Ofcom considering Derren Brown investigation after his latest controversial TV stunt
Ofcom is considering launching a second investigation in less than a week into Derren Brown’s latest Channel 4 special after receiving more than a dozen complaints.
Ofcom
Derren Brown's 'Pushed to the Edge' stunt aims to show the power of compliance by convincing a member of the public into following orders and pushing a person off a building. The programme aired on Tuesday night (12 January) and proved hugely popular with an average overnight audience of 1.1 million and a peak of 1.3 million.
However, some viewers were quick to voice their concern and Ofcom confirmed that it received 14 complaints over the unethical behaviour and mental cruelty they believed the participants were exposed to.
A spokesperson for the broadcast regulator said: “We will assess these complaints before deciding whether to investigate or not.”
Earlier this week, Ofcom announced that it was investigating another of Brown’s shows, titled 'Something Wicked this Way Comes'. The show aired before the watershed and featured the illusionist putting a plastic bag over his head and suffocating himself as he walked over broken glass while swearing several times.