BBC / Andrew Farrington
BBC picked up the next episode dragon’s den Following backlash from a contestant’s claims that acupuncture and ear seeds helped her recover from ME.
Letters have now been sent to politicians and the BBC over these claims and others, and the long-running business model could be forced into liquidation.
In last Thursday’s episode, contestant Gisele Boxer said that “diet, acupuncture, herbal medicine and ear seeds” helped her recover from her symptoms and inspired her to turn her idea into the brand Acu Seeds. said. She received her £50,000 ($63,000) in exchange for her 10% investment in the company.of daily mirror Ms Boxer was quoted as saying the BBC had approached her to appear on the show.
Last week, campaign group Action for ME came together in a letter to the chairs of Britain’s culture, media and sport committees and health and social care committees, saying the way her proposals were worded was problematic. expressed concern. dragon’s den Suggesting that this product was the cause of her recovery and therefore should be considered an effective treatment. ” According to the NHS website, ME is a long-term condition with a wide range of symptoms including extreme fatigue, trouble sleeping and difficulty concentrating, and can be treated with treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, energy management and medications to control symptoms such as pain and sleep. Treatment options have been proposed. problem.
“It is important that broadcasters make every effort to ensure that their content is accurate and does not contain potentially misleading information,” the campaign group added in the letter. “Given that the episode in question was broadcast in prime time on BBC One, more viewers will have heard this pitch, which amounted to an unsubstantiated claim that this form of alternative medicine could cure me. I’m worried that something will happen.”
The letter notes that Ms. Boxer did not explicitly say that the seeds cured the disease, pointing to the fact that she updated her website to clarify the day after the episode aired.
The BBC said the episode, which had been watched by more than three million people, was currently “under review” and therefore not currently available on iPlayer. Another from the 21st season, which aired last night.
moreover, times Another letter sent by academics to BBC director-general Tim Davie outlines numerous examples of “extravagant claims” made on the program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary next year and is broadcast under the name “BBC” in the United States. We reported on the letter this morning. shark tank.
The letter, signed by a number of academics, appeared in the same episode as the cocoa company’s founder, who claimed his drink had “healing effects” and helped him when he was “suicidal.” It emphasizes that. Another example of a psychic business using crystals to “purify blood” also surfaced, but this happened in a separate episode.
in dragon’s den, The show, produced by BBC Studios, sees contestants pitch a business idea to five ‘dragons’ who must decide whether to invest and how much stake they will receive in the business in return. there is.
