'Big Brother' hate figure is unprepared for public wrath

Inmates the Big Brother house can't see the outside world; they can, though, hear it when it shouts loudly enough.

Spectators at the gates have been shouting the words "Jade" and "pig" in conjunction so loudly that, inside the house, Jade has begun to put two and two together.

As she faced possible eviction last night into a world ready to lynch her ("lynch" is the word used by her mother), the blonde, raucous, intellectually stilted but harmlessly ebullient dental nurse will learn that she has metamorphosed from being a national figure of fun into a national hate object.

Jade has just turned 21. This is not the first time that Channel 4's reality TV series has turned one of the show's contestants into a national hate figure. "Nasty Nick", a housemate in the original series, was the first, but he emerged with some dignity. The boos and hisses that greeted his exit contained an element of respect for a manipulative and scheming villain.

The case of Jade marks a departure. She has been vilified in the press for her gaping mouth and the inane utterances emerging from it in a way no reality TV character has before. This week The Sun referred to Jade with the headline: "Vote Out The Pig." (In the interest of balance it should be noted that her fellow housemate, Adele, was referred to as "a real cow".) Nevertheless, Jade's mother retorted to the paper: "My daughter will get lynched. I can't stand seeing her treated this way. It's torture every time I switch on the TV or hear someone talking about her."

The porcine comparisons aren't exclusive to The Sun. Graham Norton on his Channel 4 TV show refers to Jade as "the stupid pig". And he did not wait for her 21st birthday to insult her so crassly.

Only the tabloid circulation war has saved Jade from further vitriol. In an attempt to boost circulation by taking a different line, the Daily Star has started a "Save Jade" campaign. But that will be too little to prevent a traumatic homecoming for Jade into the real world, where reality is inevitably harsher than on the unreal world of reality TV.

There is no denying that in a series that has tried harder than ever before to turn viewers' stomachs with discussions about verrucas, eating toenail clippings and shaving chest hair, Jade's contributions have been among the most stomach-curdling for the unfortunate viewers. They have included a sex act under the duvet with a fellow inmate, a trainee solicitor, and worse, this time unfortunately above the duvet, picking her nose and eating the contents. That's not the best advert for a dental hygienist.

A national poll of young people voted Jade the tackiest character on the programme and, though it might offend her media-tuned sensibilities less than the press coverage, even her old school has denounced her. Perhaps Jade's stated belief that Cambridge was in London was not a great advert for its teachers.

Cynthia McVey, a psychologist at Glasgow Caledonian University, who has looked before at the effects of reality TV, said last night: "It will be difficult for Jade in the outside world, because the campaign against her has gone across all the key elements, her looks, her brains and her personality. If people only criticise one of those, then you can say 'well, at least I'm good looking, or at least I'm brainy' but she's been under attack on all three. She will need the support of her family and friends, and the psychological support that Channel 4 will give her."

A Channel 4 spokesman said: "People in the public eye can find themselves under close personal scrutiny by the media. This is why we try to prepare the contestants as fully as possible for the intense experience of life in the Big Brother house and the impact it may have on their lives.

"Contestants have an in-depth psychological screening at least twice before they are finally chosen to enter the house. They are also subject to a 'talk of doom' on several occasions where producers fully outline all the possible negative aspects of taking part. Once contestants leave the house we have an aftercare support system in place so that every aspect of their welfare is looked after by professionals. This includes being able to talk to a psychologist, as well as to the production team, about their experience.

"In light of all these measures, we are fully confident that Jade, along with all the other housemates, is up to the challenge of Big Brother."