Originally posted by mathmajors
This is why these shows don't appeal to me:
NEW YORK (AP) - CBS is sticking with a contestant on "Big Brother" even though she was arrested for drunken driving weeks before the reality show went on the air.
Chiara Berti was charged with three misdemeanors, including driving under the influence, when she was picked up by the California Highway Patrol on May 26. The 25-year-old contestant's arrest was reported Monday on The Smoking Gun, a Web site that specializes in digging up official records.
CBS knew about her arrest before the "Big Brother" game began, spokesman Chris Ender said. "On the bright side, she won't be doing any driving in the house," Ender said.
In the show, a group of strangers live together in a home rigged with cameras and contestants are voted off one by one until a winner emerges.
Last summer, a "Big Brother" contestant was thrown off for holding a knife to a woman's throat. It later turned out that he had been charged with assault three times, raising questions about CBS' background checks.
The network says it checks backgrounds and does psychological testing to determine whether contestants will endanger themselves and others during the game.
Berti, who lives in New York City, was in Los Angeles waiting to hear whether she would be selected for the show when she was arrested, Ender said.
Berti was to be arraigned in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday - when she was in the "Big Brother" house - but her lawyer persuaded a judge to delay the proceedings, the Smoking Gun said.
The Web site said Berti's arraignment was rescheduled for Sept. 3. If Berti is still in the game at that point, it would force CBS to either disqualify her or let her leave the house temporarily for the proceeding, Ender said.
In the first episode of its third season on July 10, "Big Brother" drew 9.2 million viewers, ranking No. 12 among prime-time shows for the week, according to Nielsen Media Research.
