I STILL LOVE BB AS MUCH AS EVER
How has it been 20 years since Big Brother began? It feels like yesterday, and I still love it as much as ever. I enjoy the fact that it divided the nation – whether you loved it or hated it, nobody was on the fence. And heat was a massive part of the action. I used to have my own BB column and, every Friday night, I’d have a chat with heat from the studio about that week’s eviction.
That’s why I am so excited for you to see Big Brother: Best Shows Ever Show. Rylan [Clarkneal] and I chose ten episodes that we thought were absolute blinders, and then we sat in our respective living rooms, wanging on about each episode. Rylan is hilarious – he’s such a huge star in his own right, but when he talks about Big Brother, he’s talking as a super-fan. It’s so cute. For me, going back and watching it was beautifully nostalgic. So many of us can remember what we were doing the night that Jade came out, or where we were on “fight night” [when tension erupted in BB series five after Michelle and Emma returned to the house]. Back then, reality TV was about the nuance of “Did they or didn’t they?” It was good, thoughtprovoking, conversation-starting television.
As for the future, I think we all have to sit back and assess whether there’s still an audience for Big Brother. And if there is, well, it would be very nice to see the show come back, wouldn’t it?
WANT TO TEST YOUR BB KNOWLEDGE AND BATTLE IT OUT WITH HOUSEMATES INCLUDING CRAIG PHILLIPS, JOSIE GIBSON AND PETE BENNETT? CHECK OUT HEATWORLD’S ALL-STAR BIG BROTHER QUIZ.