Sky shelves transsexual show

The story has received national media attention

Sky One has pulled plans for a show about men competing for the affections of a pre-operation transsexual after the contestants threatened legal action to block the show's transmission.

The channel said on Friday the show which set up men with Miriam only to reveal later she was a man would not be included in the current schedule.

The lawyer for the six male contestants had said they were feeling "traumatised" after being duped by Sky One into cuddling and kissing Miriam, who they believed to be a woman.

Sky had said it had a legally-binding contract with the men.

The show was filmed last summer in Ibiza.

Lawyer Rod Christie-Miller, who represents the men, told BBC News Online the programme had "a devastating effect on these young guys" and warned this would be "magnified a millionfold" if the broadcast went ahead.

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His firm wrote to Sky asking them to cancel the show's broadcast.

In a statement a Sky spokesman said: "We have made an initial response to the letter of complaint received yesterday and confirmed that the show is not in Sky One's schedule at present.

"We continue to examine the complaint in detail."

In the show the men had to rank women from a line-up, including Miriam, in order of attractiveness.

But they were not told Miriam was a male pre-operative transsexual.

Mr Christie-Miller denied reports one contestant was so angry he punched the show's producer when he discovered the truth.

Cameras filmed the men attempting to woo Miriam, including scenes of them kissing.

Viewers were to be told at the start of the show Miriam was a male-to-female transsexual.

But the contestants, who are said to include a Royal Marine commando, a ski instructor and an ex-lifeguard, only discovered the truth when Miriam picked the winner and then revealed her true identity.