Traveller families are planning legal action over the negative effect of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on their community.
Channel 4 documentary series My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding draw more than eight million viewers a week but gypsies criticised it for the way it showed their lifestyle.
It is reported that the community is seeking £10million in damages from Channel 4.
One of the programme’s stars Paddy Doherty, 51, admitted in court earlier this week that he had played up to his hard man image on the show. Paddy had claimed he was a prize fighter who ate his opponents “like a bar of chocolate”.
But Paddy said the claims were “nonsense” because he hadn’t taken part in a fight for more than 30 years.
Gypsies have said that My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding has had a negative impact on their lives, with gypsy men being refused work and couples having their wedding bookings cancelled.
Romany gypsy Bill Newland, from Guildford, Surrey, told the Daily Mail: “We have a strong case. People are absolutely fuming about it. It’s been a real nightmare for us.
“Once people find out you are gypsies, you don’t get any work.
“And I’ve heard people in our local cemetery saying they don’t want gypsies buried next to them.
“The show has damaged our livelihoods. People remember it.”
