'Apprentice', 'The Voice', 'Survivor' exec: 'I hate the word reality'

Survivor producer Mark Burnett has admitted that he hates the phrase 'reality television'.

Burnett, who is also behind shows such as The Apprentice and The Voice, defended the genre at a conference in Cannes, The Guardian reports.

"I hate the word 'reality'," he said. "It's a journalistic made-up word. It's just non-fiction storytelling."

Burnett also insisted that his formats are not a cheap alternative to drama, saying: "I don't want to make crappy shows, and make a lot of them and hope for the best. If you're making, oh pick one, Survivor, we treated that as if we're making a $100m movie."

He added: "It's narrative storytelling. It's emotional connection. It's not lazy producing."

Burnett is currently working on a new History series about the Bible, which is due to air next year.