THE production company behind the Channel 4 documentary show Tower Block Of Commons has said Nadine Dorries’s claim that the programme used paid actors is “unfounded”.
Appearing before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Thursday, the Culture Secretary accused the 2010 reality show, on which she appeared as one of the MPs who went to live in deprived communities, of allegedly hiring actors to play real people.
Dorries was being questioned at the committee session about the Government’s decision to sell off Channel 4 after it recently announced plans to press ahead with its privatisation.
READ MORE: Westminster could burn down 'any day', says Andrea Leadsom
In the reality show, Dorries was sent to briefly live in South Acton estate in west London to see how the other half live.
She told the committee on Thursday that after featuring on the Channel 4 show she “discovered later they were actually actors”.
Dorries added: “The parents of the boys in that programme actually came here to have lunch with me and contacted me to tell me, actually, they were in acting school and that they weren’t really living in a flat, and they weren’t real, they were actually actors.
“And there’s a pharmacist or somebody that I went to see who prepared food, she was also a paid actress as well.”
Love Productions, the production company behind the programme, said it believes her claims to be “unfounded” but that it takes “the allegations seriously” and will “investigate thoroughly”.
A spokesperson for the firm, which also creates The Great British Bake Off, said: “Love Productions does not use actors to impersonate contributors in any of its documentary or constructed factual series.
“Nadine Dorries took part in the making of Tower Block Of Commons for Channel 4 alongside other genuine contributors, and we are confident that her claims are unfounded.
“Nevertheless, we take the allegations seriously and will investigate thoroughly.
“We also await Nadine Dorries’s reply to Channel 4’s request for evidence to back up her comments.”
Channel 4 has been publicly owned since its creation in 1982 by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher, and is entirely funded by advertising.
Dorries told the committee that she “can’t see a scenario” in which a privately-owned Channel 4 would become partly or wholly subscription based.
She said: “As a public service broadcaster, that is not on the table, that is just not on the cards at all. I can’t see a scenario in which that would happen.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel