From an article here:
Several points spring to mind. Number one, the lack of candidate screening is of no surprise to anyone who has watched any reality TV. That's pretty much par for the course when the aim is to find "characters" - concerns for what causes the outrageous to act as they do will always be secondary to the little light in the producers' eyes as they imagine the headlines that could be generated.
More importantly, though, the swiftness of mental health charities to chime in somewhat disappoints me. I'd have liked to see a quote from MIND that went something like this:
That would be rather more helpful to everyone who knows that admitting to mental health issues is a surefire way to fast-track your job application into the waste-paper basket. There's no mention as yet of this story on their website, so perhaps the full statement was rather more encouraging and supportive. I certainly hope so.
I still reserve the right to call Ms Johnson a nutter at a later point in the series if need be, by the way. Takes one to know one and all that...
Concern has been raised for the wellbeing of a former mental health patient who has been selected as a contestant for The Apprentice.
Jadine Johnson, 27, has reportedly been cleared to take part in the reality show alongside 15 other high-flyers for the chance to win a £100,000 job working for Sir Alan Sugar.
But the senior financial advisor from Middlesex, who hopes the programme will win her a “real life,” was sectioned under the Mental Health Act four years ago, The Sun reported.
The concern from charities is compounded because the third series will offer the “most gruelling and punishing tasks yet” the Amstrad chairman told the BBC yesterday.
Yet the corporation is said to have dismissed the alarm, saying each contestant has been screened to ensure their suitability for the 12-week show, dubbed the “job interview from hell.”
The reassurance hasn’t silenced one mental health charity, which has demanded more scrutiny than just an initial screening.
A MIND spokesperson reportedly said: “We would want to ensure that proper psychiatric assessments are carried out on the show.”
Friends of Ms Johnson have apparently added their concern, saying they are “worried” for the single Mum from Harrow, following a “nasty experience” in her previous employment.
Several points spring to mind. Number one, the lack of candidate screening is of no surprise to anyone who has watched any reality TV. That's pretty much par for the course when the aim is to find "characters" - concerns for what causes the outrageous to act as they do will always be secondary to the little light in the producers' eyes as they imagine the headlines that could be generated.
More importantly, though, the swiftness of mental health charities to chime in somewhat disappoints me. I'd have liked to see a quote from MIND that went something like this:
"We welcome the participation of Ms Johnson in a high-profile show like The Apprentice, and, in a world in which one in four of us will face mental ill-health at some point in our lives, we see her inclusion as a sign that the stigma attached to such conditions is fading. Ms Johnson serves as an example that people can recover from their illness and be a positive and successful part of the modern work-force, and we wish her every success."
That would be rather more helpful to everyone who knows that admitting to mental health issues is a surefire way to fast-track your job application into the waste-paper basket. There's no mention as yet of this story on their website, so perhaps the full statement was rather more encouraging and supportive. I certainly hope so.
I still reserve the right to call Ms Johnson a nutter at a later point in the series if need be, by the way. Takes one to know one and all that...
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