Steve Gilliard, 1964-2007

It is with tremendous sadness that we must convey the news that Steve Gilliard, editor and publisher of The News Blog, passed away June 2, 2007. He was 42.

To those who have come to trust The News Blog and its insightful, brash and unapologetic editorial tone, we have Steve to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Steve helped lead many discussions that mattered to all of us, and he tackled subjects and interest categories where others feared to tread.

Please keep Steve's friends and family in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve meant so much to us.

We will miss him terribly.

Racist git on UK show, again

More than 430 people have complained to media watchdog Ofcom about a contestant on Channel 4's Shipwrecked who backed slavery and insulted black people.

Lucy Buchanan said black people were "really bad", condemned multicultural Britain and called lesbians "sinister".

Her parents, David and Nicola Buchanan from Edinburgh, issued a statement to "wholeheartedly apologise" for their 18-year-old daughter's remarks.

Channel 4 has said Buchanan is naive and will be seen changing her views.

The Buchanans added: "As Lucy's parents, we were both distressed to see her make such loose remarks which clearly have been, quite rightly, seen as wholly inappropriate and lacking in forethought.

"It is our firm belief that Lucy, as a naive teenager, made these silly and very unfortunate remarks on the back of her excitement at being on Shipwrecked."

Views changed

Buchanan shocked fellow participants on the Pacific castaway show within hours of arriving.

She said: "Britain is a complete mess. I just don't appreciate people coming into our country and taking over our culture."

She went on: "I'm for the British Empire and things. I'm for slavery, but that's never going to come back."