The BBC has defended its new Katie Price documentary following criticism.
Katie Price: What Harvey Did Next aired Monday on BBC One, featuring the media star and her son Harvey.
The new one-off is a follow up to Katie Price: Harvey and Me which saw Katie share what it’s really like to be a mum of a disabled child approaching adulthood.
But the BBC has been criticised for scheduling the documentary after Katie was sentenced for a drink-driving car crash last December.
A source told the Daily Mail: “The commissioning of this show has gone down like a lead balloon among some staff. They can’t believe Katie is being paid and given airtime after she could have killed someone.”
In response, the BBC said: “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.
“This film is very much focused on Harvey, and we 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.”
The documentary will air on Monday, 7 March a 9PM on BBC One and online via iPlayer.
Speaking about the new film, Katie said: “For me, watching both documentaries I think the second one shows more about Harvey without me there. It shows the daily challenges and what he’s like when he meets new people and also what it’s like for a parent to be away from their child and what it’s like for Harvey.
“The first film was more of an introduction – he was at home – but this film really shows how challenging it is.”
She added: “This one is more in depth with Harvey, more of an insight and more opened up.
“There are people out there who deal with people like Harvey every day, to show the challenges of it. I just think this film is more in depth, showing that it’s not easy.”
The original documentary Katie Price: Harvey and Me is available on iPlayer here.
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