Outrage over live TV striptease by boy aged six

A PHILIPPINE television game show host and his station have apologised after an uproar over a segment showing a six-year-old boy crying while gyrating and mimicking a striptease dancer.

The boy was a contestant on an episode of Willing Willie, a variety and gameshow that features mostly poor Filipinos who earn cash prizes for singing, dancing, telling their stories or playing games. Social welfare secretary Corazon Soliman yesterday condemned "the emotional abuse and humiliation" suffered by the boy.

Ms Soliman said host Willie Revillame and the audience showed no concern for the boy and that the 12 March programme amounted to child abuse.

Station TV5 apologised on behalf of Mr Revillame, saying there had been no intention to humiliate the boy who was with his aunt, who approved his performance. It said the boy appeared to be in tears not because he was forced to dance but because he was playing a role and got scared. The boy earned a prize of $230 for his dance.

Women's group Gabriela said that the dance was punctuated by the live audience's cheers and guffaws and was child abuse.

Mr Revillame, the Philippines' highest paid TV host, has ruffled feathers in the past for his often crude humour.

In 2006, a stampede in a waiting line at a Manila stadium where Mr Revillame's show was to be broadcast killed 74 people. Criminal charges of negligence were later dropped.

Last year, Mr Revillame was suspended for threatening to resign on the air if the management did not fire another star with whom he had fallen out.

In 2009, while the Philippines was mourning the death of former president Corazon Aquino, Mr Revillame provoked anger by objecting to airing live footage of her funeral during his show.