This is (not) Big Brother

For the last two weeks p0pvulture has been coming to you from Turkey, a country with an abundance of beautiful beaches, friendly people and cheap knock-off fashions. But it seems that the 'CHANNEL of Paris' designer bed linen sets aren't the only fakes on offer.

It was reported today that nine women were recently rescued from a 'Big Brother' type reality show here in Turkey, having claimed that they were being held against their will. The problem is, the show was a fake, and rather than having their exploits broadcast on TV, they were shown on a fee-paying adult website instead.

Tasked with a variety of challenges that involved fighting or dancing with each other in very little clothing, the women were apparently unaware that the show's viewers were only tuning in for five or six minutes at a time. The website's producers have responded by stating that no crime has been committed, and the women simply got bored and wanted to avoid the penalty for breaking their contract.

Although reports seems to differ in terms of how the raid came about, Turkish military police stormed the villa and 'rescued' the women who cried with relief. One girl's mother has spoken to the press already, saying "We were not after the money but we thought our daughter could have the chance of becoming famous if she took part in the contest, but they have duped us all."

It's hard to know who to believe here. Certainly, the producers were duplicitous by casting a TV show but actually running a website. But none of the women seem too troubled by the actual content that was generated in the house. They were also told they'd be denied contact with the outside world, which is a standard stipulation of any Big Brother show. So where's the harm?

In the relentless pursuit of fame, people have to make all kinds of sacrifices and dodgy deals to get what they want. Sometimes they pay off and other times there are hidden costs to contend with. But after the disaster that was year 10 of Big Brother UK, these unwitting housemates can at least take comfort in the fact that someone was watching. Even if they were only doing it one-handed.