TV
A reality TV show which claimed that it would follow three young patients competing to win a kidney transplant has been revealed as a hoax.
The Big Donor Show - created by Big Brother producers Endemol - sparked outrage when it was announced by Dutch network BNN. The public was led to believe that the show would centre on a dying woman choosing a recipient for her kidneys.
However, Endemol have now announced that the programme was a hoax intended to create awareness of the shortage of donors in the Netherlands. While the show's "terminally-ill patient" was in fact a healthy actress, the three contestants are genuinely in need of transplants. All three were aware of the programme's true nature.
Paul Römer, Managing Director of Endemol Netherlands, explained: "In staging this programme our goal has been to prompt a debate about this crisis in the Netherlands.
"In fact the impact of this has gone far wider than we imagined. This is an issue that goes beyond Dutch borders and across Europe. The message we want to send is that people need to take action now and fill in a donor card."
An Endemol spokesman added: "I hope the indignation about the show will give way to indignation about the shortage of donors."
The Big Donor Show - created by Big Brother producers Endemol - sparked outrage when it was announced by Dutch network BNN. The public was led to believe that the show would centre on a dying woman choosing a recipient for her kidneys.
However, Endemol have now announced that the programme was a hoax intended to create awareness of the shortage of donors in the Netherlands. While the show's "terminally-ill patient" was in fact a healthy actress, the three contestants are genuinely in need of transplants. All three were aware of the programme's true nature.
Paul Römer, Managing Director of Endemol Netherlands, explained: "In staging this programme our goal has been to prompt a debate about this crisis in the Netherlands.
"In fact the impact of this has gone far wider than we imagined. This is an issue that goes beyond Dutch borders and across Europe. The message we want to send is that people need to take action now and fill in a donor card."
An Endemol spokesman added: "I hope the indignation about the show will give way to indignation about the shortage of donors."
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