Benefits Street star White Dee accuses Channel 4 of 'exploiting' cast
msn.comBenefits Street star White Dee has slammed the Channel 4 show’s producers for ‘exploiting’ the cast. The TV series, which ran for two seasons, followed the lives of Birmingham residents on ‘one of Britain’s most benefit-dependent streets’ including White Dee (real name Deidre Kelly), Samora Roberts who was known as Black Dee, and James Clarke.
It gained immense popularity when it premiered in 2014, which White Dee described as a ‘Benefits Street explosion’, saying that she and her fellow James Turner street residents were suddenly ‘on the front page of many national newspapers. ’The highly controversial show divided viewers, with many claiming it gave those who claim benefits an undeservedly bad reputation, demonising them in some ways.
Now, White Dee has revealed feeling ‘exploited’ by the show and thinks the show’s bosses should have offered her, and other cast members, more support. Gallery: Soap dish: Emmerdale spoilers, with murder reveal, Meena revenge, and new romance (Metro)The mum-of-two, 50, said she faced trolling and abuse for being on benefits once the show aired, but was not offered support or aftercare.
Love Productions, which produced Benefits Street, has previously defended allegations that the show was ‘poverty porn’, and a spokesman has said: ‘If you are telling me that shining a light on poverty in Britain is pornographic, so we shouldn’t pay attention to poor people, I think that’s outrageous.
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