BB 'eroding children's sense of reality'

Big Brother and other reality TV shows cause a diminished sense of reality in children, according to a survey of 800 teachers.

"Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity... are the biggest concerns here," Robert Holroyd, the head of Repton School in Derbyshire, told The Daily Telegraph.

He said that Big Brother was the worst kind of reality TV show, noting that Britain's Got Talent at least promotes "an element of rewarding hard work".

"At least that may make children look at their own performance and think 'What would Amanda Holden or Simon Cowell say about me?'" Holroyd added.

Two thirds of those questioned said that Big Brother has a bad effect on children's behaviour.

Now in its tenth series, the programme has come under fire this year, with executive producer Ruth Wrigley recently admitting to The Guardian that "the show does need changing".