George Tyndale : don't blame me for Susan Boyle

We are all supposed to be taking our share of the blame for the TV abuse that has left Susan Boyle in a luxury psychiatric unit.

Well, hang on a minute.

Seventeen million people watched the final of Britain's Got Talent and maybe they should cop for a twinge of conscience for their part in the most spectacularly profitable freak show ever staged.

And, of course, you can add in Gordon Brown who shamelessly attempted to use the plight of the collapsed 48 year-old virgin spinster in a an utterly hopeless attempt to demonstrate that he is human and is in touch with popular concerns.

Barack Obama has now twice invited Subo to Washington. And, for that matter, her brother Gerry who relentlessly pops up to fuel the media frenzy.

But 43 million of us didn't watch the programme.

We certainly did not invite, cajole or encourage any of the contestants to take part.

In any case, the glare of publicity and the demands of celebrity are exactly what these people wanted when they filled in their application forms, wasn't it?

Just look at Rachel Rice, last year's winner of Big Brother.

She is now in the hands of an agency which is advertising her availability for parties and promotions at £500 a time.

What she wouldn't give for the kind of pressure and attention that leads to a couple of nights in The Priory.