Former colleague sues 'Survivor' producer

Mark Burnett, the producer of hit US series Survivor, is being sued by his former business partner.

Conrad Riggs, who provided finance and know-how to help Burnett launch the long-running reality show, is claiming $70m (£35m) damages and 10% of proceeds from a rumoured sale of Burnett's production company.

The pair used to be close friends and Burnett served as best man when Riggs got married. However, according to the lawsuit lodged in Los Angeles on Monday, they failed to agree formal financial terms in 2006 and in January last year Burnett stopped paying Riggs.

Legal documents say their work together has "generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues". The claim says: "While Burnett deserves much of the creative credit, Riggs played a crucial role in the financial success of the enterprise."