KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - Big Brother contestant Emma Cornell knew her father may not live through her stay in the reality TV show's Gold Coast compound, her brother Matt says.
Raymond Cornell, Emma and Matt's father, died last week but the family demanded that Big Brother producers not inform his daughter until she left the house.
Critics have attacked the TV show and Network Ten for not telling Emma her father had died from cancer in Adelaide and was buried on Monday.
But Matt Cornell said the decision to keep her in the dark was to fulfil a promise made during her father's final hours.
"He was adamant and clear in expressing this request," Matt said in a letter posted on the Big Brother website.
"He also requested that his death remain private from the Big Brother 'hype' but unfortunately due to the indecency of the person who leaked the information to the media we have been unable to honour this wish."
Matt attacked speculation about the families' decision to keep Emma, a Sydney-based personal trainer, in the dark and said the family was "confident we have made the right decision".
"Our dad had been ill for a considerable amount of time and wasn't taken from us suddenly. The family did have time to prepare themselves," Matt said.
"We reassured Emma that, in the event that this did happen, grieving our dad's death when she was released from Big Brother would be no less meaningful or significant than when he actually passed away."
Emma's partner Tim Stanton said yesterday it was "literally the dying wish" of Raymond Cornell that his daughter not be told when he died until she was evicted from the show.
But critics, including World Vision chief Tim Costello and grief experts, said she should be informed anyway.
"I can confirm with absolute confidence that Emma has prepared herself and her views have been considered in the family's decision-making process," Matt said.
It is believed Emma had been estranged from her father until recently.
Matt said Emma's appearance on Big Brother gave Raymond a chance to get to know his daughter before he died.
"I personally spent the last week of dad's life by his side and one thing he was absolutely certain about was the fact that he didn't want his death to impose either negatively or positively on Emma's Big Brother experience," he said.
Matt added that his father was "proud" of how Emma had handled herself in the human fishbowl environment of Big Brother.
"He would watch her each night proudly from his hospital bed heckling rivals and laughing at Emma's wicked attitude and antics," he said.
After refusing to comment on the issue yesterday, Big Brother producers Endemol Southern Star released a statement late last night confirming they would stand by the family's request regardless of public concerns.
Endemol also assured critics that when Emma is told of her father's death, it will not be on camera.
Raymond had been cremated, his family said, but a final service to lay his ashes to rest would be delayed until after Emma left the house.
- AAP
