Fake 'Big Brother' Show Streams Online, 9 Women Freed in Raid

by Tina Kells | September 10, 2009 at 04:33 pm

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Nine women have been freed in Turkey after a police raid on a villa that was set up as a fake Big Brother house. The women were held in the house while their every move was recorded and streamed to online viewers. They were cut off from their families and, under the terms of their illegal contracts, risked hefty fines if they contacted them or left the house.

The nine women thought they were participating in a Big Brother type TV series but the footage shot of them was never intended for television. Instead the women became unwitting stars of a live streaming pay-per-view scheme online where viewers paid for 24 hour unrestricted access to the women's lives.

The women, all from Turkey, according to the Turkish press, had answered an advert seeking contestants for a "Big Brother"-style television show. They passed an audition and selection process before entering the house.

"The women's parents called the police after they didn't hear anything from them. The military police went to investigate and heard the women screaming from inside," the spokesman said, adding the raid took place Monday.

Police detained three men and prosecutors are investigating, he said.

According to Turkish media, the women had signed a contract agreeing they would have no contact with their families and would face a fine of 50,000 Turkish lira if they left early.