George Galloway's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother
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George Galloway's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother occurred in January 2006. For the purpose of Channel Four's television show, Celebrity Big Brother, the politician George Galloway lived in a house for up to three weeks with another ten celebrities (model Jodie Marsh, US basketball star Dennis Rodman, entertainer Michael Barrymore, television star Traci Bingham, actress Rula Lenska, Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns, Singer Maggot from the satirical rap group Goldie Lookin' Chain, ex-FA Secretary Faria Alam, Singer Samuel Preston and unknown model Chantelle Houghton). He said it was a "chance to show a large and different audience what I'm really like" and that he went in "to get away from constant telephone and email traffic, and for the chance to make new and unexpected friends". His spokesman Ron McKay revealed that if he won, he would give the prize money to Interpal, a controversial Palestinian charity. A percentage of the proceeds from viewers voting by phone and text also goes to the charity of the participant's choice.
Galloway's decision to enter the Big Brother house for up to three weeks was criticised. The actress Helen Mirren - a constituent who had endorsed Oona King in 2005 - described his actions as "deserting" his constituency and said that his interest in participating in the programme was just self-interest.[1]
The Guardian posed as a constituent wanting their MP's involvement in solving a problem with their home, but claimed after many phone calls that they could only get through to his media agent.[2] Galloway's constituency office denied the substance of this article. Galloway's office issued a prepared statement which said he went on Big Brother "for Palestine" and to reach "the biggest audience I will ever have" for his political message. He added that he hoped "to reach this mass, young, overwhelmingly not yet political audience with our simple case"[3]
Although Galloway often talked politics while in the house, Channel Four edited out almost all of his statements and opinions[citation needed] because of rules set by the regulator Ofcom requiring broadcasters to present a balance of views on a subject of controversy. At one point, however, the producers organised a UK vs USA debate, where Galloway took the side opposed to the USA. After leaving the house, Mr Galloway expressed surprise at the censorship, stating "Not only did I not know I'd be censored, I was told by the Big Brother producers I would not be"[4] Galloway was seen and heard telling Rula Lenska (with whom he got on well) that Saddam Hussein was "not hated" by ordinary Iraqi people.[5]
On day four the housemates were asked to arrange themselves in order of fame from most famous to least famous and he placed himself at number four out of the eleven. He later suggested - in a conversation with Rula Lenska - that globally he may have the most fame, claiming that practically all of the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world know of him. This is due to his being well known in the Muslim world because of his outspoken opposition to the Afghan and Iraq Wars and support for the Palestinians. To win food and drink for his fellow housemates, the Big Brother producers set a task in which Galloway or Lenska had to pretend to be a cat. As a result, Galloway was seen on all fours, licking 'cream' from a 'bowl' (the cupped hands of Lenska). Those critical of Galloway have suggested that he did not show himself in a good light. However, Galloway was actually only acting out what he had been asked to do by the show. He later jokingly said: "I would rather be a cat than a poodle."[6] and on BBC Radio 4 said that he was doing no more than what many other politicians and celebrities do every year, that is, clowning around to raise money for charities such as Comic Relief. He compared his activities in the house to the sort of things news readers do to raise money for charity on Children in Need and Red Nose Day. He added that "Other MPs might have been at the House of Commons, and some of them might have been propping up the bars. Other MPs might have been on exotic foreign trips, fact-finding in the Seychelles or the Maldives. I was trying something different".[7]
Many media organisations found some local people in Bethnal Green who stated their regret for having supported Galloway following his appearance on Big Brother. The Sunday Mail suggested that "all those disgruntled constituents were Labour Party activists in Bethnal Green who are raging because George ousted their candidate".[8]
On Wednesday, 25 January 2006, Galloway was evicted from the show. During his eviction discussion with Davina McCall a large composite image was flashed up on a screen of many of the press headlines about his participation in the show. Galloway said: "We will have to see how balanced these were." There were also complaints that the liberal Guardian and Independent newspapers had refused to print letters defending him.[9] He was shocked but unsurprised to learn of the impression people had of him inside the Big Brother House as well as the political interest--in his initial statement about partipicating in the show, he had written: "Sure, there may be an indignity to be suffered along the way".[10] He had a particularly public spat with BB Aled from The Chris Moyles Show, which had carried out a light-hearted non-scientific survey which found 92% of respondents disliked Galloway. When questioned about it by Aled, Galloway seemed dismissive.[11] Fellow contestant Dennis Rodman leapt to Galloway's defence, saying that he was a '...very respected person in this country...', and that if Aled called Galloway an old man, he would be '...in his ass.' This caused much amusement to Chris Moyles and the other members of his show.
George Galloway said he "meant everything he said" inside the house. Labour MP Stephen Pound assessed the likely reaction in the world of politics, saying "When he returns to the House of Commons there's going to be such a chorus of 'Meow.' He'll have a saucer of milk waiting for him and a litter tray." Pound called Galloway's stint on the reality show a "slow-motion car crash."[12] Galloway however said that "that two out of three objectives have been successful. The Palestinian charity has benefited from my time in the house. The employment of two new constituency workers from my £150,000 fee has been achieved. The third goal of engaging with younger people remains to be seen".[13] Subsequent to this, on 21st February 2006, 800 students turned up to hear Galloway speak at Manchester University[14] which would tend to suggest that Galloway had succeeded in connecting with a much wider youth audience. The speech left many dissatisfied by Galloway's unwillingness to answer questions posed by the students and many boos and jeers were to be heard. And on Sunday May 14, 2006 Celebrity Big Brother creator Peter Bazelgette stated in an Observer blog that: "During George Galloway's notorious appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, the anchor of a well-known news programme bounded up to me at a party: 'You've finally done it! You've got George Galloway! We've been trying to get him for 20 years, but Big Brother's done it!' A month later, I was chided by a prominent government minister: 'Honestly, how could you? You've made Galloway far more popular in his constituency than he ever was before.'"
He is set to earn £150,000[citation needed] from his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, but will write a cheque to the taxpayer for the percentage of his parliamentary salary he has drawn during his stay in the House.[15]
