Enlarge imageLONDON (Reuters) - Two "Big Brother" housemates face eviction in a public vote tonight after a drunken brawl forced the reality TV show off air.
Student Vanessa Nimmo, 26, and hairdresser Daniel Bryan, 30, were nominated for eviction two days before violence erupted in the house early on Thursday.
Police viewed tapes of the trouble and producers cut the live feed for 90 minutes while security guards kept contestants apart.
Channel 4 said the 11 housemates had been offered counselling and had met the production team to discuss the incident.
"The welfare and safety of the housemates is always our overriding concern," Channel 4 said in a statement. "(We) will be encouraging the housemates to work through their issues as a group."
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Hertfordshire Police said it was looking at a tape of the brawl and no decision had been taken on whether to take action.
Media regulator Ofcom said it had received 16 complaints about bad language and violence.
Channel 4 and the show’s producer Endemol UK were accused of orchestrating the violence to boost ratings and spark interest in what some see as a tired formula.
"Producers are presiding over an orgy of carefully planned, artfully manipulated degradation," the Daily Mail thundered.
The Mirror blamed the "foolish puppeteers" behind the programme, while the Sun said "they wanted outrageous behaviour and they got it".
The papers gave blow-by-blow accounts of the violence, which began when a food fight escalated.
Student Victor Ebuwa, 23, called legal administrator Emma Greenwood, 20, a "dirtbag" and the pair traded death threats.
Bodybuilder Jason Cowen, 30, ordered student Marco Sabba to stop dancing and said: "I’ll take your head off."
Eviction nominee Vanessa, who has struck up a relationship with Jason, broke down in tears on Thursday and ranted at fellow housemates.
"I know you all don’t like me," she said. "I don’t care if I go." The name of the evicted housemate will be announced at 9 p.m.
