Court rejects attempt to stop ‘Big Brother with babies’ show

A court in Cologne rejected an injunction filed by a father of six representing the group who wanted “Erwachsenen auf Probe” (“Adults on Trial”) pulled before its debut on Wednesday evening.

The programme involves four teenage couples grappling for four days with all the responsibilities of caring for a baby, with TV cameras following their every struggle with smelly nappies and scream-filled nights.

Broadcaster RTL said the babies “lent” to the teenagers are monitored around the clock by child psychologists and doctors, and that the real parents are close by and can break off the experiment at any time.

The show, the latest in a series of reality TV programmes to stoke controversy, follows the same format as “Baby for Hire” in the Netherlands and “The Baby Borrowers” in the United States and Britain.