The final instalment of the Jade Goody documentary last night was a harsh reminder of just how terribly reality stars were treated ten years ago.
During the programme, the audience was taken back to 2008, when the late reality star was told she had cervical cancer on the Indian version of Big Brother in 2008.
The star, who was told the news by her doctor in London, later admitted that she had no idea the conversation was being filmed, saying that it ‘wasn’t right’.
While it isn’t new news that Jade - who passed away in March 2009 - was given the devastating diagnosis on TV, the footage has continued to shock, with many writing on social media that they couldn’t believe the scenes were shown at the time.
‘Imagine being told on TV that you have cancer for the whole world to see,’ one wrote on Twitter. ‘[A] million miles away from your friends and family on your own with strangers.’
‘Whatever you think about Jade Goody being told you've got cancer on live TV was wrong,’ another added. ‘Reality television has a lot to answer for.’
Jade appeared on Bigg Boss in a bid to repair her image, following the racially motivated bully of Shilpa Shetty in the UK series the previous year.
The shocking scenes, where Jade referred to Shilpa as ‘Shilpa Poppadum’ and laughed at her for bleaching her facial hair, were shown in the second episode of the documentary.
Thankfully, it’s now unlikely contestants would be treated the same way as they were in 2007 - and the documentary shows just how far reality TV has come in how it looks after stars during (and, most importantly, after) the process.
But, as the deaths of Love Island stars Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis show, care for contestants can improve.
As a result, this year, ITV bolstered their aftercare process, offering a minimum of eight therapy sessions to each Islander once they return home from the villa, with proactive contact also being kept up for 14 months after the series ends.
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