It's the talked-about TV show that portrays residents of a Birmingham street as Britain’s worst state spongers.
But the unfortunate ‘stars’ of Benefits Street, a five-part Channel 4 documentary which starts on Monday night , claim they were tricked into appearing on the show by the film-makers.
They claim they took part after being assured the series would be about neighbourly togetherness and community spirit in James Turner Street, Winson Green .
But they say the show paints a rather different picture, making residents out to be anti-social benefit scroungers, irresponsible parents, drug takers and foul-mouthed wasters.
And several of the show’s subjects, who have seen previews of the first three episodes as well as attention-grabbing TV adverts, claim they were lied to and betrayed by the programme makers Love Productions.
They have also accused the independent TV firm of recording and broadcasting private phone calls without permission and are now considering legal action.
James Turner Street resident Dee Roberts, a qualified mentor and support worker, appears heavily in the series.
She said: “They said they wanted to film for a TV show about how great community spirit is in the street and how we all help each other out on a daily basis.
‘‘They said that ‘Britain was broken’ but that I lived in an area where the community was very close. I participated in the show on that belief.
“But this programme has nothing to do with community, which you can tell from the title. It’s all about people in the street living off benefits, taking drugs and dossing around all day. It makes people out as complete scum.
“They lied to us from the very beginning. We opened our doors and hearts to them and they violated us and abused our trust.”
In the opening sequence to the first episode Dee, 32, is seen walking along the street identifying houses where she believed the occupants were out of work and on benefits.
She said: “They have shown me pointing at houses shouting ‘unemployed, on benefits’, but they haven’t shown me pointing at the houses where I knew people were working and in jobs.
"I’m really worried about how my neighbours will react if they see it.
“They have edited everything to suit their own needs – taken a positive and turned it into a negative.”
Dee, who is unemployed and on benefits, was approached to appear on the show at a jobseeker event in Birmingham.
She said around a dozen people were involved in the making of the show, filmed over a period of 12 months starting in early 2012.
Local resident Nikitta Bell, 24, was unemployed when camera crews began following her but is now working full-time as a beautician.
“They recorded me making a phone call enquiring about a job vacancy even though I asked them not to,” she said.
“A guy answered so I asked what the job involved. He said it was to do with massages and other stuff and said what size girls he was looking for.
“We had a laugh at first, but then I got angry because I was desperate for work.
“They only showed the part with us laughing to make it look like it was all a big joke. They have betrayed me and everyone else.”
Mum-of-three Charlene Wilson, 29, a fellow James Turner Street resident, also claimed she had been duped.
She said: “They told me it was about living as a community and how we all got along. But the actual programme doesn’t show any of that.
“If they had said it was about benefits and making the street look bad I would not have taken part. They tricked us.’’
Mark Thomas and Becky Howe, both 23, were also angry at the way they have been portrayed in the show. The unemployed couple have two children and pick up £750 per month in benefits.
But Ms Howe said: ‘‘They’ve just tried to make us look like slums. Everyone on the street is fuming about it.
"Half of my family and friends have already disowned me because of it. Some want me to change my name on Deed Poll.
‘‘We might be on benefits but everyone has got to start somewhere.’’
Mr Thomas added: “I’m on benefits at the moment but that’s because I’m training to be a security guard. They want to make us look uneducated. But they don’t know what they’re talking about because I went to college.’’
Channel 4 has been running TV adverts for Benefits Street over the last week, while a section has also been dedicated to the series on its website .
Accompanying text states: ‘‘This documentary series reveals the reality of life on benefits, as the residents of one of Britain’s most benefit-dependent streets invite cameras into their tight-knit community.’’
The website adds: “According to some politicians and media coverage, benefits are an easy route to a life of luxury, foreign holidays and lavish homes furnished with wide screen TVs – all at the expense of hard-working taxpayers.
“The series follows residents of ‘Benefits Street’ as they navigate their way through life on the bottom rung of Britain’s economic ladder.
“Despite the challenges the residents face, the street also has a strong sense of community. This is a place where people look out for each other and where small acts of kindness can go a long way.’’
Love Productions was launched in October 2004 and has made programmes ranging from BBC’s Great British Bake Off to documentaries including Britain’s Youngest Grannies, Stairlift To Heaven and Underage And Having Sex.
A Channel 4 spokesman said: “This is a fair and balanced observational documentary series.
“It is a fair reflection of the reality of life on a street where the majority of households receive benefits.
“The contributors were briefed extensively before any filming took place. If any residents requested not to be filmed they were not.
“The main contributors have been offered the opportunity to view the programmes they feature in before transmission to make any comments about their contributions.
“As far as we are aware we have appropriate consent for any private phone calls that appear in the series.”
For other stories about the programme, visit our Benefits Street page.
