‘Big Brother’ has been named the most complained-about TV show since Ofcom was introduced.
The reality TV show - which launched on Channel 4 in 2000, before moving to Channel 5 in 2011 - has attracted over 73,000 complaints in the 12 years since the broadcasting regulator was introduced, according to figures published by The Sun.
This makes it, by a landslide, the TV show that has attracted the most complaints from viewers, with more than three times the amount of complaints provoked by the show in second place, ‘The X Factor’.
Over the years, ‘BB’ and its celebrity counterpart has faced a viewer backlash on a number of occasions, including 2004’s infamous ‘Fight Night’ and the celebrity series of 2007, when Jade Goody was accused of racism.
More recently, the show came under fire when Helen Wood was reintroduced, and saw her accused of bullying her fellow housemates, eventually causing fellow returning housemate Brian Belo to escape over a wall.
‘The X Factor’, by comparison, has provoked more than 20,000 complaints to Ofcom during its 12 series.
Most famously, in 2010, the show courted controversy on a number of occasions, thanks to racy costumes worn by celebrity guests Christina Aguilera and Rihanna, as well as Cheryl Fernandez-Versini’s decision to put Katie Waissel and Cher Lloyd through at judges’ houses, over Gamu Nhengu.
In third place was the controversial ‘Jerry Springer: The Opera’ (no explanation needed there, let’s be honest) with 8,860 complaints, with ‘UKIP: The First 100 Days’ and Sky News behind at 6,187 and 6,056