BBC defends Frostrup ratings

Mariella Frostrup's Panorama report attracted 2.7m viewers

Current affairs programme Panorama has denied reports that its investigation into "reality" TV shows was a flop with viewers.

The programme, presented by Mariella Frostrup, attracted 2.7 million viewers when broadcast on BBC1 on Sunday evening, interpreted as a flop by newspapers.

Before transmission Panorama's producers came under fire for tackling a lightweight subject matter.

But a spokeswoman for the show dismissed press reports that viewing figures had proved to be a disappointment.

"They are in line with ratings figures the programme has been getting since the switch from Monday to Sunday nights," she said.

"To put things into perspective, audiences for the programme have ranged between 2.2 million and 3.4 million since the move to a new slot."

She added that Sunday evening's show - the fifth in the new time slot - was "up against a strong schedule".

This included the first episode in a new series of ITV drama Cold Feet - which reportedly drew an audience of over eight million - and Oscar-winning film The English Patient on Channel Four.

"Nasty" Nick Bateman was interviewed for the show

During Sunday's 's Panorama, Big Brother contestant Melanie Hill criticised producers of the hit show for stereotyping her as a "sexy little babe".

She said she was upset by the negative public reaction to her contribution.

Fellow contestant "Nasty" Nick Bateman - who was ejected from the show for breaking the rules - expressed concern that the public had "lost sight" of the fact the programme was a game show.

A BBC spokesman defended the programme as "an exploration of a new social trend".