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LONDON: Producers of the British edition of "Big Brother" were targeting wounded soldiers to be contestants in the show, sparking outrage from military charity groups, a report said on Saturday.
Soldiers who lost limbs in Afghanistan and Iraq were being asked to take part in the final British series of the reality television show to be screened next northern summer, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.
Military groups, some of which have been approached about recruiting injured or homeless soldiers, accused the show's producers and broadcaster of trying to take advantage of veterans.
"How anyone could even attempt to try to take advantage of these people and their suffering is staggering," Commander John Muxworthy, from the UK National Defence Association, told the newspaper.
"It is not just unacceptable but completely unethical," he said.
Annabelle Fuller, a spokeswoman for the Army Benevolent Fund, said some soldiers were vulnerable and having trouble adjusting to civilian life.
"We're a charity, not a selection box for bad TV programmes. The people we help are often vulnerable," she said.
Hugh Milroy, chief executive of the Veterans Fund, was quoted as saying the move was "a new low for reality TV".
Producers Endemol and Channel 4 said they were seeking a "diverse range of people" to audition for the program.
"Big Brother aims to cast the net far and wide to ensure that a diverse range of people get the opportunity to audition and take part in the programme," they said in a joint statement.
"Many different groups and organisations have been approached as they have strong networks within more isolated communities and can help to spread the word about the dates of open auditions."
Channel 4 announced in August it will axe the show after a decade following the 11th series next year. The programme, which screens hours of footage of contestants in a group house and has been franchised worldwide, has drawn controversy in Britain in the past.
TV personality Jade Goody sparked a racism row after she called Bollywood star and fellow housemate Shilpa Shetty "Shilpa Poppadom" on Britain's "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2007.
- AFP/ir
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