John Phipps

The cruelty of reality TV was part of the appeal

BBC Sounds's ten-part series Unreal: A Critical History of Reality Television fails to understand why we loved these unethical spectacles

There’s no better example of a name made, sullied and ultimately subsumed by reality TV than Jade Goody. Photo: Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo
  • Comments

  • Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV

    BBC Sounds

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading for free

Subscribe today to get 3 months’ free digital access.

  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828
  • Plus, three months’ free digital access to the Telegraph

Read next

Trending

Steerpike

Ed Miliband’s Grangemouth hypocrisy

Steerpike
To Scotland, where the closure of the country’s only oil refinery has been announced today. The site will shut next year – resulting in the loss of 400 jobs – after refining company Petroineos said it was unable to continue to compete with similar organisations around the world. With the news comes a wave of

Because you read about bbc

Also by John Phipps

Latest

Comments

Join the debate for free — this month only

This month, be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for free. We’ll also give you three months’ free digital access to the Telegraph.

Already a subscriber? Log in