Rent For Sex: Ellie Undercover

Original version

BBC One

BBC One Cambridgeshire

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

BBC One London

London

BBC One West Midlands

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One North West

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One Oxfordshire

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

BBC One Channel Islands

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

BBC One Wales

Wales

Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

BBC One Northern Ireland HD

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

Simulcast of BBC One Scotland in high definition. From 14/01/2013

BBC One Scotland HD

Ellie Flynn

Rory Wheeler

Emma Pierce

Chloe Campbell

Popkorn TV

Rent for Sex: Ellie Undercover

Documentaries

Factual

24/04/2018

BBC Three - Rent for Sex: Ellie Undercover

Ellie Flynn investigates landlords offering rooms in exchange for 'sexual favours'.

Journalist Ellie Flynn investigates the 'rent for sex' trend, where landlords across the UK offer free rooms in exchange for 'sexual favours'.

Cases of 'rent for sex' in the UK are on the increase, where landlords offer free rooms in their properties in exchange for 'sexual favours'. Investigative journalist Ellie Flynn goes undercover to get a closer look at this issue.

Having seen the staggering amount of 'rent for sex' adverts that appear unchecked online, Ellie heads out to discover for herself just how genuine these ads are. Armed with undercover cameras, she meets landlords who post these ads to find out what they really expect in exchange for rent.

The landlords she confronts protest that it is a mutually beneficial arrangement. One tells her she can stay in a log cabin he has built in exchange for a 'physical arrangement once a week', stating that it's 'nothing abnormal, nothing strange' and telling her she has to be able to deal with that or
she shouldn't be there. Another tells her the arrangement would be every second day. She finds people all over the UK offering accommodation in exchange for sex, one even saying the reason the room has become available is because it belongs to his daughter and she's left to go to university. A prospective landlord also tells her he's taking the human aspect out of it and treating it like a business transaction, while others assure her they're just normal guys who just want to help people.

All the landlords suggest to Ellie that what they're doing is acceptable, but is this how the person taking up the offer would see it? Can it really be consensual when they are preying on vulnerable young people with nowhere else to go? To find out she tracks down and speaks to young women who have taken up these arrangements and asks them how much consent they felt able to give when the alternative was a life on the streets.

Despite laws that exist to criminalise this practice, Ellie asks why there doesn't seem to be anyone doing anything to prevent it. From police forces to the Ministry of Justice, she uncovers a vacuum of responsibility that currently exists.

BBC Three

A multi-platform service for 16-34s, featuring comedy, entertainment and factual content.

The BBC’s multi-platform service for 16 to 34s, innovating with breakthrough comedy, stand-out entertainment, brave documentary and intellectual factual content.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Rent for Sex: Ellie Undercover

Contributors

Genres

Formats

BBC One Cambridgeshire

About BBC One