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Sex show lands DJ in trouble
26/05/2005 09:41 - (SA)
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| Mark Pilgrim and his co-host Dr Elna McIntosh. (M-Net) |
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Jaco Nel, Beeld
Johannesburg - Mark Pilgrim may no longer mix sex talk and CD promotions.
Pilgrim heard earlier this week that the producers of Retail Therapy, a programme marketing Pick 'n Pay Hypermarkets' CDs and other audio visual programmes on M-Net, will be firing him.
Pilgrim, former 5fm DJ and Big Brother presenter, earned a large share of his income from Retail Therapy. He also recently started presenting Sex Etc, a new sex-related talk show on M-Net.
Pilgrim said the image of a promotion presenter who also does sex talk is "suddenly" not appropriate for Retail Therapy.
"I find it very disappointing," Pilgrim said. "If viewers complained, I could have accepted it.
"There was much dirtier sexual content on Big Brother. This is an educational programme. It is merely controversial because it deals with sexual awareness."
According to Pilgrim Sex Etc is an important programme.
"People do not talk about these things. I had testicular cancer when I was 18. I did not know how to talk about it and the cancer spread to my kidneys and lungs. It almost cost me my life."
Stewart Duffield, head of Pick 'n Pay's audiovisual section, said Pick 'n Pay could not yet comment on the situation because Pilgrim has not been officially fired.
Carl Fisher, head of local productions at M-Net, said on Wednesday that M-Net has been very satisfied with the content of Sex Etc.
"The programme addresses difficult topics in an intellectual, educational way," Fisher said.
"The aim is not to offend, but rather offer a platform where people can talk about things they do not normally discuss."
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