Spanish reality TV show under fire over handling of alleged rape

Major companies have pulled out advertising from the world-known Spanish version of hit reality TV show Big Brother over its handling of the alleged rape during the filming of the popular programme. A court is currently investigating a complaint from one of the participants of the show, Carlota Prado who claims that she was raped by another contestant Jose Maria Lopez Perez while she was unconscious in November 2017 inside the show's house near Madrid after an alcohol party. 

Nearly 20 companies including Nestle, Nissan, and BBVA took on Twitter to announce that they had pulled out their advertising from the show which broadcasts on a most-watched TV channel in Spain. This was in response to the social media campaign which urged them to do so. The spokesperson for Carretilla told an international agency on November 28 that firms have withdrawn their sponsorship of the programme 'like so many other brands' because they 'do not share values'. 

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The entire case 

The show, Big Brother is about contestants living in a house for several months without any access to the outside world. After Prado's claims, producers had expelled Perez at that time from the show. The images and clips of the alleged rape which reportedly happened under a duvet were never aired. However, the entire case was again put in the spotlight last week by a confidential report of an international entertainment media outlet, which said that Prado had only realised about her rape when the Big Brother's producers showed her the footage, which caused her to break down. 

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The newspaper also released the video taken from the show's 'confession room' where the contestants talk to the camera about their experiences that Prado who was 24 that time, was devastated as she was asked to watch the footage. At one point, Prado tearfully begged the producers to stop showing the video and let her leave the room. The producers of the show, however, did not appear on the camera. Prado later said in an exclusive interview that there should have been someone by her side, like a psychologist who would have helped her get through the 'difficult images'.

She also claims, that producers never asked her before showing the 'images', because if they had, Prado would have refused. The owner of the company which produces the show, Endemol Shine Group said that no footage was ever shot with the intention of broadcasting, however, they later added that in 'hindsight it regrets'. 

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(With agency inputs)