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BBC bosses have ordered a film inspired by the suicides of contributors to ITV programmes Love Island and The Jeremy Kyle Show, it was revealed yesterday.

Reggie Yates will make his TV writing debut with factual drama Killed By My Fame, which aims to “shine a light on the brutal side of reality TV”.

The hour-long special, for BBC3, will explore the impact of appearing on these types of shows, looking at “instant fame, toxic masculinity, social media and suicide”.

The controversial commission comes a few months after the DCMS launched an inquiry into reality TV's duty of care towards contributors in the wake of a the deaths of former contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon, who took their own lives after appearing on Love Island.

While Love Island continues, The Jeremy Kyle Show was axed in May following the death of Steve Dymond, who ended his life one week after filming took place.

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Yates' plot will follow the making and breaking of a reality star and examine what is really known about those who choose to share their lives with millions of viewers via a TV screen. It asks what really happens to these “stars” once the cameras stop rolling.

BBC TV and radio presenter Yates, 36, said he had long been “fascinated” by reality TV. He explained: “I’ve often questioned how affecting whirlwind fame can become once the cameras are gone. All too often the audience sees the glamour and popularity that comes with being in the public eye, but in this drama we explore the true impact instant fame can have.”

The commission came as TV bosses agreed it would be “tragic” if diverse voices were prevented from being heard as a result of the probe into duty of care.

Big Brother star Jade Goody's former partner Jeff Brazier, now single dad to their two children, said he only agreed to appear in the recent documentary marking 10 years since her death for the sake of their sons. He said he was persuaded to speak out by a producer who told him that Jade's mother was in the programme. “In the end he said 'it's either your words or Jackiey Budden's'. That got me moving. No one wants to be represented by Jackiey.”

(Image: ITV) (Image: PA)

Tim Hincks, boss of Endemol TV at the time of Big Brother, said that TV was regulated by people who didn't watch it. “And they're snobs,” he said. “The early Big Brother shows put working class kids on the telly, and they were enjoying themselves. Some people found this abhorrent.”

But he admitted the race row on Celebrity Big Brother involving Jade and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty would never be shown on TV today. “There is no question that if that row erupted now, Jade would have left the house. It would be dealt with quickly and not allowed to play out. It seems quite naïve now, but we were treating them like adults, letting them talk through their issues.”

C4 popular factual boss Kelly Webb-Lamb agreed: “We didn't look after Jade in the way we would now.”

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But she argued it would be “totally wrong and perverse” if TV became narrower as a result. “We give voice to vulnerable people through documentaries or reality TV – we need to defend people's right to be on the telly,” she argued. “We need to work really hard to make sure these voices continue to be heard. We must not limit our ambition to get their stories out there.”

Angela Jain, boss of ITV Studios entertainment, agreed: “That would be awful. The last thing we want to do is discount people – that would be a tragedy.”

She said the biggest problem was the hate received by contestants on social media when they left the show. “Some stuff that goes directly to them is absolutely disgusting and should not be allowed.”