Miriam: Death of a Reality Star, Channel 4, review: British TV's cruellest experiment

The offer seemed too good to be true - a chance to be on a reality TV program situated in a lavish villa in Ibiza. Six guys would vie for the affections of a stunning woman, hoping to win a grand prize of £10,000. This was the plot of the Sky One show named There's Something About Miriam, which aired back in 2004. The print ad had an enticing teaser: "Are you prepared for a once-in-a-lifetime sexual escapade?"

However, there was an unexpected twist at the end. When Miriam announced the winner during the last episode, she disclosed that she was a transwoman who had not undergone gender confirmation surgery yet. Host Tim Vincent phrased it as: "She's a mix of both male and female, with male anatomy below the waist." It was a highly inappropriate comment and a new low for reality TV.

Miriam: Death of a Reality Star (Channel 4) is a three-part series that explores a tragic event. The show focuses on the story of Miriam Rivera, a young transgender woman who was exploited and ridiculed for entertainment purposes. The show's title clearly reveals the outcome of the story, and viewers may find themselves feeling emotional while watching. Although the six young men who participated in the show should not be blamed for what happened, it is still a very sad story.

We have two individuals who have shared their experiences and deserve recognition for doing so. The first person is a recruiter who was recommended by his mother to be part of the show. He was able to quickly guess that Miriam was biologically male, but he was immediately removed from the program. On the other hand, the rest of the group were unaware and fell under Miriam's spell.

The film features interviews with the participants, past crew members, as well as Miriam's relatives and buddies, all of which culminate in a shocking final scene. It is tough to watch as the champion is left flabbergasted and overtaken by shame.

The producers of the show brought in a psychologist to offer emotional support to the contestants. However, nobody considered the situation of Miriam, who was only 21 years old. She had left her family home in Mexico when she was a teenager after her father found girl's clothing in her bedroom. A priest was called in to perform an exorcism. Miriam believed the show would have a good influence on her. Unfortunately, things did not turn out as she expected. Instead, she was left alone to suffer the consequences, and it led her to a life of drugs and prostitution in Las Vegas.

People are unsure if she died by suicide or was murdered, and there are different opinions on this matter. Some may say that this unkind behavior happened during a different era, when reality TV was a competition to see who could be the worst, and transgender individuals were ridiculed. However, the only executive producer who appears on camera, Jo Juson, remains just as unapologetic and insensitive as she was back then. She did not seem to believe that the show was unethical when questioned about it. When asked how she felt about the deceit, she responded with, "I didn't feel anything. Our goal is to create TV shows."