Donor boom after TV kidney hoax

Donor boom after TV kidney hoax

The "contestants" were all in on the Donor Show hoax

Some 12,000 more people have registered as organ donors in the Netherlands since a Dutch TV hoax that featured a "competition" for a kidney.

The Big Donor Show was revealed to be a hoax as the fake donor was apparently about to reveal her choice of patient.

But Dutch media say the number of people registering as organ donors has jumped since the hoax. The usual monthly figure is just 3-4,000.

The three real patients vying for a kidney knew the show was a hoax.

The show, broadcast on 1 June, featured a terminally-ill woman selecting one of three patients to receive one of her kidneys.

Before the broadcast political parties called for it to be scrapped, but broadcaster BNN said the show would highlight the country's shortage of organ donors.

The programme was made by Big Brother creators Endemol.

The 37-year-old "donor" - an actress playing the part of a terminally-ill woman - had to make a choice based on conversations with the family and friends of the contestants, as well as personal history and profile.

The Dutch donor authority condemned the show before it was revealed to be a hoax.