‘Rochdale: A Place in the Slum’!

Simon Danczuk

Simon Danczuk MP has called on TV companies to exercise some “common sense” and refuse to commission what he calls “a truly insulting” proposed TV programme called ‘Rochdale: A Place in the Slum’.

Attempting to make a humorous pun on Channel 4’s A Place in the Sun, the spoof credit crunch property programme is currently being touted to TV executives by its creator, the former editor of The Sun newspaper, Kelvin MacKenzie.
Writing in today’s Sun, MacKenzie jokes that he would like to see the programme based in Rochdale and fronted by the presenter of Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location.

“Kelvin MacKenzie may find this funny and I hear he is already making jokes about Rochdale as part of his stand up routine in London’s East End. But I don’t find it funny and I’m sure thousands of people in Rochdale won’t either,” said Mr Danczuk.

“This man has made a career out of kicking the north of England in the teeth and it’s time people stood up to this nasty right winger and told him that enough is enough.

"He famously attacked the people of Liverpool after the Hillsborough disaster; last year he insulted the people of Hull and now he’s turning his attention to Rochdale.

"At the age of 62, you’d expect him to know better. But his ignorance seems to know no limits. I doubt he’s ever even set foot in Rochdale.”

Earlier this month, The Guardian’s Media Monkey column said it looked unlikely that the programme would be commissioned.