Post by Debs on Feb 2, 2007 0:43:33 GMT 1
news.sky.com/skynews/article...1249878,00.html
Here is a full transcript of Jo O'Meara's statement:
There have been many requests for me to talk to the press this week and I appreciate that the Celebrity Big Brother issues are still high on the media agenda.
However, I am really shattered and totally devastated by the events of the past few weeks and have needed some time to recuperate.
In the meantime, I would like to say:
I have not seen the three weeks of the Big Brother programme footage, so I cannot comment properly on what people are saying about me or the programme. I have asked Channel 4 to forward the tapes, but as yet I have not received them and I would like to see what was shown to the public before I comment on the content or how it was edited.
The ONLY footage I have seen is the brief edited highlights by Davina during my eviction interview. I can only assume that other housemates will have seen the three weeks worth of footage by now and therefore are able to comment.
I have been advised that the programme tended to show me with Danielle and Jade wearing a dressing gown, smoking and swearing. I was particularly friendly with Jermaine, Cleo and Ian and I spent a considerable amount of time laughing, joking and singing - I honestly have no idea if any of this has been shown or whether I was only portrayed badly.
I have been told that I refused to apologise for any offences I may have caused. This is totally untrue, I may have behaved defensively when I came out of the Big Brother house and during my interview with The Sunday Mirror, but I had no idea of the extent of the issues.
I was taken out of the Big Brother house and put in a room with a camera and a psychiatrist with no advisors, family or friends and given a pile of newspapers to read and I was also informed that there had been death threats over the Shilpa row.
I asked Davina as we walked through the crowd after my eviction if everything was OK as I felt that something was wrong but she assured me that everything was fine and I had nothing to worry about.
Therefore, my shock and confusion was magnified by what greeted me with the press cuttings, death threats, the highlights tape and the tone of Davina's interview. I now understand Danielle came out with Jack and they were interviewed together and when Jade came out there were no crowds at all. I felt like the 'rabbit in the headlights' with nowhere to hide and no-one to talk to.
I'm sure the public realise that the show makers don't brief the housemates on what to expect or how the programme may develop. I met a psychologist a few minutes before I entered the house who said I was fine to join the housemates and I think that as a group we would all have coped better if some of the surprise stunts hadn't been pulled by Big Brother.
Jade and her family entering the house late and the introduction of a slave/master culture is bizarre by anyone's standards and automatically creates tension and a divide. There were many instances of manipulation by the programme makers and they have to take responsibility for their actions too.
I may have made some mistakes but I have apologised for them and in the context of the three weeks of Big Brother, I honestly believe that I was not a horrible person every day throughout the series.
Many of us in the house had not heard of Shilpa before Big Brother and some of the events which took place led a few of us to speculate that as with Chantal in the last Celebrity Big Brother, she may have been a plant.
Again, this doesn't excuse bad language or behaviour but it can lead to heightened stress and anxiety. I also understand she is doing brilliantly since she won Big Brother and I sincerely and genuinely wish her every success and happiness.
I have been asked why I did Big Brother. It was simply because I needed the money. I did have a successful singing career in S Club but that was over several years ago. I may lose my house and the fee offered was a life line which I took.
Maybe my personality isn't right for this type of show and of course it has left me damaged but I hope people don't think that I deserve to be vilified day after day as an ongoing punishment. I came out of the house with no professional advisors. I don't have a manager and the gentleman who was doing my PR unfortunately died of an angina attack last weekend.
I am not asking for pity but I do need to see the Big Brother tapes for myself. I may have been shown on national TV saying and doing things that I sincerely regret and of course I am genuinely sorry . But does the Big Brother coverage sum up who I am and what really happened in the Big Brother house all day, every day?
In a goldfish bowl clever editing, boredom and manipulation can result in issues on several levels. We have all witnessed celebrities, public figures and members of the public making mistakes, having affairs or behaving badly on TV or in the press, but are they vilified to this extent and punished day after day public ally throughout the country.
I am totally shattered and after the death threats am scared to go home. Am I the first person in the world to make a mistake or say regrettable things? I am devastated, sorry and honestly have no idea what I will do next.
Here is a full transcript of Jo O'Meara's statement:
There have been many requests for me to talk to the press this week and I appreciate that the Celebrity Big Brother issues are still high on the media agenda.
However, I am really shattered and totally devastated by the events of the past few weeks and have needed some time to recuperate.
In the meantime, I would like to say:
I have not seen the three weeks of the Big Brother programme footage, so I cannot comment properly on what people are saying about me or the programme. I have asked Channel 4 to forward the tapes, but as yet I have not received them and I would like to see what was shown to the public before I comment on the content or how it was edited.
The ONLY footage I have seen is the brief edited highlights by Davina during my eviction interview. I can only assume that other housemates will have seen the three weeks worth of footage by now and therefore are able to comment.
I have been advised that the programme tended to show me with Danielle and Jade wearing a dressing gown, smoking and swearing. I was particularly friendly with Jermaine, Cleo and Ian and I spent a considerable amount of time laughing, joking and singing - I honestly have no idea if any of this has been shown or whether I was only portrayed badly.
I have been told that I refused to apologise for any offences I may have caused. This is totally untrue, I may have behaved defensively when I came out of the Big Brother house and during my interview with The Sunday Mirror, but I had no idea of the extent of the issues.
I was taken out of the Big Brother house and put in a room with a camera and a psychiatrist with no advisors, family or friends and given a pile of newspapers to read and I was also informed that there had been death threats over the Shilpa row.
I asked Davina as we walked through the crowd after my eviction if everything was OK as I felt that something was wrong but she assured me that everything was fine and I had nothing to worry about.
Therefore, my shock and confusion was magnified by what greeted me with the press cuttings, death threats, the highlights tape and the tone of Davina's interview. I now understand Danielle came out with Jack and they were interviewed together and when Jade came out there were no crowds at all. I felt like the 'rabbit in the headlights' with nowhere to hide and no-one to talk to.
I'm sure the public realise that the show makers don't brief the housemates on what to expect or how the programme may develop. I met a psychologist a few minutes before I entered the house who said I was fine to join the housemates and I think that as a group we would all have coped better if some of the surprise stunts hadn't been pulled by Big Brother.
Jade and her family entering the house late and the introduction of a slave/master culture is bizarre by anyone's standards and automatically creates tension and a divide. There were many instances of manipulation by the programme makers and they have to take responsibility for their actions too.
I may have made some mistakes but I have apologised for them and in the context of the three weeks of Big Brother, I honestly believe that I was not a horrible person every day throughout the series.
Many of us in the house had not heard of Shilpa before Big Brother and some of the events which took place led a few of us to speculate that as with Chantal in the last Celebrity Big Brother, she may have been a plant.
Again, this doesn't excuse bad language or behaviour but it can lead to heightened stress and anxiety. I also understand she is doing brilliantly since she won Big Brother and I sincerely and genuinely wish her every success and happiness.
I have been asked why I did Big Brother. It was simply because I needed the money. I did have a successful singing career in S Club but that was over several years ago. I may lose my house and the fee offered was a life line which I took.
Maybe my personality isn't right for this type of show and of course it has left me damaged but I hope people don't think that I deserve to be vilified day after day as an ongoing punishment. I came out of the house with no professional advisors. I don't have a manager and the gentleman who was doing my PR unfortunately died of an angina attack last weekend.
I am not asking for pity but I do need to see the Big Brother tapes for myself. I may have been shown on national TV saying and doing things that I sincerely regret and of course I am genuinely sorry . But does the Big Brother coverage sum up who I am and what really happened in the Big Brother house all day, every day?
In a goldfish bowl clever editing, boredom and manipulation can result in issues on several levels. We have all witnessed celebrities, public figures and members of the public making mistakes, having affairs or behaving badly on TV or in the press, but are they vilified to this extent and punished day after day public ally throughout the country.
I am totally shattered and after the death threats am scared to go home. Am I the first person in the world to make a mistake or say regrettable things? I am devastated, sorry and honestly have no idea what I will do next.