Wife Swap want gay or lesbian family

By Amy Bourke • February 13, 2007 - 13:40

One at least one occasion the show has descended into violence.

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Controversial television series Wife Swap is looking for their first same-sex family to take part in the eighth series.

The BAFTA-winning Channel 4 programme, which first aired in 2003, takes two families, usually with vastly different lifestyles.

The families swap wives for two weeks. In the first week the women try to fill their counterpart's role, and in the second week they impose their own routine on their hosts.

One at least one occasion the show has descended into violence, when the two wives and their partners meet at the end to discuss their experiences.

But Channel 4 claim that in this series, they would like to return to the original format and concentrate on "learning and resolution" rather than conflict and argument.

Angela Arora, an assistant producer for the show, told PinkNews.co.uk:

"I am passionate that this series is an important opportunity for a same-sex family to help educate others. Unfortunately, I think stereotypes of gay and lesbians do exist on TV.

"It is about time that the issues facing families who live, work and bring up their children in same-sex relationships is highlighted in a positive and energetic light.

"We get many applicants and I'm dedicated to finding ones that represent the modern British family unit as fairly as possible."

In the new series the swap will last eight days rather than 14.

Since 2004 an American version of the show has also aired on the ABC network.

In November 2005, Jeffrey Bedford, a participant on the show, sued ABC network for over $10,000,000 after they swapped his wife for a gay man.

He accused ABC of being dishonest, not allowing him to contact his wife, and making him miss college classes.

He claims that when he refused to continue with the production of the show, ABC threatened that it would not tell him his wife's whereabouts and would not pay for his wife's return home.

Gay or lesbian couples who want to get involved in the upcoming UK series must live together and must have children in the home.

For more information, call Angela on 0207 013 4572 or email angela.arora@rdfmedia.com

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