Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.When Emmanuelle and Rachid Guedidi joined the TV reality show Bienvenue chez nous (welcome to our home) the couple thought they might get some free publicity for their bed and breakfast in the Dordogne.
Little did they imagine that their appearance on TF1, watched by 2.5 million people, would bring a stream of negative comments on social media after they were accused of insulting their competitors.
The programme’s formula is simple: four couples who run B&Bs stay at each others’ property and give their verdict. The Guedidis, who run a four-bedroomed B&B in Cadouin, tried the hospitality in Kembs and Metz in eastern France, and back to Monpazier in the Dordogne, and gave their honest opinion.
“We don’t take back anything we said,” Emmanuelle Guedidi told the newspaper Sud-Ouest. “But what we said was completely transformed. If we said ‘the dish was salty but good’, the edited version only kept ‘the dish was salty’.”
Producer Stéphanie Vola denied that the series was sensationalist and said that “unfortunately, we can’t control everything”.
The Guedidis now say they were “naïve”. But judging by the reaction to other competitors in the series, they might have got off lightly. Two couples have received death threats.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments