A number of prominent British psychologists have strongly criticized Britain's new hit game show, The Weakest Link, whose host, Anne Robinson, often chastises contestants who fail to come up with the correct answers to her questions. Among the critics was Professor Valerie Lamont, a child psychologist who teaches at Aston University in Birmingham. She told the London Sun: "Anne Robinson subjects people to sarcasm and put-downs which can be very damaging. She is aggressive and humiliates people. Programmes like this are irresponsible because children are prone to imitate the things they see on the telly. There is a risk young fans will try to find the weakest link among classmates and bully them. Kids may think it is acceptable to subject the weakest people to hate and aggression. It's making bullying fashionable." A spokesman for the BBC, which carries the show, replied, "Children realize The Weakest Link is only a game."

Source: Studio Briefing