Daily Life
Big Brother 9
Summary: Mikey Hughes, from RNIB's Insight Radio, came second in Big Brother 9.
Mikey's out in second place!
Mikey Hughes spent his summer in the Big Brother house, watched 24 hours a day by millions of viewers.
Before going into the house Mikey described himself as wacky, zany and non-conformist. He certainly lived up to that description! After 12 weeks in the house, he also proved he's a survivor.
Read our statement: Blindness is no barrier to being a housemate
About Mikey
Michael Hughes (33) from Kilwinning, Ayrshire, a presenter and producer on RNIB’s Insight Radio, was a housemate in this year’s Big Brother. He was the first blind person to join the UK show.
Join the Big Brother debate
Was it right to have a blind person in the Big Brother house? How do you think he came across? Was he treated fairly? Have your say - join the Big Brother discussion.
BB links
Raising issues
A blind person appearing in such a high profile show presented many opportunities to challenge stereotypes and attitudes to blindness amongst the public.
Blind people are often relegated to niche specialist programmes either on TV or on radio. Even when they feature as characters on dramas or comedies they're often played by sighted people. The effect of this 'invisibility' is that many people don't understand blindness. They have very little idea about the challenges that someone who is blind might face and they have little experience of seeing someone who is blind get on with their life and live independently.
So, the impact of having someone blind on Big Brother, with all the media interest that the programme generates, could be profound. However, it is important to note that no one person can be expected to represent all blind and partially sighted people. We hope that audiences and housemates judged Michael as an individual first and foremost and that his blindness did not define him.
Useful links
Mikey's out of the house now, but you can help us make sure other blind people aren't stuck in their houses - Mikey on Big Brother (fundraising page)
Content author: webeditor@rnib.org.uk
Last updated: 20/10/2008 16:12
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Jill's story - Jill lost her sight 12 years ago at the age of 19. “The experience left me feeling isolated. I often felt like my life was pointless." Now, as a presenter on Insight Radio, she uses her experiences to help others. “My prayer is that what we do helps those who are going through sight loss. Even the tiniest piece of information can make a huge difference. If my show can help do that, then my journey has not been in vain.” Jill's full story
