Malawi pulls plug on Big Brother
Malawi has had enough of the boozing and sexual shenanigans of the country’s version of the global TV hit show Big Brother.
The country’s parliament voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to pull the plug immediately on the voyeuristic programme, which is being aired on public broadcaster Television Malawi.
The chairman of the parliamentary committee on the media, Taylor Nothale, said he had received a chain of complaints over the reality TV show, particularly from parents.
He said most Malawians felt the show might encourage young people to engage in immoral behaviour.
‘Horrible pictures’
“People are subjected to horrible pictures which are corrupting the morals of our children,” Nothale said.
| “We want the government to stop that nonsense on TV”
Gwanda Chakuamba |
And opposition leader Gwanda Chakuamba said the Malawian parliament was united in its distaste for the show.
“We want the government to stop that nonsense on TV,” he said.
The alcohol has flowed and the clothes have come off in the first all-African reality television show.
Conservative nation
‘Big Brother Africa’ is the latest and most ambitious of the ‘Big Brother’ series, which takes groups of ordinary people, locks them in a house for months and broadcasts almost every move they make thanks to dozens of hidden cameras.
Malawi had a representative in the Big Brother House, Zein Dudah, but he was evicted four weeks ago.
The show is currently on day 73 of 106.
Most of Malawi’s 10.6 million people are deeply conservative Christians, and there is also a Muslim minority.