In April and May Network Ten broadcast ads for Neighbours featuring a character dubbed ‘Mad Mary’. Mad Mary has no known diagnosis and is characterised as a homicidal kidnapper experiencing severe delusions. Labeling a character as mad is inappropriate. The storyline also reinforces the misconception that all people with a mental illness are violent.

StigmaWatch contacted Network Ten to advise them that promoting their program at the expense of people with a serious mental illness is unacceptable.

On 18.5.07 Mr Ian Wilson, Regulatory Manager at Network Ten, contacted StigmaWatch.

Mr Wilson said: 'Mary is portrayed as an angry and vindictive character and references to her as "mad" were intended to reflect those personality traits of this fictional character, as the term can be popularly understood.'

Mr Wilson does not connect Mary's delusional behaviour with mental illness. Mary's demeanor is generally calm and polite as opposed to outwardly angry.