Sorrow over apparent suicide of participant in RTÉ reality show
British teenager Carina Stephenson was among the “settlers” who took part with the Hurley family from Dublin and three other families from Britain and Australia in the programme, The Colony.
The fly-on-the wall series, which followed the fortunes of modern day families left in the Australian bush with nothing but the tools and rations that were issued to settler families in New South Wales 200 years ago, was jointly funded by RTÉ, an Australian production company, SBS, and the History Channel.
The six-part show finished its run on RTÉ earlier this month and has also aired in Australia but the History Channel, which was to have given the programme its biggest international audience, was only due to begin screening it next month. The channel said those plans were on hold while the producers consulted Carina’s family.
Carina, 17, from Branton, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, spent four months last year filming The Colony with her parents and siblings and the other families, including schoolteachers Maurice and Trish Hurley and their four children from north Co Dublin.
She vanished from her home last Thursday morning after going for a bike ride and was reported missing later the same day. Police search teams discovered her body on Saturday afternoon in woodlands near her home and her death is not being treated as suspicious.
In a statement issued last night, RTÉ said it had learnt “with great sadness” of the teenager’s tragic death. Kevin Dawson, Commissioning Editor for Factual Programming said: “RTÉ Television extends its deepest condolences to Liz and John Stephenson and their family.
“The Stephenson family were charming and whole-hearted participants in the recent series and all of the broadcasters and participants will wish to offer them their deepest sympathies at this very sad time.”
A spokesperson for the History Channel said: “We’re very upset at what has happened and our heart goes out to her family. Obviously the decision on whether to screen the show will depend on what the family think is best.”
But the channel rejected claims the show itself could have led to the teenager’s apparent suicide. “The whole family came back from Australia nearly six months ago and were very positive about the experience. If there had been any upset or distress they could have left and gone home at any point. It’s not Big Brother,” the spokeswoman said.
According to her family, Carina, who had recently revealed she was a lesbian, had appeared “happy and normal” in the days before her death.
