Big Brother Hoax

BREAKING NEWS: The Dutch kidney transplant reality show was a hoax!

Dutch kidney transplant reality show was a hoax

A Dutch reality television show in which a supposedly dying woman had to pick one of three contestants to whom she would donate a kidney was a hoax, the programme makers said on Friday.

The show, produced by the public broadcaster BNN, was condemned by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands ahead of transmission and sparked controversy worldwide.

Identified only as "Lisa," the 37-year-old woman who had been said to have a brain tumor, was to base her selection on the person's history and conversations with the candidates' families and friends.

At the last minute, she was revealed as a healthy actress. The contestants were also part of the deception.

BNN said it wanted to draw attention to the growing shortage of organ donors in the Netherlands.