as playing Santa Claus," replied the presenter. | Earlier, Lisa had said that it felt like playing God. "Think of it as playing Santa Claus," replied the presenter. |
| 'No losers' | 'No losers' |
| Viewers were invited to send in their opinions and votes by text message during the 80-minute show. | |
| "We have only done this cry for help because we want to solve a problem that shouldn't be a problem," a producer told a news conference after the show. | |
| Dutch Culture Minister Ronald Plasterk hailed the show as a "fantastic stunt". | |
| Caroline Klingers, a kidney patient who was watching the programme at a treatment centre in the town of Bussum, also praised it. | Caroline Klingers, a kidney patient who was watching the programme at a treatment centre in the town of Bussum, also praised it. |
| "It's good for the publicity and there are no losers," she said. | "It's good for the publicity and there are no losers," she said. |
| Helen Illes, a British woman who had a kidney transplant four years ago, said she was repulsed by the show at first but hoped the publicity would help highlight the need for more donors. | |
| "Although my initial thinking was that this was disgraceful, I thought if this is being done with actors, then I understand it," she said. | |
| "But what kind of society do we live in where there has to be this kind of show to make people sit up and take notice about it?" she added. | |
| BBC News website readers had mixed views. | |
| Richard Taylor said it was an "excellent way to highlight the shortage of organs and the desperate plight of those who require them". | |
| But Doug Nanaimo wrote: "That anyone believed that this was real shows how horrible, tasteless and puerile most television programming has become." | |
| Earlier in the week Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende had criticised the programme, saying it could damage the reputation of the Netherlands. | Earlier in the week Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende had criticised the programme, saying it could damage the reputation of the Netherlands. |
| There were calls from lawmakers to ban the show and Dutch embassies received complaints about it. | There were calls from lawmakers to ban the show and Dutch embassies received complaints about it. |
| But Mr Lodiers said it was "reality that was shocking" because about 200 people die each year while waiting for a kidney in the Netherlands, and the average waiting time is more than four years. | But Mr Lodiers said it was "reality that was shocking" because about 200 people die each year while waiting for a kidney in the Netherlands, and the average waiting time is more than four years. |