Lone parents on Big Brother - what were they thinking?

I'VE read various rants online about how mothers could leave their kids to take part in a reality TV show. Some have been so misogynist or reactionary that I have wondered if I should check the calendar to see if it really is still 2008.

However skewed their desire for lads' mag fame or post BB notoriety, Jen and Alex obviously hoped the show could help build a better life for their families. That has to be an admirable quality right? Whether or not any of us viewers could be away from our own kids for the same length of time.

But how wrong could they be? How much more of a fool could these preening wannabes look?

Things have gone too far. One is now reported to have fled her home, with her young daughter.

The other, without a trace of irony, barked at a blind man to get out of the way, because she "couldn't see" something he happened to be standing by. Now she's busy weighing up which of two pretty boys (one of whom is a dad himself) she fancies - while her husband flogs stories about her.

Before Alex was kicked out, alongside her aggressive behaviour, she also boasted of "blowing a grand" in an instant on her daughter, buying her designer dresses and so on.

This upset me as much as the confrontations she sparked. Since when were such fleeting, material signs of wealth what kids want?

How 'proud' will Jen's family be when she comes out? No doubt very. I'm just not sure I would be.