Anthea Turner with a chicken on Celebrity Big Brother

The programme has been dubbed 'Pig Brother' by leaders of the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) in Aberystwyth, who said animals could be unintentionally harmed.

Endemol, the company behind Channel Four's Big Brother, are currently in talks with Channel 5 about broadcasting the show in the UK which will see celebrities marooned on a farm.

The stars will be expected to tend to the animals and there is speculation the farm could be based in Wales, although Endemol say a location has not been identified.

The company added that the show would portray farming in a positive light.

On the eve of the Royal Welsh Show, FUW vice-president Alan Gardner, said farming was "a highly skilled industry".

"It would be grossly irresponsible to simply dump a group of unskilled people on a farm without adequate training and constant supervision," he said.

If the programme goes ahead, there's absolutely no way we'd portray farming in a negative way and animal welfare would be our number one priority. Endemol spokesman

"It's naive of the producers to think that they can blithely put these people in place and expect them to deal with the complexities of life on the farm.

"There is a real danger that animals could be harmed during the making of this show, not through malice but by the ignorance of the participants.

"Any farmer who was found mistreating his animals would be hauled before the courts, and the FUW would expect that the same treatment should be given to these celebrities."

'Negative'

Mr Gardner added: "The FUW is also concerned by the image that such a programme would promote.

"A modern Welsh farm not only has all the basics expected of a 21st Century British home, such as electricity and telephones, but all mod cons.

"Farmers use computers to keep track of their accounts and records, and enjoy a good standard of living - just like the rest of the population.

Ahmed was evicted from this year's Big Brother show on Friday

He said that denying celebrities basic facilities such as electricity would promote a negative image of agriculture in Wales and would suggest farmers "are still living in the 17th Century".

The planned series in the UK is based on France's La Ferme Celebrites, taken from America's The Farm.

A spokesman for Endemol said: "We have an option period, which means we have exclusive rights in the UK for the programme for a period of time.

"We are in discussions with Channel 5, but it's very much in the early stages at the moment.

"If the programme goes ahead, there's absolutely no way we'd portray farming in a negative way and animal welfare would be our number one priority.

"We'd want celebrities to experience what it's like for farmers. The show would illustrate how hard they work and the conditions they work in.

"I think this would portray farming and farmers in a positive light.