Celebrity Big Brother and its non-celebrity counterpart are described as examples of "reality television".

However, it is hard to tell know how much reality is involved. There is certainly a strong suspicion that there is a great deal of manipulation involved to win and keep the audience, and that participants are carefully selected for the controversial impact they might have on the Big Brother "household". It's possible, too, that they are even encouraged to behave in a certain way.

Whatever the truth behind the appalling antics of Jade Goody and her relatives, it has certainly succeeded in getting the programme talked about. It has topped the media agenda, prompted a Parliamentary question to the Prime Minister and triggered demonstrations in India where Chancellor Gordon Brown was put on the spot.

Despite the mischief the programme has caused, it has highlighted a serious issue: that there is an underlying racism in Britain. Although the people in the house are not representative of "normal" people, the behaviour of this group does make it depressingly obvious that there are some members of society to whom racism still comes naturally.

Like Jack Straw with his comments on the veil, they have done us a favour by opening up the subject for debate. Some good may ultimately come out of this embarrassing mess. Perhaps that should be Big Brother's legacy. The show is an idea that has run its course, as viewing figures have shown, and probably should call it a day. The question is, what would the red-top tabloids find to write about then?