Amsterdam: Patients, politicians and the press reacted with shock, praise and considerable criticism after a Dutch television program in which three patients competed to win the kidney of a terminally ill woman turned out to be a hoax.

Before the program, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende appeared on national television to say the 'Big Donor Show,' which drew widespread condemnations, was 'not benefiting the image of the Netherlands abroad.' Today, he said he was relieved it was a fake.

"Some people think it s nice and creative, but on the other hand, there are people who think it s improper and misleading," he was quoted as telling Dutch news agency ANP.

The Netherlands education minister, Ronald Plasterk, had called the program unethical and tasteless before it aired on Friday, but ignored requests from lawmakers to ban it, citing freedom of speech laws. Afterward, Plasterk called it 'a fantastic stunt,' adding that the broadcaster, BNN, 'did not do anything illegal.'

The broadcaster's chairman had sworn earlier in the day that it was true and real. The Netherlands national doctors association, KNMG, had called on its members not to participate in the program, and questioned its authenticity.

Spokesman Gert van Dijk told Dutch paper AD that the show had undermined its own goals. "A large percentage of the population now thinks you have to be terminally ill to donate an organ, while 40 percent of kidney donations are made by healthy people." He added that most of the rest come from people who have died while sick patients were rarely allowed to donate because of the risk of worsening their own health.

At the climax of the show, dramatic music swelled as the terminally ill woman known only as Lisa, stood on the point of choosing the winner. And then, the lights came on and the presenter said it had all been staged. Lisa's real name was Leonie, and she did not have a brain tumor.

The contestants were real kidney patients, but they were in on the stunt. The exercise was intended to draw attention to a lack of donors in the Netherlands.

"We re not giving any kidney away, even we think that would be going too far," said presenter Patrick Lodiers.

The show was created by Endemol, the company that started the reality TV craze with the original 'Big Brother' in 1999.

Around 200 people die annually in the Netherlands while waiting for a kidney, and the average waiting time is more than four years, more than in most European countries. Twelve thousand viewers requested donor cards during the program.

Journalists, who came from as far away as Japan, received a text message saying 'to make this program a success it was alas necessary not to give away all information beforehand. We hope for your understanding.'