Four other households share my Netflix subscription, admits Nadine Dorries

The Culture Secretary has admitted she shares her Netflix password with four other households across the country.

Nadine Dorries said she allows four other people to use her log-in details, including her mother, a move that breaches Netflix's terms and conditions, which forbid users living apart from using the same account.

While it has long tolerated the practice among users, the streaming giant is now pursuing a crackdown of password sharing in a bid to shore up its finances following a sharp slowdown in subscribers.

Ms Dorries told the Culture committee: "I thought it was always an incredibly generous system. I mean my Mum has access to my account, and the kids do. There are four other people that can access my Netflix account in different parts of the country.

"Well, we are probably not supposed to do that."

Appearing before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Thursday, Ms Dorries rejected the idea that Channel 4 could shift to a subscription model once privatised.

She was being questioned over the privatisation of Channel 4, which will be voted on by MPs after it was included in the recent media bill.

Ms Dorries did not reveal all the terms of the sale, but said Channel 4's public service remit would be protected for a decade under new owners and that the Gogglebox broadcaster would have the freedom to make its own shows.

On new business models for the station, she said she "can't see a scenario" where it could be fully funded by subscriptions once offloaded by the government.

"As a public service broadcaster that is not on the table, that is just not on the cards at all. I can't see a scenario in which that would happen," she said.

Ms Dorries also defended Netflix against the idea that it was not a company British broadcasters should aspire to imitate because it was axing 150 staff due to slowing growth.

"I think for people to try and paint a picture that Netflix is unsuccessful and struggling are slightly over-egging the pudding," she added. "Netflix has done what many businesses do, which is that it has reached the point of market saturation - which is a good thing for Netflix.

"But they are going to have to revise their business model, and they will revise it in a way that will make it much more difficult for public service broadcasters, who rely on advertising revenue."