The BBC has been slapped with complaints from angry viewers after it aired a brand new documentary on Katie Price and her son Harvey. The film, titled, Katie Price: What Harvey Did Next, followed the teenager, who was born with septo-optic dysplasia, Prader-Willi syndrome, autism and a learning disability, as he enters this new phase of adulthood, documenting his transition to a more independent life with a move to college.
It came after Katie documented her search for a residential college for son Harvey in her first BBC film, Harvey and Me, which aired in January last year.
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However, the latest documentary received backlash from viewers following the former glamour model's recent personal challenges.
Katie, 43, has had various run-ins with the law and time spent at The Priory in the last year, however, What Harvey Did Next was commissioned before she avoided jail for a drink-drive smash. She was handed a 16-week suspended sentence in December for the offence, which was committed while she was disqualified and did not have insurance.
Katie has since committed to seeing a therapist, after receiving treatment for her mental health at the Priory Centre.
However, the fortnightly report for the BBC complaints service stated that they had received 103 complaints from viewers, were made between February 28 and March 13, with some having complained that Katie being an "inappropriate subject for a documentary".
The report also says that the audience also raised concerns about featuring Harvey - a vulnerable young adult.
Viewers taking to social media at the time the episode aired claimed the airing of the documentary was an "outrageous abuse of license funds" and that they were "absolutely livid" she was being given airtime.
A BBC spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News : "Katie Price: What Harvey Did Next is a documentary that aims to explore and shine a light on a side of disability that is not often shown. The film highlights the experiences of Harvey Price, who lives with a range of complex medical and behavioural conditions, as he enters a new phase of adulthood and the difficult decisions that he and his Mum make along the way as he enrols at college.
"The BBC very much see this as a documentary focused on Harvey, and believe that his is an important story to tell. This BBC programme does address Katie Price’s arrest, following her car accident, in the context of how Harvey’s life would be impacted if something had happened to his Mum."
When asked why she wanted to do a second documentary before it aired earlier this month, mum-of-five Katie told the PA News agency: "Well, when I watched the first one, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, it just stopped!’ And you feel like you want to know what’s happening next.
"The BBC obviously thought that as well, because they came to me and said, ‘look, shall we do another one?’ And I thought, why not?!"
She added when asked what she wanted viewers to take from the film: "As a mum, the challenges I’m having to go through personally – with my personal life, my job and all of that, on top of being in control of what’s happening with Harvey, you know, because you can’t let what’s going on in your life affect Harvey.
"You have to still stick to what’s right for him. So, just to show that all lives can be challenging, but you still can’t neglect the fact that you’ve got to do this properly for your son."
