French reality TV show suffers second tragedy as doctor commits suicide just over a week after contestant dies of a heart attack

Thierry Costa left suicide note saying media had made 'unfair accusations'

Doctor said name had been 'tarnished' by repor ts into Gérald Babin's death

Contestant on Koh-Lanta died of heart attack during filming



A doctor on one of France's most popular reality television shows has committed suicide just over a week after one of the contestants died of a heart attack.

Thierry Costa killed himself in Cambodia, the setting of Koh-Lanta, a French version of Survivor, which was halted last week following the death of contestant Gérald Babin, the TF1 television channel has said.

Costa's suicide note, published in full on TV1's website, said the media had made 'unfair accusations and assumptions' about his treatment of Babin.



Suicide: Doctor Thierry Costa has killed himself just over a week after one of the contestants on one of France's most popular reality television shows died of a heart attack

Some media outlets had carried reports criticising the amount of time it took for anyone to treat Babin, 25, after his collapse.

'In the past few days my name has been tarnished in the media,' Dr Costa wrote in the note which was also shown on television news reports.

According to a translation in The Times, Dr Costa said: 'In the 20 years since I took up medicine, I have always tried to work hard with respect for my patients, love of medicine and following the Hippocratic oath.

'I have the feeling today that all these efforts have been destroyed by untrue articles.

'I would never dare look anyone in the eye again in France without wondering if they were full of distrust for me.

'I am certain that I treated Gerald in a respectable manner, as a patient and not as a contestant.'

Tragic: Gérald Babin died of a heart attack after falling ill during a tug-of-war task with other contestants on the programme

TF1 cited a statement from the show's producers Adventure Line Productions (ALP), that Costa's suicide should 'encourage those who accuse and comment indiscriminately to exercise responsibility'.

Costa, who specialized in emergency medicine, had spent four seasons on France's longest-running reality show in which candidates must survive on an uninhabited island and compete in a series of challenges.

Prosecutors in the Paris suburb of Creteil launched a preliminary investigation into Babin's death last week.



Koh-Lanta was filming its 16th season on a Cambodian island when Gérald Babin fell ill during a tug-of-war task with other contestants.

The 25-year-old was airlifted to a nearby hospital but suffered a series of heart attacks on the way and was later pronounced dead.

The tragic incident came at the very start of a planned five-month stay on the island of Koh Rong.

Contestants had jumped from a boat and were taking part in a tug-of-war contest when Mr Babin started to complain about cramps in his arms.

Doctors examined him on the set and decided he should be taken to hospital on the mainland town of Sihanoukville.

After he suffered from multiple cardiac arrests on the helicopter journey, hospital doctors were unable to save his life.

Adventure Line Productions, which produces the programme, said that Mr Babin had undergone a medical examination before being accepted as a contestant.

Popular: Koh-Lanta has been running on TF1 since 2001, and averaged 7.4million viewers in its latest season

Broadcaster TF1 said in a statement: 'The whole team from ALP and TF1, plus [presenter] Denis Brogniart, are devastated and share in the deep sadness of Gérald's family.

'All their thoughts are with his parents, sister, wife and friends.'

The companies immediately decided to suspend filming and cancel the show's current season, and the cast and crew have now returned to France.

Koh-Lanta has been running on TF1 since 2001, and averaged 7.4million viewers in its latest season.