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Kidney reality show 'a hoax'
04/06/2007 09:49 - (SA)
Amsterdam - A Dutch reality show in which
a supposedly dying woman had to pick one of three contestants to
receive her kidneys was revealed as a hoax on Friday.
Identified only as "Lisa", the 37-year-old woman turned out
to be a healthy actress but the three candidates were genuine
kidney patients, details the show's producers revealed in the
last minutes of the The Big Donorshow.
"Their life is bitter reality," the presenter said, after
revealing the deception at the moment when Lisa was to have made
her life-saving choice.
The show, co-produced by makers of Big Brother Endemol,
had said its aim was to focus attention on a chronic need for
donor organs but it was condemned by the Dutch prime minister
ahead of transmission and sparked controversy worldwide.
Shortage of organs
"I think you can make a show like this one once. Nobody else
can do a show like this," said Paul Roemer, head of Endemol
Netherlands. "For me, it already worked. Tonight, we had 12 000
applications for donor cards."
Dutch Education Minister Ronald Plasterk hailed the show as
a "fantastic stunt" and an intelligent way to draw attention to
the shortage of organs.
However Kuik Bas, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said:
"This is not the proper way to get more donors."
The Netherlands has one of the lowest donor rates in Europe,
according to data compiled by the country's Health Council.
About 40 000 patients are waiting for an organ transplant
across the EU. The mortality rate while waiting for a heart,
liver or lung transplant is between 15 and 30%.
Heated debate expected
The show is expected to set off a heated debate between those
who believe reality television has gone too far and others who
believe the publicity was generated for a good cause.
Programme makers apologised to viewers and said they hoped
"outrage" over the show would turn into anger over the lack of
organs for transplant.
Viewers in the Netherlands were asked to give advice via
text messages in the 80-minute show which started at 1830 GMT,
and appeals ran throughout for people to donate their organs.
Early in the show Lisa was shown selecting three people from
25 candidate profiles who matched her blood group.
"It feels
like playing God," said the fraught-looking actress.
The announcement that it was a hoax was met with stunned
silence by the audience but this later turned to laughter as
clips of condemnation were shown.
'No money made'
The show had set off a storm of criticism, both at home and
abroad, though some kidney patients said ahead of the show that
they approved of it because it drew attention to their plight.
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende had said the show was
detrimental to the whole business of organ donation and it would
do the reputation of the Netherlands no good abroad.
Dutch
embassies abroad got complaints.
"Money has never been part of this thing and no money will
be made from this," said BNN channel chairperson Laurans Drillich.
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