4 way anal footballing rape case and Michael Portillo is looking happy as a pig in sh*t while they are chewing the alledged 'anal tear' factor

Getting into this now





Live celebrity jury series for BBC

An ambitious cross-platform event that examines the UK judicial system via a jury of 12 celebrities sitting in judgement on a legal trial has been commissioned by BBC2 and BBC3 from RDF Television.

The Verdict will focus on a highly contemporary and controversial case, based on evidence and examples from real life, improvised by top actors and contested by real barristers and a real judge.

[SB decode wk 1 thurs] The celebrity jury, as with a real jury, will comprise people from a variety of backgrounds, including British Conservative former cabinet minister Michael Portillo, the first name confirmed for a place on the show.

The BBC2 series will show highlights from the trial, building from the prosecution's case to the moment when the jury will have to retire and reach its judgement, giving viewers a chance to observe the judicial process in full, including how the jury reaches its conclusions.

The BBC3 switch-over programme will show how the jury, sequestered together in a hotel, have reacted to the day’s proceedings in court.

At the same time, a full interactive service will ensure viewers can fully engage with The Verdict, taking part in discussions on the message board, finding out background information, registering for email and SMS updates and registering their own verdict on the trial.

The show is being funded by the Think Big Fund, a pot of money set up by BBC director of television Jana Bennett to support big ideas across multiple platforms and channels to ensure they have maximum impact.

Richard Klein, BBC commissioning editor, greenlit the programme for Roly Keating, controller of BBC2 and Julian Bellamy, controller of BBC3.

Klein said: “The Verdict is an exciting new proposition that examines the jury system in a lively and accessible way. And as a cross platform interactive event, viewers will really be able to get involved and play a full part in the proceedings throughout the trial.”

RDF Media Group’s chief creative officer Stephen Lambert added: “The Verdict is a fantastically exciting programme for us to be making, because it's a celebrity reality show with huge social purpose.

"It will, for the first time, enable viewers to see how a jury actually reaches its conclusions. The programme will be unscripted, which will be an exciting challenge for the actors as they are cross-examined by the barristers.”