‘I lost it all’: People who were in Zara McDermott’s ‘repulsive’ Thailand doc are speaking out

Former Love Island star turned TV presenter Zara McDermott recently released her latest documentary, Thailand: The Dark Side of Paradise. Since then, it’s faced a whole load of backlash.

The three part BBC series was intended to show the “reality” of what actually happens on the party island, and expose negative trends there. But, it’s been called out as “one-sided” and “arrogant”. Now, those who actually took part in the doc itself have even spoken out.

Zara visited multiple areas as part of the documentary, and spoke to one person who described a place as “Benidorm on steroids.” The show also included a moment in which one member of the film crew was nearly arrested for filming in a red light district in Bangkok.

via BBC

‘I was repulsed by how judgmental and patronising it is’

The initial backlash was rife. “Having lived and worked in Thailand and travelled extensively across the country as a young single woman, I can confidently say that this is an unfair and skewed portrayal of a beautiful nation and its kind, welcoming people,” one person said.

Another wrote: “Thailand, a country heavily reliant on tourism, deserves more responsible and balanced reporting.” A third said: “Her documentary on Thailand felt poorly handled. As an Asian viewer, I was repulsed by how judgmental and patronising it is.”

Others noted that passing off the entire country the way the doc did was “narrow” and “ignorant”. One said: “Feels like a reach for views. Explore the whole country please.”

‘I’ve lost my job, lost my villa, lost my girlfriend’

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Now, one of the interviewees from the show has also spoken out. He’s not happy either. Dave Bates moved to Thailand just under three years ago, to find a better life. He’s now said because of the Zara McDermott documentary about Thailand, he’s lost his home, his job and even his girlfriend. He has said being on the show was “the ‘worst decision of his life.”

Dave in the show, via BBC

He told The Sun: “The backlash has been unbearable; this has turned my life upside down. Because of this documentary, I’ve lost my job. I’ve lost my villa that I’ve worked so hard to get. I’ve lost my girlfriend.”

Dave explained that someone reached out to him on TikTok, and told him the doc would be “to show people why everyone’s moving to Thailand and why everyone loves to visit Thailand”. He said: “So immediately I was like brilliant, I’d love to do it, I’d love to be part of that, it’s kind of what I do on my social media. All my content is focused on showing people how amazing Thailand is, so I was like, ‘Great, if I have the opportunity to do that in a documentary, fantastic’.”

He was initially told Zara would be the host, but had only heard of her from Love Island and Made in Chelsea. He has now said the angle the documentary took was completely different to what he first believed he was signing up for.

“Thailand does have some dark sides, just like every other country, but there wasn’t an indication that would be all they were focusing on,” Dave said. “It’s only when they put it on TV and people watch it that you literally see it’s just about the dark side of Thailand, and that’s it. Nothing positive.” He added: “If they had told us the direction that they were going to take, I can guarantee you not a single one of us creators would have taken part.”

via BBC

Dave works in travel, and now thinks his business could be hit by the damage the doc has caused. The show isn’t available to watch in Thailand, but clips have gone viral on TikTok. Dave said his girlfriend saw these, and was “deeply upset” and ended their relationship. Because she is from Thailand, she didn’t want to be associated with someone who took part in the doc, which Dave has said he understands.

Dave has also commented on the editing of the show. He said he filmed for hours, but only small snippets were shown. Dave claimed his answers for other questions were used in response to things Zara said, which has painted a “false narrative”.

Another contributor slammed the doc as “full of lies and staged events”. A further person who took part said they were “annoyed, upset and sad,” and accused producers of “trying hard to find the bad part of Thailand”.

The BBC has since issued a statement

Speaking of the doc backlash, a spokesperson for the BBC said: “We refute any suggestion that this contributor was misrepresented and that any sequences were fabricated. He was fully briefed before participating, fully consented and understood the nature of his contribution and the series as a whole. Zara McDermott has explored a range of sensitive issues in multiple documentaries for BBC Three over the past five years.”

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