The Activist: Global Citizen Apologises to Activists, Priyanka Chopra & Co-Hosts

Priyanka Chopra, Usher, and Julianne Hough were announced as hosts for The Activist.

Priyanka Chopra, Usher, and Julianne Hough were announced as hosts on The Activist.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

The CBS series The Activist will go through a change in format amidst widespread social media criticism, and will now be shot as a documentary instead of the previously planned reality competition show. The organisations behind the show, namely Global Citizen, Live Nation, and CBS issued a joint apology addressing the criticism the show has faced since its announcement.

Priyanka Chopra, Usher, and Julianne Hough had been announced as the show’s hosts and while Priyanka and Usher haven’t commented on the matter, Julianne had issued an apology on social media.

A separate statement from Global Citizen reads, “Global activism centers on collaboration and cooperation, not competition. We apologise to the activists, hosts, and the larger activist community- we got it wrong. It is our responsibility to use this platform in the most effective way to realize change and elevate the incredible activists dedicating their lives to progress all around the world.”

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

The joint statement with CBS and Live Nation, stated, "'The Activist' was designed to show a wide audience the passion, long hours, and ingenuity that activists put into changing the world, hopefully inspiring others to do the same. However, it has become apparent the format of the show as announced distracts from the vital work these incredible activists do in their communities every day. The push for global change is not a competition and requires a global effort.”

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

"As a result, we are changing the format to remove the competitive element and reimagining the concept into a primetime documentary special (air date to be announced). It will showcase the tireless work of six activists and the impact they have advocating for causes they deeply believe in. Each activist will be awarded a cash grant for the organization of their choice, as was planned for the original show."

Global Citizen/ Live Nation/ CBS statement

The statement continued, “Activists and community leaders around the world work every day, often without fanfare, to advance protections for people, communities, and our planet. We hope that by showcasing their work we will inspire more people to become more involved in addressing the world's most pressing issues. We look forward to highlighting the mission and lives of each of these incredible people."

The, now-scrapped, format was going to feature six activists campaigning for causes regarding health, education, and environment. They would compete to raise awareness about the issues and would reportedly have been judged with social media metrics in mind. The top three activists would then represent their cause at the G20 summit.

'The Activist' Host Julianne Hough Issues Apology

After the hosts were announced, the show faced social media flak for combining activism with competition and some criticism was also directed towards the hosts themselves. Julianna Hough, in her apology, stated, “After the press release announcing 'The Activist,' I heard you say that the show was performative, promoted pseudo-activism over real activism, felt tone-deaf, like 'Black Mirror'/'The Hunger Games,' and that the hosts weren't qualified to assess activism because we are celebrities and not activists."

She added that she ‘doesn’t have all the answers yet’ but will share everyone’s concerns with the ‘powers that be’. The show was originally set to premiere on 22 October.