Big Brother is destroying you

It is hard to explain why so many are addicted to watching a group of people doing very little in the TV equivalent of a goldfish bowl, yet its popularity is undeniable.

But there should be genuine concern among those behind the programme about the potential dangers facing one of the "housemates" in particular.

Jade Goody has been branded "public enemy number one" by the tabloids - "the most hated woman in Britain". She has been derided as being ugly, stupid, two-faced and wicked.

Every night, immediately after each instalment of Big Brother, Graham Norton - another beneficiary of the plunge into downmarket television - piles on the ridicule, accusing her of looking like a pig.

Along with three other contestants, including the North-East's Jonny Regan - by far the most normal and likeable of the group - Jade faces eviction on Friday night.

If she is voted out, as seems likely, she faces the ordeal of emerging into a hostile atmosphere, with crowds of spectators booing and creating a chorus of pig noises.

Over the following days, she will become acutely aware of how the nation has reacted to her. That will be compounded over the weeks and months that follow.

There is, of course, a parallel with "nasty" Nick Bateman, the hate figure from the first Big Brother series. He managed to survive the public backlash before disappearing into obscurity, but the difference with Jade is that she is clearly someone with intense emotional problems.

OK, she went into this with her eyes open. No one forced her and she knew what to expect.

But, in the name of entertainment, we are watching the self-inflicted demolition of a young woman's reputation and we have serious concerns about her ability to cope with the harsh reality of life back in the outside world.

And what is Big Brother going to do about that? Let's hope he has the decency to ensure that the psychiatrists and counsellors are lined up to provide the support she is likely to need.