Channel 4’s Celebrity Handcuffed has gone too far with this controversial figure

Her presence in the new series feels truly unjustifiable (Picture: Sameer AL-DOUMY / AFP via Getty Images) Reading over the names announced for Channel 4’s new celebrity season of reality show Handcuffed, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. One ‘star’ made me most uncomfortable – and it may not be the one you expect. Of course, it wasn’t ideal seeing Conservative Home Secretary and current Reform MP: Suella Braverman, listed among the likes of media personality Katie Price and drag star Bimini. I was shocked to see reality TV, again, giving platforms to right-wing and controversial MPs – especially one as divisive as her. But she wasn’t the one who disgusted me the most; it was actually seeing the name of socialite and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor defender (yes, you read that right) Lady Victoria Hervey, that really took me aback. The daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, who dated the former Prince in the 90s, has made a new name for herself for her provocative views about the Epstein scandal that have no place in 2026. It’s unnerving to see reactionary politicians like Braverman involved in a show like this (Picture: Victoria Jones/Shutterstock) Her presence in the new series feels truly unjustifiable – this platforming feels irresponsible from Channel 4. For those unfamiliar with the premise, the series challenges two people who couldn’t be more different (whether in background, political opinions or lifestyle) to stay handcuffed for longer than all the other couples. The new season will feature: the aforementioned Braverman with ex- glamour model Katie Price; former footballer Neil Ruddock with drag star Bimini; Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona with Made in Chelsea’s Mark-Francis Vandelli; and DJ Fat Tony with Princess Olga Romanov. It’s a recipe for disaster, with explosive arguments and shocking confessions making couples unlock their cuffs faster than you can blink. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But there has been the occasional lightning-in-a-bottle moment where two people walk a mile in the other’s shoes, and it changes their entire outlook on life for the better. For example, in the last season, housewife Charlie and porn star Rob won and remained friends. While it’s unnerving to see reactionary politicians like Braverman involved in a show like this, as a public figure currently with a stake in the future of the country, I can deal with her through gritted teeth with the hopes Katie will push back on her harmful takes. So while they may be the buzziest duo to come from the show so far, I feel like Lady Victoria Hervey is a quietly dangerous participant, who is flying under everyone’s radar. If you have had the joy of not knowing who this woman is, let me burst your bubble (Picture: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images) If you have had the joy of not knowing who this woman is, let me burst your bubble. The 49-year-old social climber just this year said that not being in the Epstein files (named after the pedophile financier) meant that you were ‘a bit of a loser’. Elsewhere in her chat with LBC host Tom Swarbrick she accused Epstein and survivor Virginia Giuffre (notoriously photographed with Andrew as a teenager) of ‘working together’ to fake the image of the ex-royal with his arm around Giuffre. She has long disputed the authenticity of the picture, at one point calling Giuffre, the ‘queen of the fake photo’. What do you think about controversial figures being featured in reality TV shows? It brings attention to important societal issues.Check It gives them a platform they don't deserve.Check It depends on how it is handled by the show.Check Want to get bespoke updates on the TV shows you love? Sign up to Metro's TV newsletters and tell us which ones you can't get enough of As a woman, it was horrific to read another woman make these claims. After Giuffre’s suicide, she callously declared that ‘When lies catch up with you, there’s no way out’. The backlash to this was so intense that she released a follow-up statement calling the death ‘tragic’. As far back as 2019 she was issuing horrendous takes on the Epstein scandal, telling Good Morning Britain: ‘When you think of sex trafficking, you think of a 12-year-old that’s kidnapped that’s chained in a cage. This is not the same thing. These girls were living the high life.’ She hasn’t gone entirely scorched earth on the Epstein victims and, featuring in a 2022 documentary about the scandal, said at the time she ‘had fun’ but was ‘young and naive’ and knew she was ‘’one of the luckier ones’. After Giuffre’s suicide, she callously declared that ‘When lies catch up with you, there’s no way out’ (Picture: HANDOUT/US District Court – Southern District of New York (SDNY)/AFP via Getty Images) While I do have sympathy for the trauma she must have endured, that’s more than she has extended to other victims. Her comments appear to suggest she doesn’t care about them – an astonishingly disappointing stance that doesn’t deserve the time of day, let alone a slot on primetime Channel 4. Unsurprisingly, Hervey is also a fervent Reform UK supporter (dubbing Farage her ‘future Prime Minister’ on Instagram) and has rubbed shoulders with some of the most divisive men alive today, who also happen to be the most powerful: Trump and Musk. Georgia Harrison was a victim of revenge porn (Picture: Reuters) What makes this casting choice even more sickening, however, is pairing her with sexual abuse survivor Georgia Harrison MBE. The reality star has become a high profile advocate for women’s safety online after being the victim of revenge porn. After seeing how she has behaved towards people like Giuffre, I can only imagine the belittling attitude awaiting someone who is doing vital work that actually deserves the platform. Harrison does not deserve to go through any of that. Producers may be banking on Lady Hervey saying something provocative and undermining Harrison’s lived experience, for the controversy that ultimately leads to more viewers. Since reality TV thrives on airing the outrageous, even at the cost of someone who is vulnerable, I have an uneasy feeling about how this will all play out and whether we’ll see any duty of care towards Georgia. While she can make her own decisions about how she advocates her cause, it’s depressing that the way for her to promote women’s safety online is by subjecting her to someone who previous comments suggest could make her feel unsafe by questioning her experience. She has rubbed shoulders with some of the most divisive men alive today, who also happen to be the most powerful: Trump and Musk (Picture: Phil Lewis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) But abuse is not up for debate. In a post Me Too era, it shouldn’t be a question as to whether we believe survivors. With the unnerving amount of women who experience sexual violence in the UK – with stats showing that 739,000 women aged 16 years and over experienced sexual assault (including attempts) in the last year – it’s easier to question someone who hasn’t. And these are just the ones reported. There is a case to be argued that we could see Lady Hervey’s mind changed by Harrison but I’m profoundly uninterested in seeing any potential rehabilitation on broadcast on TV. This is work Hervey can and should be doing privately. After all, controversial talking heads like Farage or Sharon Osbourne have never had their minds changed after a reality TV stint. Giving airtime to figures like Lady Hervey is singlehandedly keeping her relevance alive instead of letting her peter off into insignificance. 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