“My world collapsed and I wondered why we signed up.”

Candidate Jean Seren is out Camp WesBut his mental ordeal continues. A lot of people online are talking about the guy. Xenophobia is the dark side of fame that TV show participants often underestimate. “I was coming out of the driveway and people were giving me the middle finger.”

If people could move their eyes to a new dimension due to discomfort, viewers would do so Camp Wes A weekend full of adventure. In the group work session, Jean Seren couldn't resist lecturing others. The man didn't fit into the group so he had to pack his bags. Special forces still praise his physical abilities, but many on social media have dipped their pens into harsh criticism. From insults about his character to “jokes” calling for him to be shot: it's not pretty.

Thus, Cyrine can join the list of participants in television programs that showered her with tar and feathers. Social media makes it more accessible than ever and opinion spreads quickly. However, as unknown Flemish people with limited media training, they do not always have the armor needed to simply deal with such criticism, while insults can leave deep wounds.

For example, Caroline Carpentier found herself in the eye of the storm two years ago after getting involved with her husband Bought blind On Play4. Their €1 million budget included a wide range of requirements, but her disappointing reaction to the purchased property made many people lose their minds. She and her husband were criticized on social media.

Carpentier had not witnessed the incident beforehand, and therefore was not prepared for the reactions that came. “Everywhere we went, we were approached during those early days. “I would come out of the driveway and people would give me the middle finger,” she said. Some expressed support for the couple, but it was hard to wrap their heads around it. “My world collapsed and I wondered… Why we registered. It was terrible, especially because I thought everyone looked at us that way. The psychological guidance provided by the makers of the program eventually helped them overcome this problem.

Today, Carpentier is strong again and looks at television shows in a different light. Ultimately, there is no doubt that the editor has a great responsibility when it comes to photographing participants. An unfortunate edit can portray the kindest person as a monster and distort all of reality. In a game show, participants are chosen because their different personalities can create an interesting dynamic.

At worst, this leads to the sensation that the filmmakers are deliberately creating an image of the enemy, but the reality is often more nuanced. Carpentier, for example, understands makers Bought blind, who simply tried to present the best possible programme, and thus sought extremism. “Your personality may seem much worse than it is now, and you feel shocked because you no longer recognize yourself,” she says.

“balancing process”

“As a maker, it's a balancing act. You only have a limited time to photograph someone, but you have to be true to yourself,” says Isabelle Dames, who is the managing director at Banjay, the production house, among others. Bought blind Make. “You can exaggerate certain things, but the relationship between people and what's on screen has to be individual.” According to her, the television sector has witnessed significant developments in recent decades when it comes to taking care of the mental health of its participants.

Candidates are pre-screened and are offered guidance afterwards. At the same time, the line is sometimes thin: TV makers are smart enough to realize that an unhappy millionaire couple will attract many viewers. “We knew they would come out fine at the end of the trip,” Dames says. And effective: Carpentier and her partner still live in the house.

Programs like Bought blind or Camp Wes They are recorded months in advance, but live studio performances present different challenges. Luca Diez received a lot of criticism when he competed in 2021 K2 is looking for K3. “People said I was manipulative and envious of others. When I received positive comments from judge Gordon, some wrote that I was in a relationship with him.” During the live shows he suffered from it for a while and it was no longer necessary for him.

A conversation with the psychiatrist supervising K3 made him see the light again. “I realized I couldn't please everyone, so I flipped the switch,” he says. That mental toughness put him on the stage of another talent show Sunday: V.I Flanders Voice Selected by coach Quinn Waters.

When the mean responses keep coming, it may seem to TV series candidates as if their reality has changed irrevocably. Carpentier wants to advise them that the sun rises behind the clouds. “It's going to blow up again. People still come to our stadium because they see that couple Bought blind Want to see it in real life. They are very understanding, although they always say I would rather be in real life.