Big Brother bother as film director brands Goodys ‘slum dwellers’

CELEBRITY Big Brother contestant Ken Russell has branded Jade Goody and her family “slum dwellers”.

The veteran film director walked out of the Channel 4 reality show at the weekend after a row with Jade.

The stress of sharing a house with the “vulgar” Jade and her mother, Jackiey, made him fear he would have a stroke, reported The Sun.

“I grew up in the slums of Southampton and we had a word for people like that — guttersnipes.

“There should be a Devil’s Island where we can send these people, they’re all going to Hell anyway,” Russell said.

“I’ve met people from all walks of life but no one so vulgar. It’s almost as though they’ve been programmed to be vulgar, horrible and objectionable.

“They speak in a language which is deliberately limited. They didn’t even seem to know how to use a knife and fork.”

Jade entered the house with mum Jackiey and boyfriend Jack Tweed.

Russell, 79, said: “I tried to get on with them, but they acted like royalty. They looked down on everyone. They were name-dropping or going on about sunbeds.”

The Women In Love director, who has suffered a stroke in the past, said: “I thought ‘If this is going to go on for 25 days I can’t take it’. I was worried I’d have another stroke.”

But he added: “It was a dare to go in the house. I don’t regret it.”

With half the audience turning off since the launch episode, there were further signs today that the show is failing to grab viewers’ attention.

William Hill said they had taken twice as many bets on ITV1’s rival offering Soapstar Superstar than on Celebrity Big Brother in the past 24 hours.

William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: “We are putting it down to ‘the Goody factor’ which has confused punters. We can only hope they will be voted out before everyone turns off.”

One of the housemates will be evicted tomorrow.