'Geordie Shore' borders on porn, says Newcastle MP

Geordie Shore has reportedly provoked a "fierce reaction" from Newcastle residents for its unfavourable portrayal of the city.



The MTV reality show, which follows a selection of booze-obsessed and promiscuous Tyneside natives, has been described as "bordering on pornographic" by local MP Chi Onwurah.

"It's exploiting those young people and exploiting our city. I'm going to be raising questions in Parliament because I think there should be a limit on how much alcohol a broadcaster can pour down the throats of young people to provoke sensational acts," she told Newcastle's Evening Chronicle.

"By putting those young people in this situation, it's encouraging them to lose all their dignity. I think it's totally unrepresentative of Newcastle."

The Jersey Shore spinoff has also been condemned as inaccurate and irresponsible by the local tourism board, the BBC reports.

Sarah Stewart, chief executive of tourist agency NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: "The fierce reaction to the programme demonstrates that people who live here feel very strongly about NewcastleGateshead and how it's being portrayed.

"Hopefully as the series continues there will be a more accurate representation of the area. It would be disappointing to see outdated stereotypes pervade."

Geordie Shore became MTV UK's highest-rated programme for three years after debuting to 320,000 viewers on Tuesday.

Ofcom confirmed this week that it has so far received 20 complaints about the show's content.

Geordie Shore continues Tuesday at 10pm on MTV.