Story at a glance
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas apologized on Instagram after an upcoming reality competition show she is set to co-judge faced intense backlash for its format.
- The upcoming series, called “The Activist,” was originally promoted as a reality competition in which activists would compete in challenges to win prize money for their individual causes.
- The producers announced on Thursday it would be reformatted as a documentary-style series and each activist would receive a cash grant for their cause.
Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas has apologized after an upcoming reality competition show she is set to co-judge faced intense backlash for its format.
“I have been moved by the power of your voices over the past week. At its core, Activism is fuelled by cause and effect, and when people come together to raise their voice about something, there is always an effect. You were heard, Chopra Jonas wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
“The show got it wrong, and I’m sorry that my participation in it disappointed many of you. The intention was always to bring attention to the people behind the ideas and highlight the actions and impact of the causes they support tirelessly.”
The upcoming series, called “The Activist,” was originally promoted as a reality competition in which activists would compete in challenges to win prize money for their individual causes, ranging from social justice to climate change, with celebrity judges Chopra Jonas, Usher and Julianne Hough.
However, the show faced criticism and accusations that it would promote performance activism, taking away from the actual causes it is meant to promote. In response to the backlash, the show’s producers — CBS, Global Citizen and LiveNation — issued a response, stating the show’s format would be changed to a documentary-style approach that highlights the activists and their causes.
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“‘The Activist’ was designed to show a wide audience the passion, long hours, and ingenuity that activists put into changing the world, hopefully inspiring others to do the same. However, it has become apparent the format of the show as announced distracts from the vital work these incredible activists do in their communities every day,” the joint statement read.
“As a result, we are changing the format to remove the competitive element and reimagining the concept into a primetime documentary special (air date to be announced).”
The six activists appearing on the show will now all receive a cash grant for their individual organizations instead of competing.
“I’m happy to know that in this new format, their stories will be the highlight,” Chopra Jonas concluded, “and I’m proud to collaborate with partners who have their ear to the ground and known when it’s time to hit pause and re-evaluate.”
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