Opinion – Reality TV is a breeding-ground for exploitation

But these promises are hard to quantify, and it’s unclear if substantial change happens behind the scenes.

Since Spraggan’s interview with the BBC, Simon Cowell – creator of the X Factor – has issued a public statement describing her attack as ‘heartbreaking.’ But given Spraggan’s confession that she felt like a ‘corporate problem’ in the aftermath, Cowell’s words leave a bitter taste.

Spraggan’s decision to speak out about her traumatic experience demonstrates the need for systemic changes within the industry.

Producers and broadcasters bear a significant responsibility in ensuring the welfare of participants.

They have the power to influence the content and direction of reality TV shows. It is crucial that they prioritise participant well-being over sensationalism and ratings.

Comprehensive mental health screenings, ongoing support, and transparency in editing practices are essential components of responsible production.

Spraggan wrote about her experience in the Guardian last week, where she unpacked fame’s impact on our understanding of trauma.

Recalling incidents where strangers had outright confronted her about the attack in public, Spraggan said ‘In those moments, the story was more important than the fact I was a human being.’

The problem is, reality TV – which thrives off of caricatured versions of reality, and forces people into a box that makes them easily digestible – encourages (whether intentional or not) this act of dehumanisation.

Combined with the pressure to perform and conform to predetermined roles, this can have severe consequences for vulnerable individuals.

‘My experience was […] awful. It has been a terrible thing to live with’, Spraggan wrote. ‘But being in the public eye has meant that every time I spoke to a journalist […] every time they have asked me their version of the same questions, they have inflicted more pain.’

By relentlessly drilling into contestants that a reality TV show opportunity is the most important thing in their life, it becomes hard to quantify our own pain, and impossible to seek support for our suffering.

‘It kind of shows you what kind of world you are in, in what kind of mindset you are in, to not be able to really measure what has happened, and what you should do now,” Spraggan told the BBC.

‘I’ve been petrified of telling the truth in case I lose what I have.’

Spraggan felt like she didn’t get enough support in the aftermath of the attack – and in the following years her mental health deteriorated considerably and she abused alcohol and drugs. She has now been sober for nearly four years.

But she still recognises the positive impact shows like the X Factor can have.

‘We need these shows, because there’s a thriving community of talented people who just don’t have the funds and the opportunity to get there.’

Instead, Spraggan is calling for a structural shift within the industry, where production and broadcast companies make a better effort to consider employees’ and participants’ mental health – setting aside a portion of their budget to invest in mental wellbeing services.

In the end, it’s the simple act of being listened to, and recognised as a human being – not a cash cow – that will have the most impact.

According to Spraggan, Simon Cowell called her earlier this year, after she announced she would be releasing a book.

He told her, ‘Lucy, before you or I say anything else, the first thing I need to tell you is that I am sorry.’

‘It makes me emotional’ Spraggan reflected, ‘because no-one else said sorry. And all it took was this one man to treat me like a human being, 11 years later.’