Plans for a "Big Brother" contestant to give birth during the reality TV show have touched off a storm of controversy in the Netherlands.

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The new season was set to launch Sunday night on the new TV network, Talpa, and the contestant, identified only as Tanja, is due to give birth in six weeks, the BBC reported Sunday.

A government spokesman confirmed the show had filed a request allowing the birth to be broadcast on national TV. There are strict rules in the Netherlands about children working in the entertainment field, the BBC said.

The Christian Democratic party has condemned the plot line, but Tanja has told interviewers she believes the child will "be proud of it later," the BBC said.

"Big Brother" director Hummie van der Tonnekreek dismissed criticism, saying it will be "good TV."

The reality show in which contestants compete to be the last person in the "Big Brother" house made its debut in the Netherlands in 1999 and has since spread to countries worldwide, including the United States.