Big Brother is the name of the reality TV show that has become a worldwide phenomenon. Originating from Holland, the gameshow is revolutionary in that contestants are monitered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for up to 10 weeks in a house that they share with the other contestants. Live webcasts on the internet, and more recently, on a dedicated digital television channel, have made it a hit with audiences everywhere. The first series of Big Brother UK appeared on British Television screens during the summer of 2000

The Concept

A selection of contestants are picked by the production company, usually with an even mix of boys and girls, to enter the specially-built Big Brother house. This house is isolated from the 'outside world', with no television, radio, telephone or internet connection, making the contestants completely cut off with no communication with their friends and family. The contestants may each bring one suitcase with them into the house, which is searched by a security for 'contraband items'. Objects banned from the Big Brother house include mobile telephones, computers, paper, pens and pencils, drugs and other illegal substances and most forms of electronic equipment. There is also a limit on the number of allowed items contestants can bring into the house, such as one lipstick and a small number of 'luxury items' such as a pack of playing cards. In the Big Brother household, everything is controlled.

After an introductory two weeks, the contestants must each week nominate two of the other housemates¹ for eviction, which takes place privately in the 'diary room'. The two housemates, or more if it's an even result, with the higest number of nominations are put to the public as candidates for eviction. The public votes who is to go by phoning special phone numbers. Eventually a winner is selected by the public, and wins a cash prize. This nomination and eviction knockout process provides the main focus of the show. The nominations encourage the housemates to reveal their dislikes of the other contestants, which gives the housemates paranoia and encourages conflict, and which gives the viewer an all-seeing eye² into what is going on.

The Diary Room is where the main revelations take place. A soundproofed room, the diary room contains only a single, iconic chair³ and a camera. The Diary Room is where the contestants make their secret nominations, and also where contestants get to talk one-on-one with 'Big Brother', a character played in shifts by different members of the production staff. Contestants, who only get to hear the voice of Big Brother, through a speaker in the room, can either go into the room voluntarily if they have something to say to Big Brother or a question to ask, or alternatively Big Brother can call them to the Diary Room, in which case they will be called over the PA system with the commanding question, 'would (contestant's name) please come to the Diary Room?'. Disobedience of Big Brother is a serious offense. When Vanessa 'went mad' scrawling on the table, she refused to enter the Diary Room on Big Brother's command for a few minutes, eliciting gasps from the other housemates.

Food in the house must be bought from a weekly food budget, which is proportional to the number of contestants remaining in the house. To add some interest, and entertainment for the viewer, the contestants are set weekly tasks, on the success of which they can gamble a percentage of their food budget. If successful the housemates will get extra money to spend on food, if unsuccessful they will have to survive on less. The maximum percentage of the budget the contestants are allowed to gamble is 50%. Big Brother may also set 'mini tasks', offering a reward to the housemates, to stop the contestants from becoming bored. If unlucky however, the reward will simply be a screening of a video of Bobby-Davro (a rather unpopular comedian).

The Setting

The UK Big Brother house is located in Newham, East London, on the Mill Meads partially surrounded by a river which acts as an effective moat. A bridge across the river, labelled 'the Bridge of Shame' by the production company, leads to the Three Mills Film Studios where the post-eviction interview takes place. The mills used to be a distillery, and much of the old machinery and equipment is still in place. The Film Studios are not open to the general public, but there is a Three Mills Visitor Centre open for those who are interested in the history of the mills and the area.

The Big Brother House can be seen briefly from the District Line Tube which goes past nearby. To get to the house you should get off at the Bromly-By-Bow tube station, turn left down the main road, go down and through the subway, past the petrol station and around the back of Tesco's. Go through the car park and along Three Mills Lane towards a security barrier. Before you get to the security barrier which takes you onto the Film Studios site, you can turn right onto a public footpath which takes you around the film studios, across the bridge and onto a footpath that follows around the river. Though this is a public footpath, the production company closes the path and the bridge when evictions take place, and may not be open at other times. Security around the house when occupants are in it is tight, with several guards patrolling the area with vicious-looking dogs.

The Media Phenomenon

When a Big Brother series is running, it generates a big media event which increases the frenzy and hype surrounding the programme. Newpapers, magazines, websites, TV and radio constantly use the programme as a discussion point and news source. This is partly down to the 'critical mass' factor, where once awareness has reached a certain point all media want to jump on to bandwagon and be part of the event. Newspapers can increases sales by upwards of 15% by featuring a Big Brother news story prominantly on the cover. As both an effect of the media hype and a cause for it, Big Brother becomes a common topic of conversation and gossip, which is an essential factor for any successful media product. 'Eastenders' for example, thrives on the idea that 'everybody's talking about it'. This happens to Big Brother on an even bigger scale, as the series draws to a climax.

Most of the discussion in the media and amongst viewers is about the characteristics of the housemates. The all-seeing-eye of Big Brother allows viewers to become familiarised with the contestants, with their every action, word and movement seen by the public. The public is quick to judge, and the whole nature of the Big Brother format puts the viewer in control of the contestants' destiny, with the power to choose who must leave and who must stay in the house. Opinions on whether individual contestants are good, bad, nice or horrible become hotly debated, often resulting in contestants becoming branded for certain characteristics, the most noticeable case of this being 'Nasty Nick' (Nick Bateman) from Series 1.

The Big Brother phenomenon affects most of the media, but by far the biggest Big Brother enthusiasts are the tabloid press. During the period when the programme is running, the tabloid run stories about what is happening in the house (they must spend most of their time watching it), print their opinions on the different housemates, and often try to influence the voting. During the first series, one unscrupulous newspaper attempted to fly a model helicopter over the garden, dropping leaflets with 'Nick Lies' printed on them (see below). Luckily, Big Brother ordered the contestants inside before the housemates had a chance to read them, ensuring that the social isolation was preserved. The tabloids also try to find out about the conestants' previous lives by approaching their friends and family with offers of money, in the hope of being able to print some shocking revelations. As the housemates emerge from the house one by one, the newspapers fight for their exclusive stories, to give a boost to sales. Coverage of Big Brother does not stop when the series ends either, the newspapers often continue to print stories about the contestants after they have left, with the Helen and Paul love story lasting for ages.

The Live Feeds

The central focus of the Big Brother schedule is on the nightly TV programmes, which features edited highlights of the previous day (or day befoe, depending on the time gap). This show is heavily edited though, and contains a voiceover commentary on the major events. For pure and unbiased footage of the contestants you have to watch the Live Feeds. Originally these were only available through the internet as streaming video, but during Series 2 viewers were also able to watch the live feeds through E4, a digital television channel.

The live feeds mark an aspect of show that is similar to The Truman Show in that viewers are able to maintain a constant watch on the contestants in the Big Brother house. This voyeuristic element can come to be obsessive, with reports of some people leaving their televisions or computers permanently tuned in to the live feed. The live feeds sometimes come under criticism for being boring, with 'a load of people sitting around in baggy T-shirts' being the main content, but for whatever reason it is a formula that works. The Big Brother UK website was one of the most successful UK websites ever during Big Brother 1, reporting millions of visitors and video streams served.

Davina McCall

The UK version of Big Brother is presented by Davina McCall. Previously to Big Brother, Davina was most famous for presenting the dating show 'Streetmate'. Davina has become an essential element to the show, so much so that she continued to present Big Brother 2 despite being heavily pregnant. On eviction night, Davina informs the house who has received the most votes for eviction, giving them an hour to pack their bags. When they leave the house she is there to greet them, and then interviews them about their stay in the house as part of the live programme. Presenting the show has been a good career move for Davina, propelling her to household fame and giving her as many job offers as Carol Vorderman⁴.

Big Brother 1

Big Brother 1 had the advantage of being new to television audiences in Britain, creating a huge hype around the show. The interest would not have been sustained, however, were it not for the great 'cast' of contestants and exciting events to happen in the show.

The Contestants

• Craig - Winner of the first series. Craig was characterised during the series as the 'cheeky scouser', and did not become the most popular housemate until the very end. The other contestants frequently nominated Craig for eviction, forcing Craig to face a public vote on several consecutive weeks.

  After winning, Craig announced he would use the money to help fund an operation for a girl he knew, Jo. She needed a heart transplant operation, but could not be treated under the NHS as she had Down's Syndrome and so was not a priority. His 'Heart for Jo' appeal was very successful and he raised all of the money needed. Notably, Craig didn't reveal these plans whilst in the house, so it wasn't used to gain votes, coming instead as a complete suprise to the audience. Craig signed a contract with a record company, but after an unsuccessful single did not attempt to persue a musical career.

• Anna - Came a close second in the final vote. Anna was the most popular housemate with the public during the series, attracting celebrity fans such as Zoe Ball and Norman Cook. The lesbian ex-nun did little with her fame, and went back home to live in Ireland. Anna took a guitar into the house and played a few songs, but did not release any records after the show.

• Sada - Sada was the first contestant to be voted out of the house. Keen on alternative lifestyles, she tried to teach the others yoga, but was told off for trying to put tofu on the shopping menu. She claimed to be happy to leave the house, and went on to release a book.

• Darren - The only other contestant to stay the full time in the house, Darren came third in the series. Darren became famous for his love of the house chickens, after overcoming his initial phobia of them, developing a special relationship with the one called Marjorie.

• Caroline - Third contestant to be evicted. Caroline was characterised by her nasal laugh and layers of makeup. She was noticeable for her Saxophone and for being the oldest housemate. She showed more open stress than anyone else, reacting badly to her nomination by the other contestants.

• Andrew - Second to be evicted, Andrew was often called 'sleazy' by the British press. He had an early affair with Melanie, providing an early kiss to the show, but was evicted shortly after. Andrew was present in the studio when Mel was evicted, waiting hopefully with a bunch of flowers. It seems their relationship did not continue however...

• Melanie - Flirty Melanie had a brief affair with Andrew before his eviction, but seemed to pretty much forget him after he had gone. After the show, Melanie spoke out in the press and on television documentaries that she was upset with the way the programme makers portrayed her as a 'sexy minx' by selectivly editing to manipulate situations for the benefit of ratings.

• Tom - Another Irish contestant, Tom spent much of his time in the house flirting with Melanie once Andrew had left. He was well liked, as a calm, reasonable lad who did little to upset anyone in the house. It came as a great suprise to the British public to learn some months after the show had finished, that Tom and Claire were together and having a baby, despite them not being in the house together at the same time.

• 'Nasty Nick' - Easily the most famous contestant from the first Big Brother series, Nick caused a huge stir by being completely dishonest to the other contestants and as the only housemate worldwide ever to fool Big Brother.

  At the beginning of the series, Nick was scolded along with the rest of the boys for plotting together to nominate Caroline and Sada at the beginning (Big Brother rules state that nominations must remain confidential and cannot be discussed). Despite this official warning, Nick continued to cheat by showing other contestants names of who to nominate, written on pieces of paper with a pencil somehow smuggled into the house. The illicit exchanges took place in a camera blind-spot which he had discovered.

  After weeks of scheming, dastardly Nick was finally caught out in a midnight confrontation with the rest of the house when one of the other housemates exposed him. The angry housemates called a meeting and demanded to know the truth. The production team went mad and the show's producer had to be woken from her sleep to come to the studio and monitor the situation from the studio. Nick, the only housemate never to be nominated, was subsequently removed from the house by Big Brother. Such was the public rage against him, three identical vehicles were employed as decoys when chauffeuring him away.

  The other housemates were stunned at having been cheated, but also wondered why the contestants who had been shown notes by him (Tom and Mel) had not spoken out earlier. The event was the climax of the show, causing a huge hit on the webcams and giving the show a massive ratings boost. There was even a conspiracy theory that Channel 4 had planted him in the house. Free from the show, Nick was paid a sum equal to the prize (£70,000) to write a column in a tabloid newspaper during the remainder of the series. A year on, Nick appeared in the television gameshow 'The Weakest Link' with other Reality TV celebrities and walked away the winner, another sign of his cunning and skill.

• Claire - Brought in to replace Nick, and evicted soon after, Claire was famous for her clinically enhanced breasts and attracting the sexual attention of Craig. Entering the house when she did, Claire might have seemed a bit of a threat to Mel, as at the time, Anna and Mel were the only girls in the house, and as Anna was gay, Mel had previously had the boys to herself.

• Nicola - Friends of Sada and Caroline, Nicola was evicted early on. A vegetarian skinhead with a nose stud, she spent much time on art in the house, creating murals on the wall from magazine paper. Early on in the series, Nicola initiated an art project where some of the contestants stripped off and covered themselves in mad, plastering themselves to the wall. She had an unsuccessful single release after leaving the house.

For more on what the contestants from the first series have done since the programme, see this BBC News article

Celebrity Big Brother

Half a year after the Big Brother 1 series came a special celebrity version for the comic relief event. The series only lasted a week, with six contestants, one nominated each day, but made facinating viewing nevertheless. The show was co-hosted by Channel 4 (who own the rights for the UK version of the show) and BBC1, who were hosting the other Comic Relief events. All money earned from the phone polls went towards the Comic Relief cause.

The Celebrity Contestants

• Jack Dee - Winner of Celebrity Big Brother. A dry, witty comedian, Jack Dee provided bags of entertainment for the audience by being very depressive about the whole situation and desperate to leave the house. He tried to rebel against Big Brother by escaping from the house, only to be picked up by security guards some time later, and running out to hug his wife during another contestant's eviction. Jack Dee refused all interviews after the show, and cancelled all appearances on television that he had previously arranged.

• Vanessa Feltz - Vanessa seemed to become traumatised by the whole Big Brother experience, starting to write a string of words on the table at one point, and defying Big Brother's calls for her to enter the diary room. Vanessa frequently broke down into tears, and was reported by Jack Dee to be 'emotionally unstable'.

• Chris Eubank - First contestant evicted. The ex-boxer provided much hilarity by prancing around the house in his long robes, often on his scooter, oblivious to what people think of him. Calm and dignified throughout, he remarked when leaving the house that his purpose was to provide entertainment for the public to raise money for charity.

• Claire - Taking a short break from the television soap Brookside, Claire benifited from the Big Brother experience by becoming more well known to the public and demonstrating her singing talent.

• Keith from Boyzone - A singer in a well known Irish pop band, Keith demonstated during his time in the house that he is more than an idol for teenage girls to scream at. Keith spent more time than anyone else taliking about sex and sexual matters, but gently humoured the audience, who came to look upon him affectionately.

• Anthea Turner - A previous Blue Peter presenter, Anthea was for a long time the face of the British National Lottery. She fared well in the house, again revealing herself to an audience who only had a single impression of her. In a statement that was not broadcast on the programme, but revealed by tabloid newspapers afterward, Anthea admitted to having used cannabis in a stew once - no huge crime, but was made a fuss of nevertheless.

Big Brother 2

Big Brother 2 kicked off in 2001 to much public anticipation, the first series having been a huge success. The major new feature this year came in the form of a live⁵ Big Brother feed on the digital television channel, E4. Despite the initial perception that the series wasn't as good as the previous one, lacking the novelty factor, the contestants eventually became just as loved as the previous ones. The show gained just as high an audience as it did the previous year, killing off the competition from rival Reality TV show Survivor, imported from the USA, which reduced its coverage halfway through the show.

The Contestants

• Stuart - Stuart didn't live a very high-key life in the Big Brother house. The father-of-three was the second person to be evicted from the house, having being identified by the housemates and most of the public as generally annoying. He spent much time topless, trying to top up his tan, and proved himself to be a fitness fanatic. He was thought to be overly competitive and smug in his attitude to the other housemates, qualities which do not get you far in Big Brother.

• Paul - After a shaky start where Paul was initially disliked by the public, he came out of the house 4th and with public affection, mostly due to his romantic relationship with contestant Helen. Their relationship didn't really kick off until halfway into the programme, and didn't reach much of a conlusion into the house, mostly down to Paul's fears of repercussions from Helen's boyfriend. His love for Helen was revealed when he was there to meet her when she left the house, bearing gifts and a promise to take her on holiday.

• Narinder - The only Asian contestant in the house, Geordie Narinda was loud, boistorous and a lot of fun. Narinda pleased the public by having no problem with giving reasons for nominating the other housemates, regularly slagging them off in the diary room chair. "I don't see what all the fuss is about, I could have nominated five people in there," she said in her interview with Davina, presenter of the show. Other than Brian, with whom she formed an extragavant double act, she made few friends in the house.

• Bubble - A former cocaine-addict, the tabloid press tried to dish a lot of dirt about his previous life on Bubble whilst he was in the house. Aged 25, he was one of the youngest of the contestants in the house, and with his unassuming charm was looked on upon fondly by the other housemates. Despite this he is father to a baby girl, whom he often spoke of whilst in the house. Fourth to be evicted from the house, Bubble was the joker among the housemates and provided much entertainment.

• Helen - Widely tipped to win the series, Welsh hairdresser Helen, from Swansea, was widely loved by the public who enjoyed her charming naivity and quirky mannerisms. She was famed for her relationship with Paul, with whom she fondled despite having entered the house in a relationship with scary boyfriend 'Big G', and the daft things she sometimes said. These 'Helenisms' included the quote that became a cathphrase, 'I like blinking I do', thinking that 'magic' was spelt with a 'j' and asking if there was chicken in chickpeas⁶. The glitter-clad girl finished second in the series, and left the house to a huge welcome and massive fan base.

• Dean - Emerging third from the Big Brother house, brummie Dean was widly thought, by the public and the Big Brother psychiatrists, to be the father figure of the house. He looked after the other members of the house, though often sniggered at their childishness, and was good friends with Brian and Elizabeth. Though often critisised for being boring and moany, Dean had a few great moments, including the fabulous moment where he pretended to be a gorilla and chased Brian around the room, a clip which was repeated many times. He came out of the house into the emotional arms of his loving girlfriend Vanessa, whom he had set aside a daily time for thinking about during his stay in the house.

• Elizabeth - Website designer Elizabeth was liked by the other contestants, but disliked by the public, resulting in her staying for the full length of time in the house, but being evicted fourth with only a small percentage of the population voting for her. She was disliked for being 'posh' and had a tendancy to be snobby, though was appreciated more towards the end of the series. One of the older members of the house, 27 year old Elizabeth became the 'mother' figure of the household, doing most of the cooking and cleaning, and giving emotional support to the younger contestants. After leaving the house she returned to living with her 53 year old boyfriend, who controversially sold naked pictures of her to the tabloid press whilst she was in the house.

• Brian - Lovably camp Brian was the eventual winner of Big Brother 2. Brian, from Ireland, entertained viewers with his great sense of humour and mischief. Brian's only hard time in the house came during the period when Josh, also gay, was in the house. The two didn't get along at all, their different personalities clashing. Despite being gay, or perhaps because of it, Brian has a huge schoolgirl following. With young girls being a demographic most likely to phone vote, it is little suprise Brian won despite Helen's equal popularity. Brian said he would take the prize money home to Ireland and throw huge parties.

• Amma - A former table dancer, Amma asserted herself strongly in the Big Brother house. Amma had an emotional time in the house, and revealed in interview afterwards that she didn't think she behaved as herself, instead being overpowered by the stronger personalities of the other contestants. In her last moments before eviction she told the other housemates that 'they were all fantastic' and she would miss them.

• Josh - Josh entered the house in a different way from the other contestants, he was voted in, and only joinded the other contestants after they had been in the house for a week already. This made him an outsider from the beginning, and his position was made worse by discontentment from Brian.

• Penny - A teacher from London, Penny was the first to be evicted. She was thought of as bossy from the moment she entered the house, and irritated most of the other contestants with her fussiness and barking orders. The most significant moment for her in the house was when her towel accidentally dropped from being wrapped around her body after leaving the shower, revealing her naked body to thousands of internet fans. After this she was critisised by her school and the teachers union for entering the gameshow when she was a role model to young kids. She didn't return to her school after leaving the house, instead opting to embark upon a showbiz career. This researcher's friend who was taught by her says she will be sorely missed.

Related Links

• Series 7: The Contenders - A film satirising the reality TV format.
• The free.uk.tv.bigbrother USENET discussion group.
  
• The DIY Big Brother game.