You are live on Channel 4, please do not swear

I’m quite the sucker for reality television. From watching beautiful people with ugly lives in The Hills to the search of Sir Alan’s (or should I say Lord Sugar) next employee on the Apprentice. I watch them all. So it comes as no surprise that my first blog post should be about this year’s (and final) Big Brother. It finishes after 11 series and over 1000 episodes with 182 people competing for that ‘all important’ 30 seconds of fame.

So is it your big brother or all just a big bother?

I have always been told not to watch it by disapproving parents and friends who think better. All in all, they’re probably right. I mean, you’re essentially spending hours and days watching 12 or so unknown fame seekers in a house. I like to tell them that I watch it out of mere curiosity to justify myself. I still to this day believe it to be a social experiment like no other and as a psychologist and linguist at university, I can’t help but be fascinated.

The housemates are selected based on how ‘interesting’ they appear when really we all know it’s how ‘weird’ they are. This naturally, makes for better viewing. This year is no exception with 14 budding eccentrics with a desperate desire for their claim to fame entering the house.

Episode 1 saw 81 hopefuls standing outside the circus themed house (how appropriate) based in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. Big Brother then proceeded to announce the 13 who had made it with the remaining candidate being picked randomly from a tombola like draw.

And what a bunch they are. There’s ever so posh Ben, 30 (or is it 27?) from London. Irish beauty Caoimhe (pronounced Kee-va), 22 from Dublin. Katie Price lookalikey Corin, 29 from Stockport. Drunk on love man, Dave, 39 from South Wales. Serial gossip Govan, 21 from Leicester. Gorgeous Aussie, John James, 24 from Melbourne. Country girl (with the best accent ever), Josie, 25 from Bristol. Dancer (with a superb collection of wigs), Ife, 25 from Milton Keynes. Mario, 28 from Essex who entered as ‘the mole’ (a story for another time, non?). Noel Gallagher look a like, sporting a 6 inch eyebrow, Nathan from Yorkshire. Shabby, 24 the straightalking lesbian from London. Father of 8, ex BA soldier, Steve, 40 from Leicester. Sunshine, a whiney 24 medic student from Peterborough. Not forgetting, curvaceous and self proclaimed beauty and Beyoncé look a like, Rachael, who sadly, has left us already.

So far, we’ve had rows, blossoming romances, twists and turns like no other and of course the inevitable backstabbing and bitching. And that’s only after week one. 


So there you have it, your circus is complete. With the promise of imminent twists and even a rumour that Davina, BB royalty, is set to enter the house herself, it looks like this summer is set to be a good one. LR