Where does Reality TV lie?

Others have already asked whether Reality TV is deceitful. The assumption is clear, that most viewers who watch this stuff know it to be staged, heavily edited, probably scripted in some form and certainly contrived. However, we have been trained by years of cinema and TV production to “willingly suspend disbelief” and what fascinates me is the range and scope of that suspension and how production companies have taken advantage of that. Indeed, whether there is danger in that.

While we know that “Star Wars”, for example, is fiction and wholly contrived, yet we can trick ourselves, for the duration of the show, into believing it is real, Reality TV is purporting to be real, and claims to use Real people in its presentation. It is harder for the audience to say “enough is enough”. It is harder to define what is true and what is not. This might be a special effect that goes completely unnoticed and unchallenged because we are told that the real “deceit” lies elsewhere. Because we are bewitched, charmed, dazzled by the words we are given to describe what it is we are watching, what it is we are welcoming into our home when we switch on the TV.

Reality TV might be such a spectacular “magic show”, such a superb sleight of hand that we are not even sure we have been tricked. The smoke and mirrors is utterly convincing. If we were in the 17th century, we would say we were mesmerized. It is, as was said of Mesmer, our own choice (“nothing comes from the magnetizer; everything comes from the subject and takes place in his imagination”), but the effect is remarkable. We are willing participants in a global deception. We are as “mesmerised” as were the prisoners in the cave and as reluctant as they were to identify what the deceit may be- but we will get to that and to the issue that accompanies it- Plato’s recommendation that a good city practices censorship.

First, we need to break down the trick and locate the artifice. This may take some time and I hope you will allow me a few attempts in the process. (I welcome feedback)

With Reality TV, much of the trick lies in setting up the conceit. The way the show is described is such a distraction in itself that maybe we never see where the real magic is taking place. I find the whole thing frustrating because, just as there is in the magic of David Copperfield or of Penn and Teller, David Blaine and Derren Brown, there is genuine art at work in the construction of these Reality TV shows, but the level of “promotion” and secrecy means that much of what is constructed goes without applause and the people who put in the hard work are never congratulated or praised for what they have achieved.

The language that is used is my starting point to try to untangle this web.

When considering what Reality Tv may be, there are a number of expressions, for example, that defiantly recur. Some of these are peddled by self-serving institutions- the production companies, agents and managers as well as the performers’ union, Equity. I will instace a few of these and suggest what they might actually mean.

1. Reality Tv shows are a “game show”. This is a repeated claim that is demonstrably untrue. A “game show” would be independently monitored and properly regulated. It would be fair and transparent. Many Reality TV shows are blatantly unfair and few admit any independent scrutiny.
2. Reality Tv casts are “contestants”. This develops the game show theme but also establishes that the cast as “ordinary people”, not professionals and certainly not performers. While this compounds the illusion that what we see is “real, it also means that they do not need to be represented by Equity, and that any of the rules pertaining to usual TV performance do not apply. This allows for insane and extended hours of filming, often at night.
3. Reality TV participants are “enjoying” themselves. This is a sort of “holiday”. This claim, often peddled, allows producers to claim that the participants were not working and therefore do not need to be paid. They might receive a “displacement fee” or prize money, but they do not get paid a recognised fee. the fee goes to the presenter who might command a massive payout for what appears realitively little input. The presenter, a recognised face, validates the show and ensures that it is the show and not individual participants the audience remembers.
4. Dealing with fame and disappointment: this is a routine discussion- that those who complain have a problem with fame. In my personal observation, it is not fame but manipulation by the producer’s agents before, during and after the show that causes the bigger problems. That manipulation can take many forms but boils down to continued, often unreasonable but certainly unforeseen control. As most participants have not got professional support or representation, it is little wonder they are open to protracted manipulation in this way.
5. Participants “knew what they were signing up to”. Often, this is not the case, but, equally, many participants did not apply as the production publicity claims, but were recruited. In my own case, this happened very fast. I was sworn to secrecy and, therefore, was unable to seek real advice from anyone who knew what these shows were about before I went on the Circle.

Reality TV is often disingenuous about facts- eventually, the truth comes out but it takes time. As in the secret service- there are actually few genuine secrets so it is a matter of finding the magazines and the articles that spill the beans- and putting them together. In the case of “the Circle”, most of the “secrets of the show” have been shared by the producers in a series of articles each targeted at a different audience. There are also a number of podcasts and broadcasts by former participants who feel it is in the public interest to come clean. Put together, therefore, there is little that is genuinely hidden.

However, there is a bigger issue about whether the show itself and its sister shows across the Reality TV genre are promoting a wider lie. I believe, for instance, that “the Circle” was a magnificent Gettier problem– in other words, an example of a “justified true belief” that is, nevertheless, based on a deception. We are also touching on what Plato dealt with when he discussed the allegory of the cave in “the Republic”- the perception of an illusion which we mistake for reality. In the cave, there are puppeteers who control the deception just as producers and the “Voice of God” manage the activities of the performers on Reality TV. But, in the case of Reality TV, there is a second level of deception because it is not just the performers who are deceived- it is also the audience at home that are now the prisoners locked into a madness- or better still a magic because they are bewitched by the shadows on the wall and insist that what they are witnessing is demonstrably real. It is engaging. It is enjoyable. The characters on screen are making genuine decisions. They must be held responsible for their actions. Hence the social media hate mail and all the nonsense that follows.

It is apparently real, people appear to be making genuine decisions on screen over a period of a month or so, but if it were genuinely real it would be dull. We willingly suspend disbelief, we willingly accept the artifice and the management in order to be amused or distracted.

This would be good enough if that is as far as it went, but it has the power, the potential and, recently, has demonstrated that it has the will to undermine our moral values- think of the trailer for teh most recent series of “the Circle” –what would you loose to win.

It is promoting values that were once vilified as sinful. It promotes egotism and hedonism as postive, it rewards deceit. It salutes greed and assumes this is a norm.

Is this in itself wrong?

There are a variety of falsehoods. The first is the outright and constructed lie. The second is the unintentional mistake – an untruth at best, and the third is fantasy. But there is another way of looking at the problem and that is to ask about the degree of damage or harm caused.

We live in a society predicated on deceit. Accepting a constructed hierarchy is a form of deceit as, indeed, are the fables of Santa Clause. Even a game like chess is deceitful. Poker even more so. The legal system works on a from of deceit where one party stands against another and both construct arguments that may be riddled with known lacunae- it is for a jury to judge which account is accepted as truth. There is also the thorny issues of fiction and religious belief. All of this is discussed in Plato, particularly the error of “the poets” who present as truth something they know to be scurrilous and vapid. They present corruption or fake values as laudable because it is the behaviour of the gods, those we revere as famous, those we have set up as icons around our temples.

What Plato wishes to censor might be the very stuff we celebrate at the Oscars and the Olivier awards- the theatre of performance, but I think that is not his target. We have to remember that one of Plato’s greatest dialogues takes place at a dinner party following a drama festival and one of his companions is the comedy writer, Aristophanes. I cannot imagine, therefore, from what happens in “the Symposium” that Plato really intends to outlaw theatre. Equally, knowing what happened to his hero, Socrates, I cannot imagine that Plato has genuine religion in his sights. I think he is thinking of some other, more subtle deceit and I believe that Reality TV, in its present form, fits the bill very well. Reality TV, in its present form is something Plato would have judged pernicious.

If Plato were to be alive today, I imagine he would have identified fake news or fake advertising as a credible target as well. These go out to deceive- to suggest that something is true or beneficial when the film-maker knows very well that is not the case. Paid endorsements for something that is worthless – this is about misleading the public in a way, for instance, that political broadcasts are not. We may not agree, after all, with what Mr Farage says, but we cannot doubt that he and his followers sincerely believe it. There may be a case for denying him airtime, but it is not, I think, the same case that Plato is making. Mr Farage is not peddling deceit. And that is the issue at the heart of the debate both about Reality TV and about fake News. It is central to Plato’s plans for censorship. Plato is talking about stopping wilful deceit and stopping those who take advantage of the public. I wonder if the same issue lies at the centre of what I find worrying about Reality TV. Presenting something as true when it is not- feigning values that we do not have, displaying the sort of fake sentiments that would merit awards for an actor, but pretending this to be real, promoting a life-style that is wholly unattainable and fairly corrosive. And calling it all genuine or “Reality”.

This comes very close to the charge that Plato has against the poets- that we promote a “hero” in Achilles, a man who is flawed and whose behaviour falls short of the noble standards to which we should aspire. The problem is not that Achilles’ story is the wrong one or that it would be out of place on the stage, but that it is now used as a quasi-religion and presented as truth, or as “Reality”. The problem, I suggest, is that we cannot see that it is just a piece of Theatre. Achilles actions may influence others because those actions are presented as “real”. Achilles, in other words, is the first “influencer” and Plato thinks he should never have been awarded a blue tick.

I am inclined to agree.

I think that the values that have emerged in “Survivor” and the latest series of the UK “Circle” are detestable- I think that the message these shows now put out – that we are permitted to do all manner of wickedness in order to win- is wholly wrong. I also think that, as the Persian poet Rumi says, ماهی از سر گنده باشد نه ز دم “the fish rots from the head down”. It is a well-attested proverb in modern Turkish (Balik bashtan kokar) and Greek (Το ψάρι βρωμάει από το κεφάλι); it is also a sentiment Plato would have accepted-and it divides into two concepts: 1) that wickedness is linked to power and 2) that a good person does good deeds and conversely a bad person does and encourages bad deeds… We can judge people by what they do and we can trace the source of their actions. A bad leader not only leads badly but also behaves badly. That is the lesson we can learn from the histpory books in the bible and from the great plays of Shakespeare- In this case, we know the message is wrong (“what would you loose to win”) because the production companies also mistreat the performers. Wrong-doing, in other words, is literally woven into the narrative by wrong-doers. Wrong-doing is encouraged by production. And we, the audience, are also are caught in a spider’s web of deceit and nastiness and may be encouraged ourselves to imitate the show and participate in the spirit of wrong-doing. So, when a participant on at TV Reality programme says or does something suspect, we should look to the production company and hold it accountable. We should certainly not assume that what is said are the words of the character we see on the screen.

Of course, all this grim analysis does not mean that good cannot come from bad. It can. And equally, just bcause a performer on a TV show says something nasty does not mean they are bad, or even that the production company is wholly corrupt. It simply means the values that are being promoted are deeply worrying and have the potential to cause harm. More than that, we do not know how these seeds of wickedness will manifest. Certainly, they lead to misery and self-destruction – this can take years to arise but I would certainly hold that the recent death of Nikki Grahame is linked to her first appearance on “Big Brother” and to the way that particular show exploited her anorexia. But equally, at this stage, it is difficult to predict the impact that shows like “Survivor” and “Circle 3” might now have on the wider public. They send out a signal that greed is acceptable and that makes me anxious not just for today but for the future.

So much for the negative.

At the same time, these shows hold a mirror to the values we ouselves promote and they seem to me to be a way to record some of the things we consider important in our lives today. Reality TV has taken on the role that was played by soap opera in the 1980s and 1990s but with this caveat- that Reality TV, by the way it is promoted today, has the chance to stimulate more of the worse behaviour it both portrays and encourages. It recalls the language of Homer- this is how the gods behave, this is how heroes act- and why Plato felt that the poets legitimised corruption and so should be banned in a perfect society. But it goes further: Reality TV sanctions that behaviour by telling us that it is acceptable, it demonstrates it has benefits- all the way to the bank but it paints an unfiltered view of how ordinary people behave. This, it says, is normal. This is Reality! This is acceptable.

This is the lie, and it must be firmly challenged. If Reality TV cannot clean up its act or if our Governments continue to turn a blind eye because of the revenue these powerful companies bring in, then we must consider other options and we must also hold those who support them to account for the misery and death that Reality TV brings with it.

Responses:

In response to Jack below, there are various forms of scripted show. I certainly was unaware of any script while I was on “the Circle”, but it seems to me, particularly from looking at some of the language used on recent shows that there is vocabulary and story arcs that seem to be comon and suggest a format if not a script. As we can be prompted, encouraged and on occasion, I am assured (though I do not believe I was ever fed lines to say), fed lines to say by the “Voice of God”, I think it is probable that various scripts lay underneath each day’s filming. A good example of this sort of scructire might be a page from an MTV show called “Geordie Shore” which certainly suggests that any spontanety is “structured”. The union Equity makes a distinction between what it calls “scripted reality production” and “a game show”- it apparently represents performers from the former though not the latter. It is difficult, of course, to ascertain which shows qualify.

There are also, certainly scenes that are reshot. I am not sure whether this qualifies as performance or reality. Equity was clear in a recent letter that this is no element of “performace” in a “game show”. I wonder in that case whether scenes of me doing Greek dancing in the kitchen qualify as part of the said “Game Show”. I am inclined to think not though arguably scenes of all cast memners dancing during the Oktobest fest may well qualify as a part of teh “Game Show”. It is very debateable and it is disturbing that unions, management and production pick up such charged and dismissive language.

In response to SamB, I agree wholeheartedly and it is shameful both of the TUC and of (British) Equity with whom I have been discussing this matter for a year, that no proposals have been forthcoming. If someone is working, they are entitled in principle to union representation but in this case, none is possible, though many of the runners, and production staff are represented by BECTU as was clear when the Guardian/ BBC reported about incidents of bullying in Studio Lambert over “Gogglebox” and “the Circle”.

This is the Statement BECTU put out in response at the time:

It is also signifiant regarding union representation that the General secretary of Equity, Paul Fleming, insists on using the terms “Game show”and “contestant” as well as isolating the term “performance”. This is what he apparently said on 27/04/21, ‘he received no money for a professional “performance”, and contestants were selected from members of the public, not from professional talent.’ I would dispute his inverted commas as well as his Oxford/Harvard comma.

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Here is a copy of an email that I sent to STUDIO LAMBERT. I have removed some of the names. I marked this “strictly confidential” but in reply, it is clear that the studio execs decided to circulate the email. I see no reason, therefore, to continue to keep this confidential. However, I have obliterated the names.

From: Tim Wilson
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2020 12:01:53 PM
To: XXX
Subject: summary of what we discussed

Strictly confidential

Dear XXX,

Just to make it very clear what we discussed today. Much of what I said, I had also said to YYYy and to BBB so, at this stage, I am really repeating myself.

The issues with UNUM fully expose the inadequacy of the companies you have used and you relied on to subcontract the aftercare of and to the Circle participants. I have heard many complaints and, at the same time, I have done my best to encourage others not to put these complaints into podcasts or live broadcasts however angry they may be. They are angry and so am I. It is astonishing and shameful that in such a small group of people, you have managed to elicit such ire. If it were one person with issues, that might be dismissed, but this is many.

This is a serious failing.

The issues about UNUM make worrying reading but the fact that Studio Lambert and UNUM continue, this week, to “discuss this” and that, in the meantime, UNUM cannot be bothered to address my last email of 20th March is, I find, infuriating. 

The cavalier approach of UNUM is one thing, but the way in which, even when a serious breach was noted in January, you contrived to paper over the cracks, makes me all the more suspicious of the activities also of X PR.

This is not a personal atteck on X PR at all. I am quite sure that X PR was acting in line with the approach of other agencies of its ilk, and I attach no personal blame to what they did. Indeed, they did it very effectively. But that does not make it right.

I spoke to CXX a few times of my concerns about the way X PR was handling me, and I know others also expressed concern. Some have completely walked away from the care package you offered and you must ask why. 

A number of companies have since approached me directly to complain that they had contacted X PR to ask for my services and that I never heard about this at the time. This includes paid Podcasts.

I passed on all requests that came to my email tray directly to X PR as advised. Of these, few went ahead. The election blind date, for example, was completely scuppered. I was made to feel anxious about my participation in it, I was told X PR was discussing it at a high level, I was told that LXX was discusssing it with Stephen Lambert. When I eventually called the production company, myself, however, and spoke to the man who had written to me originally, he complained that no one had been in contact, that there was only one more show lined up and that he was disappointed that I had not, in fact, responded. So much for your contact and so much for my reputation!

X PR had said that, instead of the Election Blind date on BBC 1, Ch 4 had wanted me for their planned alternative election broadcast. Again, I finally spoke to a runner on this show who knew nothing about my involvement in the alternative election broadcast and speedily got me into the audience. X PR took hold of the situation when I told them at this point, apparently engineered a chance for questions to be asked (one of which took place) and adding a trip to The Nativity and accommodation (they fouled up about timings and, in fact, I had very little chance to rest because I did not know there was an extension on check-out time).

In our first meeting with X PR, I was asked what 3 things I would like. I explained that these were (1) an appearance in Panto, (2) a ticket for Mary Poppins and (3) a book-deal to write about the reality tv phenomenon. Mary Poppins took place on the same night as your CH 4 party in Manchester, yet it was only in the week before that, that I was told there was to be no option for Mary poppins because of the party. Oddly, I knew about your party independently and in advance of this admission by X PR. I had suggested, therefore, a ticket to a preview or some other option but, despite the bluster, actually nothing happened at all. The panto options that were discussed – Palladium, Wimbledon, Richmond, seemed absurdly grand and, of course, nothing happened. (I know that Cambridge might have been interested but they had not been approached). It is odd given that so many of the Pantos in the UK are centrally-organised through Qdos so frankly, in October, I do not believe this would have been impossible to arrange. The book, incidentally, was ignored at that point.  I know other contestants were not only asked what they wanted but actively teased with suggestions, all of which came to nothing. It is wholly wrong to ramp up people’s expactations in this way when you have no intention of making good, or you cannot.

I was wheeled in to see your accountant. I asked one specific question about tax and whether I should be paid into my company or directly to my own account. I got no answer and had to chase this up. But when he finally responded, I was offered the option of paying for his advice and taking on your accountant privately. This is absurd and just time-wasting and it beggars the question about what exactly he was doing in the first place. It appears to be window-dressing. By the time this took place, though, you had paid me into my personal account and I suspect I will now be heavily taxed- I do not know at the moment, but the question is moot because after May, I face probable penury. I cannot return to teach in Russia, partly because of Coronavirus, but also because I was described as gay in the programme. I could not have known when I did the Circle that Russia would significantly sharpen its own version of clause 28 to impose prison sanctions on anyone who might be seen to promote a gay agenda in education. This is something I can take on the chin and will probably not last, but I expected to gather more work, not less from TV in the meantime. I also brought this matter to your attention. When combined with the loss of BBC revenue, however, that has been a significant blow.

I was told that Studio Lambert was extending my contract. This terminology was actually wrong and needed clarification some week’s later. In fact, you were “optioning me”. I was happy to be optioned and for you to develop something around me. Indeed, I much enjoyed the meetings with your team, but the promised pilot (with what I was repeatedly told by CXX would be “real contestants invited from the street”) did not really take place. The touted grandeur of the money CXX said you would be spending on this pilot and the effort involved on my behalf, sadly, never materialised. You had already shot the series in the US by that time. To make it clear that I was now an afterthought, your team did not even come back to me with feedback after the shoot. I was obliged to badger them some 7 weeks’ afterwards and the majority of our ensuring discussion was about a project of mine- I think we spoke of the HXXX for about ten minutes. Apparently, you thought I had performed well, for which many thanks. The interesting discussion with TXX and NXX was superseded by Coronavirus, of course. I was also told that the newly installed Channel 4 arts man might be interested in the HXXX show, wanted to see the American version first and had not even thought about talent yet. This does not command much confidence and flies in the face of the claim that you were developing something for or with me. I hope you understand how the process might appear horrendous- the lack of feedback, the changes in what is proposed and what is actually offered as well as the sense that I am being manipulated which makes me feel very uncertain about my own ability and again, whether it is appropriate to turn to those I have been told to trust. One of these was X PR. One of these was your care system. Neither work effectively and certainly did not work for me or in my favour.

I wanted an agent because I wanted to know there was someone outside the system who understood the business who was working for my interests and on whom I could rely. I would willingly have paid for that. Hence, incidentally, an agent who is a “friend” of X PR would never have been my first choice. And I wanted this because I felt increasingly anxious that I was being pushed around, manipulated. That feeling has never changed. And I am not alone in feeling like this.

I asked for an agent and X PR firstly said (1) I was not allowed one; then explained (2) that my introduction to Studio Lambert was more than any agent could reasonably arrange and that, anyway (3), if I had an independent agent, I would have to pay an agent commission- and (4) X PR would do the job freely. I persisted and they said that (5) Stephen had asked them specifically to act as my agent. I went along with this until it was clear to me that X PR were stretched to cover the basic PR needs of the rest of the contestants. By this point, incidentally, there was alot of disquiet. I asked again about agents and was promised a list by CXX, which in fact I was never given. It was promised on multiple occasions.

Let me be clear about this: when I ask a question and get three or four differing answers, I am afraid I think it looks odd. It might even look disingenuous.

At this point, I was introduced to an agent in Curtis Brown. We had a very encouraging meeting, which she followed up with a call to Tim H. Three things took place quickly: she confirmed (a) that Studio lambert were actively developing something for me and (b) that she did not have the time to take me on. She also said (c) that another agent at Curtis Brown, who knew X PR, was interested in taking me on.

I was obliged to go to Vanessa, thereafter, with LXX and KXX, both from X PR, in tow. During the interview, LXX interrupted 3 times to stress that I expected more opportunities than I had been given. I thought this very odd. We mentioned my book proposal and LXX observed that Studio Lambert would not like this. This is some 3 months’ after I had originally mentioned the book idea. So, it was not suprising to me that, having spoken to LXX, and despite having suggested she might like to take me on, she, too, found she had too much work. I was left, therefore, by Christmas without an agent and it was quite clear, by this time, that P PR were not acting as my agent, whatever had been arranged or suggested by Stephen, throughout this period or into the future.

I should add that, by this point, I was in a difficult position. Again, I believe this is a result of the circle. Your methodology follows very precise methodology developed by the British and Israeli armies to handle captives and specifically to put them in stress conditions to train them to resist torture. It is often used as a prelude to torture as it actively conditions the captive to be trusting. My partner, who is himself a torture victim, pointed this out to me recently and that I had previously done some research about this in the aftermath of his torture;  indeed, it seems correct. Most of us, interestingly, have had issues with trust since coming out of the circle. For myself, I trusted anyone and anything for months’ after leaving the manchester site. This is not to suggest the circle or Studio Lambert were engaged in anything nefarious, but it is important, going forward, that you properly brief contestants leaving the circle that this may well be an effect and they must guard against it. Equally, I am afraid it is easier to manipulate us and we are more suggestable both on camera and thereafter when we come out of the Circle. If your team, therefore, start to tease contestants with job opportunities and then do not follow through, this is wrong. If we are promised things and none of it emerges, then, of course, we feel rightly disappointed. Because we have been conditioned to trust those people around us, and certainly those endorsed directly by Studio Lambert.

I had a job for a BBC programme that should have commenced the moment I left the circle. There was no contract (there never had been contracts though I was offered one in the few days following the circle) but I had already completed two series and I was expected to do the third. It would have taken up at least three months’ very hard work. I was anxious about whether this conflicted with the terms of your contract and both CXX and X PR assured me they would take legal advice for me and also speak to Stephen. I had an offer from another agency who were prepared to give me advice on a temporary basis about this, but CXX insisted I was in safe hands with your team. A few days’ later, I received an email from the BBC company executive saying that he was sorry to hear that I was unable to do his show. I had, in fact, not said I could not do the show, and I had specifically told his director that I was looking to see how I could do it. In the event, they hired a company to mimic my style and to do so badly: it damages the reutation I have worked years to build up. I asked both X PR and CXX what had been discussed with your legal team and they simply said that it had been my decison. The same terms were used by X PR when I asked about the progress of the BBC election blind date. I looked to your team for support but what I increasingly felt I was getting was manipulation and possibly even bullying. When I expressed concerns to CXX in confidence about this, they were relayed directly to X PR and my relationship thereafter seemed to lurch further into misery.

I must stress again that I like all the individuals involved and have consistently done my best to be supportive of each of them. I do not think anyone has targetted me maliciously or would have done so. However, I think there is an industry-wide expectation that, in the 6 months’ following a show, your team should act in this way: I do not understand the reasons and I do not accept the principle of “exclusivity” that you have enforced on me – especially because, in the absence of your actually developing a show with me, you have offered me nothing. A lot of time has been wasted. This is compounded by the unforeseen advent of Coronavirus which extends the time-period when I have been unable to take up work. With proper representation, I could already have been forging ahead and to your credit.

It seems to me, though, that X PR was stretched beyond breaking point during their tenure after the show. One of the team, indeed, quit to have a baby. What offers were made in October could easily be overlooked by December, so I understand the constraints and I am sympathetic to them. However, in the process, (a) I have neither been given the opportunities that I should have had, (b) I have not had the agency advice and professional support that I needed and (c) I have trusted people who were not in a position to be trusted, however sweet and positive they may have appeared. X PR were, in short, making the best of a bad situation. But I should not be the fall-guy for their issues nor should you expect them to do more than they possibly could manage.

What is most striking is that this is not an instance of a single misjudgement about the companies to whom you subcontract- it is doubled. The clear evidence of UNUM’s demonstrable failure makes my concerns about X PR all the more credible. The fact that concerns about both UNUM and X PR had been voiced repeatedly to your care team makes this significantly most important. Indeed, you continue to endorse shoddy behaviour by pandering to UNUM’s desultory and tardy “investigation”. The facts are clear enough- they failed in January- you called them out. They failed in March and you have called them out. How often and how much evidence do you need to have and how much damage have they already done? MXXX wrote to me to say that, despite their failings, I should, nevertheless, take up their option of counselling. That would not be appropriate, particularly as they seem incapable of accepting responsibility for they actions or following up to apologise to the others they have hurt and hurt badly. So, as with the illusory agent that X PR claimed to be, so, too, with an illusory care package. This is not a standard of aftercare that is appropriate and that you should ever endorse. I feel personally let-down, bullied and humiliated.

This sort of letter should never have to be written. But your system assumes I am the problem and that I can be managed, fixed, counselled. I think the problem lies with the quality of services you have chosen to represent you and, for whatever reason, it has failed. I think you have looked around the industry for a lead on how others have done the job and you have followed their example. Really, you are big enough to lead from the front and to change the way things are done. You do not want to be yet another company that offers entertainment at the expense of the well-being of the people you have used as talent. I know people in your company- I even taught one of you and you are better than that. Now is the time to reflect and to change the way things are done.

Finally, your contract specifies a need for signatures and deals with what is and what is not agreed about visual content screened by you. I was very clear about your not using my partner, NXXX, on screen. That you chose to do so against my expressed and repeated wishes and when I had specifically organised others to be filmed in the event that youever wanted a recorded message, is very disturbing indeed. The contract was between Studio Lambert and me and not between Studio Lambert and NXXX. NXXX is a vulnerable individual and a torture-victim. Whether you got his assent or not really does not matter; how you got it does not matter. You never got mine. I agreed to the project when it was first presented to me on the grounds that I was told at the outset that I would have pyschological support for nearly 2 years for myself and my partner. This was a significant issue as I have long-hoped to get NXXX’s post traumatic stress disorder properly addressed. I repeat: he is a demonstrably vulnerable individual. The moment the show was over, however, his contact with Studio Lambert stopped and I was pretty-well mocked for thinking that it would ever have continued. Indeed, there was nothing written down to suggest it would.

I had been told when I agreed to appear that your head-hunter was going to make me a “star”. I’m not sure that happened either. 

Please remember, though, that  I never approached you to be on the Circle. You approached me. But you cannot simply say whatever you think your contestants want to hear to persuade them to do what you wish. We might remember what is said and take it seriously.

I do.

I have repeatedly said that I remain loyal to Studio Lambert and that I support the Circle and the wider remit of your studio. Please note that this remains the case. I hope, therefore, in this long email, you will be aware that I have tried to make allowance for everyone involved, maybe with the exception of UNUM (and even there, I tried until they failed to respond to my last letter).

Despite my loyalty, however, I remain disappointed by the behaviour of a number of people- I wrote personal handwritten letters to a few people and some of these letters were passed on (or not) by X PR. Certainly, few of them sent any replies or even acknowled receipt. Maybe this is the tone of the new century, but I find it sad and discourteous. 

I would like to see changes and I would like to play a part in effecting those changes in your studio if you will let me. I would not like to learn that you have done to others what you have done to me and I know from talking to people in The US series that they are received significantly more professional and focused support than anything we have ever received.  This again suggests the studio is not at fault- the failings lie in the people to whom you have delegated responsibility. This issue of care is not rocket science- it is common decency. But there has been a breakdown in, and failure of duty of care.

I hope this is clear and I hope this sums up what we talked about this morning, or, at any rate, some element of my diatribe.

It was also lovely to hear laughter in the background- I love the sound of children and it focuses our minds a bit – all this stuff is just stuff, isn’t it? But if we get it right, it is easy for everyone. It we get it wrong, it is simply exploitative and nasty and it is not something we can really be proud of. I am interested in our heritage- and how we pass the best things we have to the next generation. I am intensely proud of my involvement in the circle and I am very protective of it. I enjoyed it and I believe that communicated. What has gone on since, I hope, will be established as a series of errors and I trust there will be efforts now to wholly correct these.

I am so sorry to have written at such length but I wanted to fully address all the things I spoke about this morning and that I had also spoken about to CXX, EXXX and to MXXX. Please compare notes if you wish and feel free to use this as a document for wider discussion in the Studio.

Best wishes,

TIM

On 3 Apr 2020, at 17:00, Tim Harcourt wrote:

Dear Tim,

Thank you for your email and in particular for your feedback on UNUM. This has been addressed.

We have looked into all the other issues you bring up, including your time within and post the Circle, your relationship with X PR and our aftercare process. We are satisfied that the welfare plan we have in place before, during and after the Circle has been adhered to and shared with you at all stages. Naturally we are always open to improving elements of this plan and therefore we will share the contents of your email with the appropriate people within the company.  

We loved having you play the Circle and, if we are lucky enough to have a third series, we would love to talk to you about potential opportunities to be involved.

Best wishes

Tim

A LETTER TO THE NEW MINISTER OF CULTURE:

16^th September 2021

The Rt Hon Nadine Dorries, MP

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

100 Parliament Square, London SW1A 2BQ

Congratulations on your new appointment. I wrote a number of times to your predecessor with suggestions that the DCMS committee looking into Reality TV that was suspended before it had completed its job, should be reassembled. It had taken testimony from only 4 Reality TV performers from a total of two shows. This is not a comprehensive investigation.

The OFCOM recommendations, as you are aware, do little more than confirm industry practice and perpetuate self-regulation that has led to numerous suicides and stress. I know you are familiar with the Reality TV genre. I was myself subject to considerable stress after being invited to take part in a Channel 4 show, “The Circle”. I cannot fault my treatment during the run of the programme but I was not prepared for the level of manipulation that followed this show. My experience and, having talked to many ex-Reality TV starts who share my concerns, has nothing to do with the routinely cited struggle with fame and everything to do with an abuse of power by production. In addition, the care package on offer was unavailable to at least two of us who sought help.

As the OFCOM recommendations were anticipated by the time I took part in the Circle, the guidance now promoted by OFCOM was exactly what was on offer, at least on paper, to those performers who took part in series 2 of the Circle.

It was and remains inadequate.

Two weeks’ ago, I was diagnosed with serious bowel cancer and I go in for surgery on 24^th September. I am told that stress is a contributing factor so maybe, even if I survive, I can regard myself as yet another Reality TV casualty.

I do not want it to end there. I drew up a plan for better legislation, which I enclose with this letter. It uses bodies already set up and active in entertainment including the union Equity, itself amalgamated in the 1960s with the earlier Variety Artistes’ Federation, a group committed to supporting any performer, whatever their background or training. I believe my proposal would provide a better protection for performers while also allowing production companies to get on with what they do best.

I beg for an appointment to discuss this issue formally with you in person when I have successfully come out of hospital.

With best wishes again on your appointment,

Sincerely,

Professor Tim Wilson

MY PROPOSAL:

Mission statement and draft legislation

There are two aspects to reality tv that must be questioned if we are to accept that this is to be a safe form of entertainment that will continue to dominate our tv schedules for the foreseeable future. 

I believe studios must work together with the Government to come up with a fully supported and coherent model to go forward. The media regularly features stories about mental health issues linked to Reality TV production, and if we are to save this genre for the future, we must work harder to ensure it is a more positive experience for all participants.  

 ——————————————————–

The two issues:

Issue ONE) Contestants’ physical and mental pain is the subject of mass entertainment, both during, and after their appearance on such shows. This merits an ongoing obligation by the Production Company to the participants and their families.

Issue TWO) Contestants are placed under contracts that bind them to studios for a considerable time after broadcast. Participants need independent professional support and guidance.

i) A revised code has been published to deal with these issues

• There are 2 amendments to Section 7 (fairness) of the current Broadcasting Code (Fairness and Privacy) and one amendment to section 2 (Harm and Offence).
  • obtaining informed consent (7.3)
  • protecting “vulnerable people” (7.15)
• It is noted in both cases that the length of and nature of participation is significant in determining what action should be taken.
• This builds what Ofcom already provides: “protection for members of the public from the inclusion in such services of offensive and harmful material” (319(2) of the Communications Act 2003(“the 2003 Act”)
• This updates 107 of the Broadcasting Act 1996 which regulates against “unjust or unfair treatment of individuals or organisations in programmes and unwarranted infringements of privacy”

Concerns

• The revised Ofcom code takes action about the public perception of Reality TV and responds to complaints about emotional manipulation, but it is unclear where the responsibility lies should viewers, participants or their families suffer serious stress after production is finished. The impact of Reality TV goes beyond the immediate participants.

• The code, as it stands, is focused on broadcast product and should look beyond this. Much happens in Reality TV production that is never broadcast on television[1] and broadcast content can stimulate public abuse. The production environment is as important as the production broadcast.

ii) The revised code fails to identify the difference between participation in a news report or incidental/ one-off appearance in a game show and participation in an extended Reality TV show like “Big Brother”, “Love Island” and “the Circle” which involve a period of enforced confinement (even if the participant is only briefly shown on screen).

It is unrealistic equally to expect such checks to be made of the public at the scene of a major tragedy, terror incident or casual vox pop[2].

Ownership

Reality TV has become a gladiatorial display where entertainment can be at the expense of a contestant’s health and wellbeing.  This is also an industry that can effectively enslave its performers. They become the property of the studio and are bargained, packaged, paraded or suppressed at the whim of a producer. There seems to be no protection on offer.

Symbiotic relationship

Contestants have often been lured into the show with stories of glamour and opportunity. There is no training and no support. Casting directors ramp up expectations and hopes. 

A symbiotic relationship between producers, casting agents and the media has ensured this goes unchallenged. When there is a crisis, there are three routine responses:

1. The contestant cannot deal with fame
2. They cannot deal with the loss of fame
3. They knew what the show was about, and they participated willingly

I will question all three of these responses. 

My paper offers three issues

The focus of OFCOM report & recommendations (April 2020) 

Issue Two: Contracts, and Proposals

Issue Three: Agent and Union representation must be on offer before participation

Issue One: The focus of OFCOM report & recommendations (April 2020) 

The first issue, being physical and mental pain, is the one that has been the focus of attention for the last 20 years, and is also the focus of OFCOM and government enquiries into flashpoints like the recent Jeremy Kyle show.  The number of suicides connected to the Reality TV phenomenon is disturbing, as also the level of public abuse arising from a perception determined by edition and presentation is worrying. At its worst, Reality TV makes entertainment out of potential abuse and normalises that abuse[3].

Even successful formats and successful contestants express regret about being on the show and talk about the stress and poor mental health they have suffered since. [4][5]

Self-regulation

This is the main issue the public witnesses and it has, therefore, drawn most attention. The solution proposed is a system of self-regulation and psychological care before, during and after the show. It is clear from reports that this care is often compromised, and the same team of counsellors and psychologists are also used to help the casting process of contestants, with or without either the contestants or the pyschologists’ informed consent[6][7].

It is therefore submitted, that to be effective, henceforth, psychological care must be wholly independent and be seen to be independent.

Psychological care cannot be the only support on offer. While British army offers injured and recovering soldiers valuable and necessary psychological support, it also offers professional training and rehabilitation.

The optics generated by the current Ofcom document are worrying

It suggests that we are engaged in a form of entertainment that either is using emotionally unstable individuals and incapable of properly identifying their problems before filming, or that the filming experience is so traumatic it creates a situation where psychological support is necessary.[8]

It is also possible that individuals may feel they have been exploited after the TV show has been filmed.

Supportive counselling to negotiate a sudden transition into a new career would be efficacious and welcome, but what is currently on offer is presented as support for crisis, and a very necessary support. This sends a very worrying signal about the health of the industry itself. Moreover, it demonstrates a failure to provide for those who may only be beginning their mental health journey, and such help, therefore, comes too late.

It should (a) not be the proviso that “only people in crisis” receive support, as that is the minority outcome and (b) it should not negate other mental and physical struggles that contests go through before and after the show. There is more than one form of “valid” struggle, and it is well-known that earlier interaction with such support systems is more effective.

My own experience of Care

Though I believe the intentions were good, I know that the effort to help with the vulnerability we felt after “the Circle” went wrong. Although it has not been an easy journey for me, I am aware that others have had a much harder time, and I am very mindful that I was not the only casualty.

My concerns were not particularly raised during or before filming, but I was acutely aware of a lack of support both for myself and for others in the months following broadcast. I was also frustrated to be repeatedly denied access to independent professional support.

I was aware of the following issues:

1. editing out of sequence[9]
2. manipulation (mind-games) during and after production
3. denial of an agent
4. lack of union representation
5. serious abrogation of a duty of care following broadcast/ serious failures of the care system put in place

If we do not get it right, we are asking the public to accept entertainment at the price of a performer’s health, and thus make the viewing public complicit without knowing[10]. Ofcom have asked producers to take full responsibility for a significant and growing part[11] of our tv scheduling. Production companies should, instead, be there simply to make a show: that is their talent[12].  Studio Lambert had the right instinct, therefore, to delegate care, but this process should now be governed by proper legislation and proper support. If we get it right, everyone benefits.

If we get it wrong, we add to a tally of suicides and mental health problems and there will be a point when this form of popular entertainment will be judged no longer viable or ethical. 

This is a world-wide phenomenon and no country has yet got this right. We have an opportunity to lead the way and protect the Industry. We have a tradition in defining legislation to protect, secure and promote better entertainment in the UK. It is already a global standard, and a standard we must continue to uphold.

Issue Two: Contracts, and Proposals

The second issue of a binding agreement is more pernicious, because it effectively enslaves people who have no knowledge of the industry. Unlike journalists and actors who may also be placed under lengthy contracts and rigid confidentiality clauses, reality tv contestants rarely have agents or access to professional advice (from lawyers experienced in very specific entertainment contracts) [13]before signing contracts. Equally, such contestants rarely have experience of the industry before they are thrown into what is often peak-time tv scheduling.  They are also rarely granted access to independent agents beyond the production studio in the period after the show has finished filming.[14] They are rarely granted access to independent agents beyond the production studio in the period after the show has finished filming. This seems unacceptable practice.

It is worrying that contracts are sent only days before filming begins allowing little time to take proper informed advice.

Personal opinion

I am sure an agent would have worked much harder to protect my interests and made me less exposed to exploitation. An agent should have tailored offers to my skills instead of assuming a one-size fits all approach. The link between reality tv and influencer-status on social media is not automatic.

The instance of suicide and depression in the industry is staggering.

No government should condone such an unregulated and potentially abusive form of entertainment which may often be described as exploitation. 

Issue Three: Agent and Union representation must be on offer before participation

I believe there are options for moving forward, but proper care of contestants/participants in Reality TV shows must go beyond cursory (and questionably independent) psychological care. I believe people who apply to be part of, or are independently approached to be part of, a Reality TV show must have independent realistic representation within the industry. This includes also Union support should they wish.  This is a minimal professional option that is offered and expected of every other form of professional entertainment in the UK[15].  As Reality TV occupies a significant portion of our TV schedules, it is essential that it is brought properly in line with professional representation and support.

If a participant does not have proper professional representation, it should be provided, and producers should ensure that it is in place before filming begins.

Proper payment for a featured role on tv. (at the moment the rate of pay seems to be on the lower end of scale for extra work and the tv presenter of Reality TV shows often takes a sum in excess of £600,000 appearing on screen far less than the contestants)[16]

Accreditation with, or introduction to, independent representational agency

Union representation, which may involve a discussion with Equity.

It is regrettable that Reality TV has existed without proper support for the last 20 years, and it is shameful that in the review following the Jeremy Kyle Show, proper professional support was neither considered nor recommended.

In order for this lucrative form of entertainment to continue, these suggestions need to be implemented, or tragedies will continue, and it will become unconscionable for the public to watch and enjoy such shows.

Comments

• There are a variety of reality show formats
  • Many engage members of the public for a brief time on TV shows
  • Some, however, give Reality Show participants more extended tv coverage and this alone changes the nature of the engagement.
  • This second aspect (more Intense Reality TV) is recognized in principle in the current Ofcom code (which recognizes that the length of, and nature of participation may determine the best course of support). I believe it should better articulate the nature of support for more Intense Reality tv and to further discussion about this is the purpose of my current document.

• Someone who is consistently on TV for a period of weeks and plays a major part in our TV entertainment schedule should be treated as a professional and given professional support. I will detail what I believe this should be.
• At the same time, proper independent support should be provided to participants. This challenges the central core that it is the production’s direct responsibility to oversee and fund support. I wish to suggest a way in which that principle of responsibility can be supported while a guarantee of genuine independence can be established.

• A number of serious issues arise from this more Intense Reality TV.
• From my own experience, I can confirm that contestants on THE CIRCLE are given one day off per week (in our case, a Thursday) and are filmed all day and night. This is arguably against current legislation governing labour.
• We were also paid a stipend of £75 per day, which is under the equity minimum and less than an extra generally receives for paid film work.
  • This was despite the fact that we had speaking roles on prime time tv
  • We were taking specific direction (when to dance and how to dance for example; one contestant was castigated for not dancing)
  • The level of control exercised by production while we were filmed on set continued for months after filming stopped.

• The current Ofcom document rests on the assumption that it is a code for the participation of “members of the public” in TV shows.

• The advice is commendably broad and focuses on “due care” and protection.

• The document is in reference to very specific terms of reference drawn up in 2019 after the collapse of the Jeremy Kyle show

• What psychological support should production companies and broadcasters provide?
  • Examples of best practice.
  • Monitoring and registering how efficacious is the duty of care.
  • Unfair pressure because of the design of reality shows’ format.
  • What is the future of this part of the industry if there is not better regulation?

• There are 2 amendments to Section 7 (fairness) of the current Broadcasting Code (Fairness and Privacy) and one amendment to section 2 (Harm and Offence).
  • obtaining informed consent (7.3)
  • protecting “vulnerable people” (7.15)

• It is noted in both cases that the length of and nature of participation is significant in determining what action should be taken.

• Protecting audiences/ the public from harm or offence or the perception of harm. Particularly, arising from the treatment of “vulnerable people” (2.17)

• Ofcom already provides: “protection for members of the public from the inclusion in such services of offensive and harmful material” (319(2) of the Communications Act 2003(“the 2003 Act”)

• This updates 107 of the Broadcasting Act 1996 which regulates against “unjust or unfair treatment of individuals or organisations in programmes and unwarranted infringements of privacy.

• These are two separate issues:

• Recognize that harm may be done to individuals before, during and after broadcast, and
  • Such harm may also be done to individuals who watch the programme or otherwise as a consequence of the programme’s production

In addressing this, the new code goes some way.

• There is ambiguity, however, in the code:
• Participants in Reality TV shows are also “members of the public” This is acknowledged in a footnote of the consultation document  (p 7) stating that complaints can be registered from any “person who appeared, or whose voice was heard, in the programme” under 130 of the Broadcasting act 1996.

• There is an argument that reality show participants (in the form of Intense Reality TV) are no longer “public” but are performers. They are also, by definition, protected by the Broadcasting act of 1996 and their families are protected by subsequent acts and modifications. The representation of such reality show participants as members of the public cuts to the heart of the matter and allows for levels of exploitation that are truly astonishing.

• Government and the Production companies are reluctant to make a distinction between the two forms of reality TV. It is convenient because it allows companies to make a lot of money.  

The Ofcom regulations rightly highlight public concerns about mental health and wellbeing.

• Ofcom was also mindful of imposing an unnecessary burden on broadcasters and production companies, ensuring that bolder and engaging entertainment can still be produced under these guidelines.
  • In fact, I would argue that we should be more honest and accept that there is a duty of care and that the only way to minister this is to ensure independent support is financed by production. I have suggested that this should be a tripartite offer of union accreditation, professional representation and medical insurance. Psychiatric support can be accessed by participants through the medical insurance option.

• Concerns are raised that it is important that individuals will not be put at harm as a result of their participation (2.12 Consultation 2)

• More extended commitment and appearance in a longer-running Reality TV show, however, requires a more targeted approach that matches the duration of contractual agreements.

• If a participant is signed to a longer-running programme and will be featured on main-time tv schedules for a number of episodes, they should be treated as a professional entertainer and afforded professional support, including access to and membership of Equity and/or BECTU. They should be recognized as professional performers and afforded professional support.

Professional support, as envisaged, should allow for psychiatric care as well as tailored professional advice from the Arts’ industry. In most cases, this should be in the form of independent theatrical Management.

• This transfers the care regime from the production company to a recognized independent Care provider and insurance agency. It ensures that participants are afforded legal advice from an independent management team familiar with the Industry.

• This ensures care is in place before filming begins, during filming and after filming. It also ensures that participants can assess independent career advice and support when they have finished filming.

• This allows production companies and broadcasters to get on with doing what they do best and to concentrate on making content-rich and entertaining programmes.

• If we do not get this right, there will be increasingly lessening public support for Reality TV in its current form, which in turn damages the industry.

---

[1] Production prompts may well determine how a performer reacts on camera, and this, in turn, may lead to broadcast something the participant regrets. See my interview with Jeff Varner, “Survivor” https://youtu.be/L-EsKaH6Yqk

[2] Maureen Eames shot to fame in a voxpop https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-barnsley-pensioner-bbc-anti-lockdown-viral-b1221765.html

[3] “Love island”: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/22/love-island-emotional-abuse-entertainment-adam-collard-gaslighting

[4] Leonie McSorley on her regret at being on MTV “Ex on the Beach” https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/03/they-sell-you-a-dream-are-reality-shows-such-as-love-island-failing-contestants

[5] Lottie Lion (“the Apprentice”) https://thetab.com/uk/2020/09/07/the-apprentices-lottie-lion-says-she-is-terrified-to-go-out-in-emotional-video-174113

[6] See account of Jo Hemmings who “previously accessed celebrities ahead of their appearance on the reality show, but said that the pressure to place celebrities who might not be able to cope into the house questioned her professional integrity” https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/03/they-sell-you-a-dream-are-reality-shows-such-as-love-island-failing-contestants

[7] See Emma Kenny’s comments https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-05-15/reality-tv-mental-health-love-island-big-brother/

[8] See Sophie Gradon  (“Love Island”) comments: ‘Imagine someone highlighting your deepest insecurity, pointing it out online and having that shared by hundreds of people,”… https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/health/mental-health/a27750385/reality-tv-and-mental-health/

[9] The editing “out of sequence” is surprising when this issue was what led to the creation of Studio Lambert and Stephen Lambert’s exit from RDF media. The pressure, in other words to “tell a good story” is something that, with the best intentions, a production company cannot resist. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/oct/05/bbc.tvfakery3

[10] There is a growing movement to boycott reality tv shows (though arguably what people say publicly and what they do privately as a “guilty pleasure” may also account for the popularity of the genre.). There may be a more negative movement against these shows should there be further linked suicides recorded.

[11] Reality TV is a growth industry in television and is ideally suited to filming under lockdown pressures.

[12] Production companies do not have medical qualifications or psychology training.

[13] Current practices may be challenged with contract fraud. In my case, I received a contract only a few days’ before filming began giving me little time to seek professional legal advice. The advice I got from two legal sources both overlooked significant details which would probably only have been caught by a legal practice specializing in theatrical contracts.

[14] Efforts should be made to avoid the impression of a restrictive covenant or non-complete clause. Such clauses should only protect the business and should only be enforced for the time-period that protects the business, so for instance until broadcast or publicity is finished. It seems irresponsible to condone the current 6-month control order that leaves participants at the mercy of the studio or production company well-after the show is aired.

[15] Until 1990 Equity membership was a requirement for all performance. Conversations that I have had with Equity suggest that a conversation with Simon Cowell determined the concept that Reality TV participants were not performers. This is something I contest as I was taking direction during the shoot and working on a prime time TV entertainment show for 22 episodes.

[16] Laura Whitmore who replaced Caroline Flack presented love island and was reportedly paid £600,000

Summary of conversation between Tim Harcourt, Toni Ireland and me (March 2021)

Wilson: Am I on Bluetooth? I shouldn’t be. These aren’t supposed to be working at the moment but. Um . Laugh. Nothing is clearly working. Oh I’m ok, jhow are you?

 You’re looking wonderful. Your hair’s not piled up.

Toni: I know, it’s down today. You know

Wilson: We live for style., look I’m alone today. I’ve still got the bow tie on.

Toni: How’s bey?

Tim: He’s actually quite well. You know he’s had two heart attacks?  He has medicine morning and night.  And the older cat- I thought he was going to die in November or October or something, and the older cat promptly went out in sympathy and didn’t eat for 3 weeks. And got so thin, it was like looking at a sausage that has been left out in the rain. And then, you know you sort of nurse them a lot,  and they both started perking up to life again: it was like looking at spring.  And now Bey is almost back to himself- Though he screams blue murder I think fame went to his head. I can’t switch on- I’m surprised he’s not here actually,  I can’t switch on a camera or put on the TV without him coming and sitting in front of it.

Tim: Hello TIM!

Tim Talks about dog

Wilson: Ah I’ve seen photos- he’s lovely. Gorgeous. I was just talking to Toni- I’m afraid when rather than if- when my cats die,  and I think it will happen together, I’m determined to get a cat and a dog- that’s what I originally wanted: I wanted –I went to a cattery which sold me my oldest cat with ringworm  which I didn’t know about and I took her home and I thought she was lovely and I took her to the Vet and the vet said “oh you mustn’t have any other animals, “ and shaved her. She looked like a sort of Ren and stimpy, one of those more recent cartoons.  With a few tufts of hair at the end of the tail- she lived in my dressing gown pocket which is why she is so sort of clingy now. – for about 2 months. And before I got her I went to a dog – is it a doggery, I don’t know. Maybe that’s something you do on the M4. Anyway, I went to this dog place and I saw all these little golden retrievers, a week old, and one of them came up to me and peed all over my leg and I thought that’s the one I’ll take. And I put down quite a heafty deposit. And then went to get the cat. And was told I couldn’t have any other animals so I had to ring up the doggery and say sorry can’t have you, lost my deposit. Didn’t say why because I thought that would cause more fuss and – you know you have to get the order of events correct and eventually I got a second cat for hanim and she hated him, and its only now that they’re just about tolerating each other. She’s so old- she can’t really hiss and scratch as much as she used to. But she’s the sort of lady you would cross the road to avoid. But she loves me and that’s all that’s important and now they’ve both gone a bit silent because they get medicine morning and night and they don’t like it and now she tolerates NXXX which is something of a blessing after 17 years- Tim, I like the haircut.

Tim: Thank you. Self-administered.

Wilson: It’s slightly monastic.

Tim: I’m quite enjoying not having to managing it. Just shave it once a week- one of my boy’s is having a piano lesson.

Wilson: Don’t worry. I’m immensely proud and impressed. What’s he up to?

It would be much worse if you got him violin lessons so count your blessings.

Tim: I know, yeah. He played the drums recently. When he quits- that’s a happy day.

Wilson: NJ played the violin.

Tim: He did.

Wilson: Thankfully when I met him- when I was teaching him, I met him when he was 13,thankfully he was playing rather brilliantly then so , but his mother told me how miserable it was.  For the first two years. It takes 2 years before you can produce a note that isn’t unpleasant.

Tim: Some would argue more than two years I think.

Wilson: It depends on your technique.

Tim: Not quite as nice as the piano. Thanks so much for chatting to us today, thought it would be good to touch base with you, see how you were.

Wilson: Thank you

Tim: And I know you’ve been voicing some thoughts and Ideas and we’d love to talk about them and I know you’ve got a few criticisms and we’d like to hear that.

Wilson: Well, I’ve been scrupulously careful not to criticize the cast in any way.  And I think they need as much support as possible but

Toni:There’s been terrible bullying on the internet

Wilson: It’s horrible.  I was heartbroken

Toni: It’s really shocked me this year. I know Towie put something out as well last night- their cast as well.

Wilson: I haven’t seen that. People are in lockdown. They’ve got nothing better to do than be nasty.

Tim: yes, I think that’s exactly what it is.

Wilson: equally one’s got to set a standard where we actually need to be encouraging niceness or kindness. At the same time, doing something exciting.  I’ve been a little critical of some of the twists, but I was talking about it with Necati a few days ago –

Tim: what do you like and what do you not like?

Wilson: Oh I detest your twists. I detest them. I  just think they’re demonic and I think if I had been Emma I would have resigned on the spot having to do it. It’s like looking at Milton’s satan sliding down the tree of life, purring into the camera and saying “I’ve got a new twist for you” but – the twists themselves I don’t object to

Tim: what do you think of the clone twist?

Wilson: Oh I hated it but it was compelling. I hope its come across what I’ve been saying- I really dislike this, but do watch it. So I’ve been playing both sides a little bit but it just struck me that it was very nasty. And it is one way to go- I mean Big Brother I believe went that way- I’ve not really got round to big brother yet but I’ve had a chat with Pete Bennett so I’ve had my introduction to big brother (giggle)

Toni: he was in series 7

Wilson: well, nXXX watched all these things so he would call me in to the other room and say Look at Pete! Or Nikki and I’d go in and I’d sneer a little and I’d go back to my work and now I realize that I’m plum-bang in the middle of this world,

Toni: you must watch more reality then, Tim

Wilson:The last year- I cant say I’m an aficionado because I grump away at it but  it is compelling.- the thing that I would say which would please Tim is that this is like looking at Trash and  trash is the stuff that makes up our history. This is the stuff that’s going to survive.  Such an important part of our television output. And its been going on for long enough now that it’s really got to be looked at properly and no one’s doing it here.

Tim: Do you mean in an academic manner or a psychological manner?

Wilson: I’m not either of those. I’m completely lightweight (giggles) – no, people spend too much time looking at psychology. This has to be looked at in terms of what its doing creatively.  And it think its doing something quite interesting creatively.  The problem is since it started, it’s got hooked up with the idea of how do we identify it. People have said, “Oh this is a game show”, and its not a game show.  It’s either a superannuated game show or its something slightly different. And I think its drama. I think you’re creating drama without telling everybody that you’re doing it. In its best form. And that’s Stanislavsky.

Tim: the reality?

Wilson: You are literally putting into practice the thing that happened down the road from where I lived in Moscow. By casting carefully- I mean you’ve got the best cast that you’ve ever had this year.  Without any doubt. There’s not a weak link there.

Tim: but its not got you in it Tim

Wilson: It has me bitching from the sidelines.

Tim: that’s a bit hard, commentating.

Toni: commenting

Wilson: It doesn’t matter really does it as long as one’s stirring up interest but, I think you’ve got the best: Manrika is spectacular.

TIM: I love Manrika.

Wilson: well, I think she’s pretty but she’s got a brain as well. Tally was the weak link- until you did the twist. And then she’s defined by that twist, but I think she’s got a lot more depth to her. And that came out in adversity.  There’s a lot of jumping about which means I long for Vithun and for Natalya. Natalya just does serenity naturally. Vithun sometimes looks as if he’s switching off. You just want that calm to place against all the jumping. There’s a lot of jumping.

Tim: Who do you want to win, who do you think will win.

Wilson: I’m pretty certain I know who’s going to win. You know that, Tim! You know my thought on this but I think Natalya’s going to win. I’d love Vithun to win but I don’t think he will. I think he’ll be out in a few days’ time. Any of them, I’d be delighted if any of them won. I just think they’re all lovely. I have no gripes with them, I like penny as well-  has she gone (some indistinct conversation about Penny and Pippa confusion)  I thought you were breaking a secret there-

I was chatting to NXXX about this – I’ve got the word tart going in my head and its not that- clone!  If, for example, I was in casting, and Toni came up to me and said “oh I want to be in the Circle” and I thought “You’d make a great player”, and when we had sung a bit of “King and I”, I thought absolutely, You’re in. but you didn’t know who to play and I’d say “why don’t you play a man! Let’s keep the same initial”- and I give you Tim’s identity / profile. Tim comes along and says he wants to play in the game and I give him Toni’s identity- this isn’t beyond casting after all- and then put you both in on day 1-It would be an extraordinary moment.

TIM: I love that twist.

Wilson:

It’s a much nicer twist that getting somebody to go back in because they already know who they’re dealing with so it comes across as malicious. But if you both go in at the same time, it comes across as extraordinary and you’ve got two people who are genuinely confused. And similarly with the assassin thing, which also comes across as malicious, as it was presented but if you were to take a late entrant and put them in and say you’re not allowed to have your own identity but you can take someone else’s identity for so long and that person could go round everyone’s profile, but again they have the disadvantage of not knowing who anybody is, and everybody’s saying “But I didn’t say that. I didn’t say that!” It wasn’t me. “But I had a conversation with you.” That would be funny as well.

Toni: It’s a good idea putting them straight in.

Wilson: Putting them straight in, at a disadvantage but at the same time there is an opportunity for them to win their place. This is what you’re telling them.  And you have to make it clear I think that This is my game and I make the rules. It’s mary Poppins’ land. And I don’t think that’s coming across at the moment.

TIM: You don’t think its coming across that the circle is slightly mischievous?

Wilson: I’m hearing a lot of noise. About it being unfair. And I’m thinking- but its not a game. It’s a magic trick- its just fun and the production is in charge and the production makes this an interesting story. (oops Tim, you’ve frozen- you have become icon-like)

Do you know how I knew that James was fake?

TIM: my connection is unstable

Wilson: its life, Tim/

TIM: you’re hearing a lot on noise.

Wilson:  worry not, I’m fine. The reason I knew that James was fake was because every time I tried to draw him, I ended up drawing an icon.  There’s a point at which- what your players need to get to: the more twists you throw at them, the less they’re likely to sink into this and the less they’re likely to get this -and in a way will be at a disadvantage and then you have to keep piling on twists because the performers can’t take the programme forward, they can’t shoulder the narrative – they don’t have powerful enough relationships to support the programme.

Tim: I think that’s a fair point. You can have two many twists

Wilson: have the twists and really entertaining ones for every person who comes in later in the game so they become iconic because of the twists that they came in with. As you come in later,  you don’t stand a chance of winning. Except by accident. If you’re in the Paddy position. So it’s just possible that Pippa could win but highly unlikely but she would win by accident, Though she would’t win then because she had achieved something herself.

TIM what if Dot or Natayla won?

Wilson: My money is on Natayla all the time. I think she’s the right sort of person. She’s got the right personality, credentials, she looks good on camera. Everybody else is making too much effort. Dot is making far too much effort. What is extraordinary about Natayla is that she effortlessly goes from the character into explaining what she’s done. She is worth her weight in gold. Whereas Scott, he’s an actor and he doesn’t know which part he’s acting and when he’s not acting- he’s always performing.

Toni says something-

Wilson: well I think joyce was a better version of that catfish and also chaotic. And very funny. That’s the joy of having two people doing it because you’ve also got the drama of the stuff in the apartment itself. You’ve got to make every character who comes into the show significant in their own way. Not just coming in to play the game, but coming in with trumpets blaring and the other cast don’t know this. And that makes it exciting. It makes it exciting for the viewer. That’s where I’d be coming from.

The other thing is the industry just needs to find a way to make it safer and the ofcom thing isn’t the route.

Tim: well, what do you think should be done?

Wilson: well, everything that’s in the OFCOM proposal you were already doing.  And you’ve still had bumps. That proves that’s not the way forward. And I think you ought to be leading. I think you ought to be going to the secretary of state and saying Look, you shouldn’t be getting your hands dirty with aftercare.in any way, because – its not your job. And if it goes wrong, then you are blamed.

Toni: do you think this should be done by someone else? what do you think the solution is?

Wilson: the solution is to use the professions that already exist. So you need to put pressure on equity.so people have independent representation to start with.,  so one of the deals- because you don’t get very much out of this- one of the deals is a temporary equity card so there’s that professional support for the people who are performing because they are performers number 1. . Number 2 there should be some sort of – oh, tim’s disappeared again…

Toni: he’ll be back.

Wilson: ok- I was talking about Union representation if people want it, so that if there’s a problem, its not down to the people in the house to sort this out or down to the runners- there is an organization which will rally behind and say ok, Look. There’s an issue. And it’s not down to you this is the point. You’re putting people through very strange working environment and there is no way they can be prepared for that.  So you need to prepare somebody else. Or another organization for that.  There needs to be a distance between you and the people who are cast. Somebody who’s got their backs. Who can say actually we know what’s going to happen and you’re going to be ok, don’t worry.

And iyt can’t be you who says this. You can’t run with the hare and the hounds.

And I think the after care should be in the same form- it should have nothing to do with studio lambert. At all. I know you use psychiatrists/ psychologists and they’re partly useful for the casting process – very useful- so you shouldn’t then use the same people because there’s a question mark over them. You just need to delegate all that elsewhere

Something countered by Toni)

Wilson: I know this, but it doesn’t stop the paranoia. And this would stop that completely,. It would also make everything seem completely professional.

Toni explains at length that studio Lambert have the players best interests at heart.

Toni: We love watching you and we wouldn’t want you to think we don’t care.

Wilson: But you get a very strange experience after the show is finished. I got the most extraordinary bump: it was horrible. I would describe it as a love affair, I felt dumped. Utterly dumped. I absolutely adored studio lambert and you and I’ve tried to maintain as much of that as possible but I felt abandoned.  It was like a divorce that I never requested.

Tim: being in our hands and looked after, talking to us.

Wilson: every moment of the day, suddenly being delegated to  people I didn’t know.

Toni very indistinct)

Wilson: that’s the point- you would already have a relationship with something that was independent. And the relationship with Studio lambert would be that nice relationship, now its stopped. What we’ve got is this thing where we’ve still got a strained relationship and we don’t know where we’re going.

TIM: taking your dumped analogy, you have a love affair and then every month they come round and sleep with you?

Wilson: Or borrow your china. (giggles all round) That’s exactly it. And it’s soul-destroying, Tim.

Toni, say it was an external company, what would it be-

Wilson: well I think all these companies exist. If everybody who is cast is given to a reputable theatrical agent, that automatically puts them at a distance from you.

Toni; An agent though- I don’t

Wilson: yes, some agents are trustworthy, some are not,  believe me, I’ve had a look at them dodgy jungle as well, but its about getting and maintaining that distance –you’ve both gone quiet.

Tim: I thought you were going to say something

Wilson: (Laughter)I was waiting for you to cut in at that point. It’s called an edit Tim.

Tim: I totally see your point about how psychology is part of – obviously they participate – and a consenting adult and because they oked you- they have a vested interest in – you feel they’re justifying their earlier actions. I don’t think the agent is the right direction.

Wilson: the agent – what do you do afterwards. I know my case is peculiar and I don’t want to overstate my case but literally I should never have outed myself on the show. It’s caused all manner of problems and I looked myself up on the internet the other day- I don’t know whether you ever do this, but I very rarely do it- I found that I have now become a professor emeritus. Which I think was only a matter of time. Under Russian rules I’m still professor which is something of a relief but it is shocking. They haven’t paid me in 5 years or so. We can now say goodbye to ever getting paid. Part of the thing is the Russian lawwhich is very negative about gay people being involved in education.  And you only have to put my name into Wikipedia and there’s photographs of me and my partner – lots of stuff that I was careful about before I did the show.  I was never closeted, the line was just look at the colour of my socks, draw your own conclusions.

Toni: I suppose that came from the press pack

Wilson: It came from the press pack. And gareth rather wisely pointed out, you don’t need to be so coy about it because it’s already public knowledge and I thought Oh right. So I mentioned my partner’s gender. But I wasn’t originally doing so and I didn’t know. And it’s not a reflection on you because – you couldn’t have known – the law also changed at about that time.

Toni: obviously we would never have broadcast this had we known.

Wilson: the effect of the law really changed about 2 months after I came out of the show. And it was then not a 20pence fine, but 7-22 years in prison. There was a person called Maxim who had made an innocuous youtube video. And he was forced to leave the country.

TIM: Not a dancer?

Wilson: no – plenty of dancers who have real problems. My problem was I didn’t have enough fame to brazen it out- I’m not Stephen Fry. But I’m splattered all over the place enough to be an interesting scalp. So that was one thing. And they backdated my retirement to before the circle even happened. They’ve taken an event where I went round to see the rector of the university to be shown my new chair- my new office as the new professor of theology- the first prof of theology in MPGU, it was very exciting and they took all these photographs of me and they gave me various medals and things- and they’ve now posted all this to give the impression that I was going to negotiate a better relationship between the UK and Russia. As a retired professor. Complete rubbish. I’ve had a lot of trolling. I think there’s probably an entire office in the Kremlin busy (hoots of laughter)

So there was that- and you don’t know what to do when you come out so you turn to the people who happen to be around. You either get information or you don’t and there’s a vacuum and you don’t know what’s going on. And you’re very lost.

Tim: compounded by covid

Wilson: utterly. But we became dependent. That’s the effect. I know we’ve talked in the past about this R21 technique, but everything you do in order to get a good performance in the show were things that were done to necati before he was physically tortured. They’re stress triggers. Designed to make people compliant, so in television terms, they’re designed to make people talkative and energetic on television. In torture terms, they’re designed to make people obey their captor. I don’t know whether either of you have done it but it takes a long time to recover from that.

Toni asks for more details about R21.

Wilson: so R21 technique was designed by the british army and the Israeli army, NATO, to prepare soldiers for withstanding torture.  You deny people time, that’s the first thing, then you deny them control of warmth or cold, you give them continual instructions, there’s a lit of noise.- I don’t know whether you ca=me into my apartment when I was there, but the noise of all the dysons was exradonary. It felt like a factory.

Toni: this year we had aircon!

Wilson: congratulations. I was speaking to ALEX LAKE THE OTHER DAY AND HE WAS SAYING that he went in with lots of knitwear jumpers because his wife knits and he said he couldn’t wear any of them.

Tim: we filmed them in a heatwave.

Wilson: yes I know! Absolutely. I think he did very well. And I liked his trousers. He calls them trousers- I call them pyjamas -I suggested it looked like Katherine Hepburn in “Philadephia story”. And then you have very loud colours and stuff, and all this is designed to stress you.to make you feel you are not in control so gradually you cede control.in fact you cede control very quickly. If you’re wise, you give control to production on day 1.and the production looks after you. And that works. Oh tim’s disappeared again…

It really is like talking to God. Or talking to myself- we both share the same monosyllabic culture. Tim! Tim..

So you’re doing all this stuff, it makes good tv but afterwards,-I was giving my phone number to people on the street. without thinking about it because somebody asked me a question, I’d say yes of course.

And it causes all manner of problems, you need that protection when you come out.and its more than just going through things and saying are you alright. Do you fancy killing yourself? You need support because it’s something that most people have never done and its quite a shock to the system.  My coming out of it and NXXX saying this is exactly what happened to me. And we then have to deal with all that again.

Toni: how is NXXX?

Wilson: Oh he’s fine. Everything’s ok.

Tim: what about the R21?

Wilson: we talked about it once before and you said am I accusing you of  perpetrating torture. No not at all. I’m saying coincidentally you’re doing the same thing. For actually the same result- You want somebody to be obedient or at least compliant so they make good tv so they’re vulnerable because vulnerability reads. You didn’t have to do that to Vithun because he comes across as the most vulnerable creature in the universe. But most people needs abit of support. And its part of actors’ training. They do this. They want to project vulnerability- but how do you do that quickly? There isn’t an alternative but you have to find a way of setting up a support system for people afterwards. and I think the ofcom thing is very glib in thinking that psychiatry is the solution to everything. What you need is a feeling that you’ve got somebody who’s got your back. And that has to be independent of your company.so you need two spheres- you’ve got the company which does its thing and you’ve got something else- which is all for you and I came up with this idea that its like eliza Doolittle and you do your Henry Higgins thing – somebody said it was Pygmalion but in fact I was thinking of My Fair Lady because obviously I want to break into song.but at the end of the show, she’s been transformed for a joke which is the circle!~ you change from what you’ve been to something entirely different and then, what do you do then? And there isn’t a route , no path- you can’t go back to the life you had- unless you’re so clever and life is so clearly cut that you can =go back to it, in which case go back as fast as you can.

Toni: that’s interesting. We try and encourage people to go back to the life they had before. (and she says a lot that is indistinct)

Wilson: I certainly didn’t I did when I came out because it had been ramped up, and you optioned me- at the same time, everything else disappeared, so you were not telling me to go back – and there was little option of that. In my case everything went. I had a BBC job I should have done and you know they wrote back and said I’m sorry you cant do it. I never said I couldn’t do it. But you know the BBC is cheap- it never gave me a contract.- it started throwing contracts at me the moment I came off the show. but it never gave me a contract before hand- never in any of the series I did. Oh Hello!

Tim: (about his son) they have these remote piano lessons by phone.

Wilson: has the piano lesson finished now?

Tim: for one of the boys it has.

Wilso- so there we are, and er- it can get very dark really. Because you just don’t know what you’re doing. And you’re lost. And eliza says what’s to become of me and I looked and I thought the only thing possible is selling bikinis on assos or doing Only Fans and I cant see myself making much money at either (laughter)

Tim I’m sure you would support me in both ventures.

But its really odd and I thought the only thing that’s left for me now is telly. And I can’t go back to my university. I can’t go back to doing all the stuff backstage.- I’ve done more animation in lockdown than I have for years but I’ve still not quite finished anything.

Toni asks what I am doing.

Wilson: well we’ve got some little projects. Lined up but it doesn’tr make money. Its not something to survive on – I’m finally being able to do the sort of thing and to break through the traditions and set out something which may actually end up being significant. Bringing illustrations to life that are not primarily for children. Particularly. So I’m looking at the original illustrations for Dickens. A project for Edward Lear – literally I’ve just been writing a preface for a new book in Albania so it will be translated into Albanian- so I think I’m now an international authority on Lear which is rather nice. I’ve got an encyclopedia entry and I’ve got a preface in Albania.

Tim: is Albanian a serbo corat language?

Wilson:

It’s a language which is impenetrable. I can do one word in it Its Ilyria! Youand I should be really excited- They’ve actually got buildings that go back to the fall of Troy! Well at least the 10^th or 11^th century BC. I’ve got a project which will eventually come off but I’m not big enough to do it yet. That would be me going round Edward lears’ journey and swopping between me and him because we share the same birthday.

Tim: his journeys in Greece?

Wilson: Northern Greece and Albania and Mount athos. Would be great fun and so he drew a huge amount as he was travelling. So my conceit was to go tothe same places he drew and then redraw them and then animate through them and put- and use the limericks as well. At some point, that will see the light of day but the other thing is slightly different but it’s the same sort of area. Can you use animation to do something other than entertain children. or do titles for television. I’d happily do both but my titling days seem to have disappeared. Which is really annoying. Its ok. It will come back I think if I can survive long enough.  You look into the void and with lockdown , I haven’t worked since the Circle. It’s a bit frightening.

Tim and Toni: there are a lot of people who are in that situation. Not enough is made of it. What we call freelance- projects here and there, not enough is made of it.

Wilson: what I have learnt over the last year is a) I’ve started to learn about survivor and the early American reality shows- you think the circle has a tone of viciousness- nothing compared to survivor. I only did it – I do it podcast by podcast,  I only agreed to do it on condition that I would be introduced to participants fro  the early shows. So I’ve met them. One of them was in prison. – because they paid him his winnings and and said they’d taken the tax off and the IRS didn’t accept this.  (noises of incredulity) and he ended up in prison because he refused to pay extra.. horrible story. Nice man. What I realize is most people who come out of these shows, either all they do is reality tv – which is a bit sad- or they’re just miserable. And I’ve not yet met anyone with a brain who’s happy.

And that worries me because its been going now for 20-odd years.

Toni talks about social media- it adds to the pressure.

Wilson: yes. I don’t think dealing with social media is the whole solution.

Tim: it’s a deal with the devil

Wilson: the whole thing is a deal with the devil. In order to survive you have to make sure you are not the devil. That’s the biggest thing.  You have to put something, institutions in the way and I think they exist.

Discussion about Netflix-

Wilson: they were very different shows.

Tim: they are different.

They are a little warmer I’d say.

Wilson: than the british show we’ve just been watching? But it’s still much darker than our show (series 2) It’s nothing to do with you Tim, its to do with the players. They all think this is to do with strategy and allegiance. I remember in season 2- the strategy and the allegiance came from the players! I mean they may have been prompted a little bit. God knows whether they were but I remember GXXX said to me, “do you think there’s any allegiances?” And I – yes, It’s called the Circle. its friendship. I couldn’t see beyond this. I had no idea there was a circle of death or triangle of terror.

(something I cannot hear)

and its quite clear in this season everyone is determined to win.

Where you need to come in is to set that bedrock of friendship because actually, they’re all running around like headless chickens. In a way you can’t call it the circle at the moment,  it’s the eggshell, the shattered round table. The fractured circle. Fractured from the moment they go in.

You wouldn’t have some of the anxiety. And therefore the drama if they had cemented their relationships earlier on but you would have more heart, and I don’t know how you do that if people are going in determined to risk all to win. They will risk all to win, that’s the point, because they’re all competitive. You don’t need to up the ante in that- they’ll do that themselves.

I had always thought of things like Mrs Doubtfire- “oh poppets” and looking after the children but in fact but in fact it’s mary poppins- this is a game and it’s on my terms. And you have to wave a magic wand and just – that circle has to be more glittery.it has to be so wholesome. and homely, then everybody will rebel against it. and I promise you they will.

This will just go wild. the more you purr at them, the more they will scratch. the other way round, it starts to get really nasty. and I don’t think you’ve made that leap from series 2 to series 3. I think you’ve made u need to pull back and do a rethink if I can be so bold as to suggest this. I would love to help out in any way

Tim: you’re one of our famous players -super intelligent. That’s why we like talking to you.

Wilson: I remember the other day, Necati was saying to me is it going to be billy or Gemma. But your edit gave it away. Having been watching survivor, I knew halfway through the show it was going to be Billy. Billy had to go because you were favouring him.

Toni: you’ve become the expert on reality tv.

Wilson: I was sad to see billy go because he was beginning to grow in the circle. And it was rather sweet. He was never going to win

Toni: a really good lad

Wilson: do give him a virtual hug from me- he’s a n absolute sweetie. One of the problems with the two Tally things is- if , for example ,orange tally had won, you couldn’t given blue tally a goodbye video.

Tim: yeah we knew that.

Wilson: I thought you would know that!

Toni: you’d have to sacrifice (then lots of laughter)

Tim: not everyone always gets a goodbye video

Wilson: Believe me I could reel out 20 twists for you that would make you come across as incredibly kind.

Tim We should get you in for a week in production.

Wilson

Get me into your development team if you want to but you need me on camera

Tim well we’re in the process of developing ideas. You could do a week of development.

Wilson: I’d be delighted. You could put me into a tardis and whizz me into people’s rooms if you wanted to -any of that sort of thing is possible. You’ve got to instill a warmth back into the series because that was what was there in series 1 though it wasn’t fully developed, and series 2 that’s certainly what I thought- I’m sure it’s what Woody and Ella thought. It may not quite have been what Paddy and James and Georgia thought but they all projected it- this is the point. And paddy gets very proud of his circle of terror and then we chat and I said but you were just creating a smaller circle. still creating friendship. And he glows with pride. He gets 20 feet taller.

It’s very nice to see. But James- and with your edit, because you’re editing live, you have some things you can’t explain, so for example, you couldn’t explain why sy came to visit me, because you didn’t have all the tractor conversations, which were niche- but equally you couldn’t explain the relationship that James and I had forged., which was independent of the thing because james – he’s got emotional intelligence that you could smear the room with. And those people who understood that communication in words was limited were the people who were successful – woody ella I hope I do a bit. James definitely.

Toni: you were very successful

Tim: I was reading the edit, I’m afraid most of the time. And ,on one occasion, I know I was uncontrollably laughing because I was giggling so much about what you would do with the cross editing. and I was right! That was the Katie-Jay exchange. I was rolling around on the bed because I was thinking of the cross edits. That you have to cross edit here. and you did! You did exactly what I thought you would do.,You had to. It was inevitable. And the other day, somebody sent me a clip of the scene of woody touching his arm and saying “I’ve got goosebumps”. When I was trying to tell him what james had said without telling him – and I knew he got it. And in my mind, that was a close up. And in fact it’s a long-shot. because I’d not seen it, in my mind, it’s always been a close up, but it was exactly that moment. You exited exactly the moment I expected you to edit. Sorry for anticipating these things- it was lovely

Tim: you’re a tv producer at heart.

Wilson: No, I’m more of a cloned version of Larry Grayson. Put me in front of a camera and everything will go wrong- charmingly so. Actually on that subject, The hustle thing, it was very interesting. But I think not quite right for me.

Tim: we couldn’t sell it at all as an idea here.

It’s just been picked up for a second series in the states.

Wilson: I’m very pleased. It was very good in the states. And your fellow nailed it. I couldn’t have done that because your people seemed to think of me as a sort of logician. I’m not. You understand this Tim don’t you,.I could barely do philosophy- it’s bizarre that I teach it- I always tell everyone I stop at the 17^th century. Because that’s about the point when it becomes difficult. But bertrand Russell- did you have to do Russell? In classics?

TIM: I had to do western philosophy.

Wilson: unendurable mush. I mean. Plato I’m fine with- I’m not inspector Poirot or Sherlock Holmes,. I’m a hirsuit version of miss marple. I’m miss marple or mary poppins

Some conclusions by Tim- repeating the week of production development theme

Wilson: But I also think if you were to lead a delegation to the secretary of state, we’d get rid of the Ofcom thing, which is a sticking plaster and really bad in the end. There will be suicides. and then they’ll wonder what’s going on. and I’m really happy to stand with you and – or whatever but it would be so much better coming from studio lambert

Tim: yup. Let’s talk again.

Wilson:let’s have another session anytime. It’s so nice we all share the same initial. we’re all interchangeable

 * note: you will see that Tim admits he could not sell the hXXX programme which explains why the pilot I did was not filmed in the way they promised- was simply around a table- by that time, the project was never going to go ahead. The nonsense I was later fed in April last year by NXXX and the other producer was simply and disappointingly lies- specifically, that the Channel 4 boss had only just been appointed and had not made any decisions about the programme (but liked the concept) and that the head of talent in Channel 4 had not had a chance to think about talent. Tim’s indiscretion makes it clear that the show was scuppered much earlier.

They were using it simply to keep me in play.

** there is alot of me chatting to fill in long pauses- essentially, Toni and Tim had little to offer (their plan was to offer me the week of production and to ignore any of the criticisms I levelled) so, in the end, I saw this as a ruse to trap them into going to the secretary of state. that worked and I leaked that in an article in the independent later.

*** I thought I did not pull any punches but in fact, I softened alot of what I said. There is enough documentary evidence in emails/letters I wrote that Tim had seen- so enough is on record.

**** also we all know that I predicted Natalya to win. slightly absurd conversations about who I thiought would win!

my sense as I did this chat is that I was fairly kind to them and gabbled away to fill the gaps. But when I look at it in text form, it is clear they had nothing to say at all.

******My only clear plan as this went on was to ask them clearly to go to the secretary of state and I think this is quite clear and I was able to say publicly that I had asked them. So I did my job. I think I knew within a few mins that this was just a fiction telephone call so they could claim they had called me and spoken.

Conversations with UNUM:

Here is the email exchange with UNUM.

 This began with a phone call to UNUM that I made on the evening of 2nd March 2020. 

I spoke to two people at UNUM, the second was the “manager”, Greig, who effectively told me I was not covered for his help by the Studio Lambert contract. But he promised to check the contract as I was insistent, and to get back to me.

I also asked him to confirm exactly how the contract with Studio Lambert employees differed with the contract that covered circle “contestants”. This second point was never addressed.

1) Begin forwarded message:

From: Greig

Subject: Unum LifeWorks

Date: 6 March 2020 at 13:31:48 GMT

To: tim

Hi Tim,

I was calling to gain your consent to make contact with the company on your behalf to clarify the company entitlement.

Would you also be able to scan a copy of the letter you quoted over to me so we can follow up with the company to ensure they are giving out the correct information please?

We have checked on our end and as i suspected, employees only have access to our service while employed by the company or up to three months after leaving.

Kind regards,

Greig Perry

Operations Supervisor | LifeWorks by Morneau Shepell

2) Begin forwarded message:

From: tim

Subject: Fwd: Unum LifeWorks

Date: 9 March 2020 at 14:12:20 GMT

To: greig.

Cc: tim

You do not have my permission to contact the company “on my behalf” or to divulge to the company any indication that I have had contact with you. This is about confidentiality and I expect that to be fully respected.

But, as I know you have already been approached by other people who were part of the programme, and that you told them you were not certain about the coverage, you may and should contact the company and ascertain what is supposed to be the coverage.

I am moreover astonished that you failed to clarify this when other cast members contacted you a few weeks’ ago. This is disappointing and certainly questionable and I shall expect a full response about this omission when you have conducted your research.

this is the text of the email we were sent-

If we return for a third series, all previous players MUST keep us across any and all press they decide to do around the series, before the interviews have taken place.

Additional Support

You have access to a further two psych sessions with MXXX, and these are due end of January and end of March 2020. You do not have to speak to MXXX, but we find it’s helpful as someone to chat to as you continue settling back in to normal life. If you feel you want to speak to her outside of these scheduled times, please let the Casting Execs know, but do not contact MXXX directly. Your first port of contact should be UNUM support detailed below. 

UNUM Support

You have access to 18 months of UNUM support (until April 2021). They are a free confidential 24-hour counselling support helpline. It offers access to a professional counsellor at times when you may feel the need to talk to someone. You can use this service for many different things and unrelated to The Circle. You will be able to access face to face counselling through LifeWorks. To access this, you can speak to a counsellor at LifeWorks who will then assess the situation and either refer you for traditional counselling or CBT, as appropriate. The first session would be set up within 5 days of the call, and you would be referred to a counsellor on the LifeWorks network, which can either be close to your home or work, whichever you would prefer. If after speaking with the service you would like to speak to production this is of course still available, but we would like to remind you what you talk about with Unum is completely confidential and won’t be shared with production.

You can access the service via:

WEBSITE: unum-uk.lifeworks.com (you’ll need your user ID ‘unum’ and password ‘lifeworks’ to hand): a library of downloadable materials and interactive tools. You should mention you’re part of The Circle.

FREEPHONE: 0800 048 2702: confidential support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

MOBILE APP: Download the mobile app from the Apple App or Google Play stores; simply search ‘Lifeworks’ and look for the Lifeworks logo. Or you can download the iPhone app here, or the Android app here. The user ID and password are the same as the ones you use to access the website.

I called Greig around 2pm to suggest that he checks his notes for 13th January. He tried to “explain” a) about the employee agreement and how I did not qualify and b) that he could not look into details of someone else’s calls. It turns out that following the debacle in January, Studio Lambert had called UNUM to establish exactly what was covered by their contract.

3) 

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tim Wilson <wilson_tim2@sky.com>

Subject: Fwd: Unum LifeWorks

Date: 10 March 2020 at 12:29:02 GMT

To: greig.

to further clarify, I called you on 2nd March at 19.51 and it has taken until 10th when you just called me to tell me that the contract your company agreed with Studio lambert is something you are prepared to honour.

This is in contrast to the email you sent me on 6th.

You were equally evasive when another cast member called you in January. Both of us were frustrated by your initial response when we called and I remain shocked.

I await a full and formal written apology by return and by post.

Tim Wilson

4) Begin forwarded message:

I demanded an apology in writing by post which never came and a copy by email within 20 mins. It took about 90 mins.

From: Greig

Subject: Unum LifeWorks – Private and Confidential

Date: 10 March 2020 at 15:47:25 GMT

To: tim

Hi Tim,

As discussed, I am following up on our conversation with this written explanation.

I can confirm that as a former contestant of the show “The Circle” you are entitled to use our service to access support.

I do apologise that you have had to wait for this confirmation and have had some conflicting information up until now.

We have now added this information to our system so that it is immediately viewable when anyone calls.

As mentioned on our previous calls, this is not how we typically operate. We predominately service either current or former employees of organisations up to 3 months after they leave.

If you would like to discuss this further then I would be happy to arrange a further telephone call.

Please don’t hesitate to call me directly on the numbers below should you need any further assistance.

Kind Regards,

Greig

I subsequently spoke to a senior manager at Lifeworks and never got what I would consider to be an apology. Tim Harcourt confirmed that the matter had been “addressed” on 3rd April.

This is what is routinely cited as “Robust aftercare.” I dispute this term absolutely. It is untrue and cannot be claimed after I drew the attention of senior execs to this story.