Channel 4 issues statement defending Bonnie Blue film following backlash to 1000 Men and Me documentary
Channel 4 has responded to backlash for its decision to air a documentary about online porn star Bonnie Blue.
1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story, airs on Tuesday night, and viewers tuned in will receive an on-air warning about the content.
The film follows Tia Billinger, who uses the stage name Bonnie Blue, as she invites men to have sex with her, films it and makes money online.
It is set to feature graphic sex scenes not usually seen on screens. This, along with several other features of the documentary, has sparked outrage at Channel 4.
Bonnie Blue is also known to abuse other women online and angers social media users by stating she likes to sleep with married men.
At the start of this year, she made headlines for announcing that she had slept with 1,057 men in 12 hours.
Channel 4 has issues a statement to the backlash it has faced over the show, with a spokesperson commenting: “Tia Billinger, via her stage name Bonnie Blue, has gained worldwide attention and millions of pounds in the last year.
“1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story is an observational documentary in which director Victoria Silver follows Tia over the course of six months.
“The film questions Tia’s methods and the divisive style of her social media and hears from colleagues and collaborators in order to understand her polarising business model.”
Speaking to The Mirror, the statement continued: “Part of Channel 4’s remit is to reflect modern Britain and stimulate debate amongst viewers, and a film such as this, exploring changing attitudes to sex, success, porn, and feminism in an ever-evolving online world is an important addition to those conversations.”
Channel 4 also noted it’s track record of programmes that “examine the porn industry”.
The statement also defending the graphic content in the documentary, insisting it is “editorially justified”.
Nottinghamshire-born Bonnie, 26, has quickly become one of OnlyFans’ biggest earners through her explicit content.
Her January claim about breaking a world record for sleeping with the most men in 12 hours horrified many, though she never provided evidence of completing the stunt.
The announcement of the documentary, which came earlier this year, sparked a lot of critcism.
The documentary is directed by Victoria Silver, who explained her motivation at the time, stating: “Bonnie Blue refuses to conform to public opinion and lives life by her own rules.
At a time when factual TV is awash with retrospective stories, I wanted to capture the energy of a live and evolving story, with a woman at the heart of it who’s living her life in such a bold way.”
The film will explore whether Blue is a “dangerous predator” or an “empowered, sex positive, businesswoman having the last laugh”.
Executive Producer Mark Henderson described it as “a story for our times, touching on our attitudes to sex, money, success, porn, feminism and masculinity”.
Channel 4 Commissioning Editor Tim Hancock promised “incredible access to an unfolding story at the edges of modern morality”.