A TV STAR IS BORN. BUT NOT EVERYBODY IS HAPPY...

The first televised natural birth is to be screened live next weekend from a British hospital, prompting concerns about patient safety as reality TV moves into medically uncharted territory.

A group of expectant mothers have agreed with Endemol, the makers of Big Brother, to be filmed giving birth naturally, without pain relief. The programme will be shown next Sunday evening on Channel 5 in a two-hour special that the makers say 'celebrates the miracle of childbirth'. It will be extended until midnight if the woman giving birth spends a long time in labour.

But staff within the hospital, as well as the Royal College of Midwives, have raised objections, warning that having a TV crew there for a live 'performance' makes the birth inherently less safe and will raise the mother's own stress levels, affecting the baby. It is understood that the college is considering launching a formal complaint about the programme. However, the broadcasting watchdog, Ofcom, says it cannot act until after the programme has been transmitted.

The show will raise fresh concerns about how far broadcasters are willing to go to capture large audiences via the drama and excitement of live events. Medical stories, particularly those involving surgery, have proved popular in recent years but some have caused outrage, with critics calling them voyeuristic and ghoulish.

The programme will also feature other items, including the latest techniques for saving babies while they are still in the womb. It will also feature actress Meera Syal and model Nancy Sorrell, who is married to comedian Vic Reeves - both women have recently had children - and will be hosted by the sports presenter Gabby Logan, who gave birth to twins over a year ago. 'I'm thrilled to be presenting the show,' she said. 'I had the most amazing experience when I gave birth to my twins.... That was an emotional roller-coaster and I imagine that's a little what this programme is going to be like.'

Some parent groups were also unhappy about the move. Belinda Phipps, chair of the National Childbirth Trust, said: 'There is absolutely no need to film this live, other than pushing up the TV ratings of course. The one thing you don't want when you're in labour is someone there with a camera and lights. And what on earth are they going to do if there is any kind of complication?

Executive producer Elaine Hackett said: 'We don't know yet if there will be someone who starts going into labour next Sunday evening, but we hope to be able to show the joys of natural childbirth. We will film as much as possible and we will certainly show the mother and her baby coming out of her. Our teams are very experienced and they know if there was the slightest problem, they would stop filming immediately.

My CoMmenTs...
I think that there is no need to film a live child birth. Children and Adults are aware of how a child is conceived. So what is the actual need of this programme. I believe that they are only doing this to boost up their ratings and dont really care about the child. There can be complications as they said..