Biggest Loser fends off child porn links

TEN’s upcoming season of The Biggest Loser has dropped one of its couples from the upcoming season after the arrest of a contestant, charged with possessing child pornography.

The Courier-Mail reports that Deryck James Ward, 26, of Gaythorne was charged by Queensland police on January 16th in relation to material allegedly found at his home.

Ward and his 29-year-old sister, had been contestants on the upcoming season which begins on Sunday night.

They had been the second couple eliminated from pre-recorded episodes, and out of contention before the police charges were laid.

TEN announced yesterday it would re-edit the series to exclude the pair from 10 couples to 9.

“Given the seriousness of these charges and that this matter is to be resolved in the courts, the network decided it will not broadcast any episode in which Mr Ward would have appeared,” a TEN spokeswoman said yesterday.

TEN has much at stake with this season, not merely for its host Hayley Lewis in her first hosting job, but with the show expected to perform in its new 7:30pm timeslot.

Ward has been charged with one count of possessing child exploitation material and one count of using the internet to access images of child exploitation. He is due to appear in court on March 8.

Source: Courier Mail