The former Bishop for Birmingham Dr John Sentamu has turned down an offer to appear on Celebrity Big Brother, his spokesman confirmed yesterday.

The outspoken cleric - now The Archbishop of York - has also voiced concerns about the cult of celebrity.

He is frequently approached by TV editors and newspapers for his views, but it seems the hit Channel 4 show was a programme too far.

The Archbishop’s spokesman, Arun Arora, who took the call from the producers of Celebrity Big Brother in October, said: "We don’t do celebrity. The Archbishop has turned down invitations to appear on panel shows, such as Have I Got News For You and celebrity-based formats such as Celebrity Big Brother.

"Given that being a celebrity has topped a list of what children under ten believe to be the "very best thing in the world" in a survey carried out for National KidsDay, it’s important that the Church and its leaders suggest that there are things much more important than celebrity."

Yesterday’s announcement follows an interview conducted with the Archbishop in a newspaper where he responded to a question sent in by a reader on reality television.

"I lost no sleep at all turning down Celebrity Big Brother. I think that celebrity can be malign in that it becomes a form of idolatry and people live their lives vicariously through the rich and famous."

Dr Sentamu, a Ugandan, was appointed the Church of England’s first black Archbishop last year.

Stars being lined up for the programme are said to include MP Tommy Sheridan, Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding, Baywatch’s David Hasselhoff, Eighties pop star Adam Ant and glamour model Leilani Dowding.

Vivid orange carpets inside and flock-style wallpaper outside seem designed to jar on the contestants nerves.

There is little room to escape - the garden has shrunk in size because of the cold weather and the kitchen enlarged instead.

The outside space has been laid with artificial grass and decorated with topiary hedges.

A wall at the back of the garden is decorated with thick patterned purple wallpaper, Fifties style gold-framed mirrors and panels containing silhouettes of chandeliers.

A giant metal ribbon at the top of the wallpaper will make the celebrities feel caged-in.

Inside, although there are no cameras in the toilets or showers, there are more one-way mirrors than ever before to keep an eye on the contestants.

The celebrities will share one bedroom which has been decorated with a dizzying swirling pattern.

There are black and white swirls on the bedspreads, brown and cream swirls on the carpet, and the walls are pink and brown.

The living room has a bright orange carpet and blue and pink furniture.

There is neon panel lighting in the ceiling and in the dining area there is an antique-style wooden table and matching stools.

The house, with glass walls throughout, has been reworked by designer Peter Gordon for the fourth series of the show, set to return next month.

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