Eureka Productions, the production company behind the Channel 7 reality series “Million Dollar Island”, has reportedly been hit with a lawsuit.
Reality TV focused website So Dramatic is reporting a claim has been filed by contestant Luke Calpis, who alleges that the show’s production team failed to ensure the safety of the participants during filming.
The show, hosted by Ant Middleton, is aired on Channel 7 and features a competitive premise where 100 average Australians compete for a $1 million prize on a remote island.
However, the competition has faced an unexpected challenge off-screen. Calpis claims he was seriously injured during one of the challenges, resulting in a significant delay in receiving medical assistance.
Details of the incident provided by another participant, stated Calpis collided with a partially sawn-off tree during a challenge. The contestant further alleged that there was a delay before the medical team could attend to him, resulting in stitches being administered with a fishing hook and without anaesthetic.
Million Dollar Island has so far proven to be a significant disappointment for the Seven Network with the show regularly rating forth in its timeslot. The SMH has previously reported the series cost Channel 7 over $700,000 per episode to produce.
It is understood Calpis’s lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the production team, claiming that they did not ensure the safety of the course before the task and that timely medical assistance was not provided.
According to reports, Calpis has now been isolated from the rest of the cast and is not allowed to associate with them. He has also been omitted from the official cast list and all promotional materials.
A second contestant has corroborated these claims, stating that the challenge involved sprinting into the bush to collect coconuts when Calpis ran into the partially cut branch. The contestant asserts that the injury, which included a concussion and seven stitches on the forehead, was due to poor planning and negligence by the production company.
Calpis’s argument centres on the assertion that the production team should ensure the filming area is a safe environment for contestants.
This latest production issue comes after Eureka Productions was forced to suspend production on the series in October last year after Asbestos fibres were detected on set. That issue caused filming on the series to be suspended for several months.
SOURCE: So Dramatic
