Channel 5 has apologized and agreed to pay damages to a family filmed without their consent on reality show “Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away!”
Appearing in London’s High Court on Wednesday, a representative for the Paramount-backed broadcaster apologized to Louise Pardoe and her two daughters for the misuse of their private information in a 2014 episode of the Brinkworth Films-produced series that has been watched by millions.
In May 2014, two High Court enforcement agents attended Pardoe’s rental property to evict the mother and her two young daughters. A film crew was in attendance and Pardoe made it clear that she didn’t want to be filmed, or for the film crew to enter her home.
While the crew agreed to remain outside, agents who entered the home were wearing bodycams and radio microphones that were used to record video and audio footage without Pardoe’s consent. The footage was used on an episode of “Can’t Pay” that first aired on Oct. 8, 2014.
That episode has since been broadcast to more than 6.6 million people in a format that showed Pardoe’s face, and another in which her face was blurred, and her name removed. Pardoe’s legal team Hamlins said the broadcast “has caused immense upset and distress to our client due to the grave misuse, not only of her own private information, but also that of her two young daughters.”
The claim was ultimately settled out of court, but Channel 5 made an apology and has agreed to pay “substantial damages” and cover Pardoe’s legal costs.
“I am so pleased Channel 5 has publicly apologized to us to today for the serious invasion of our privacy,” said Pardoe. “The program has caused us great distress and I feel that we can now start to put this behind us. I would like to thank the fantastic Hamlins Media Disputes department — in particular Alex Cochrane, Lauren Twidale, Daniel Shaw, Meera Khunti and Anna Seal — for fighting our corner and obtaining justice on our behalf.”
Cochrane, a partner at Hamlins, added: “Louise and her two daughters have received a public apology from Channel 5 this morning in the Royal Courts of Justice in London as a result of the very serious misuse of their private information. They were covertly filmed whilst being evicted from their home and, understandably, they were in a state of considerable distress at this time. It has been a privilege acting for Louise and her daughters and I’m delighted we have been able to bring this matter to a successful conclusion.”
Hamlins has a number of clients with ongoing claims against Channel 5 for breach of privacy during the filming of “Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away!”
The broadcaster is regularly sued by people featured on the show who have been filmed by bodycams without their consent. The program ran for five seasons between 2014 and 2018.