Pants to Big Brother! ;-) (Celebrity Big Brother)

Member Name: Whitehorse

Product:	Celebrity Big Brother
Date:	14/03/01 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Raising lots of CASH for a very good cause

Disadvantages: Some cringe-worthy moments

Whoever thought of sticking six “celebrities” in the Big Brother house for Comic Relief is a fundraiser genius! The original series was highly addictive and had the nation caught up in mass voyeurism. Now we can do it all over again (although only for a week) and put some serious cash in the coffers of Comic Relief.

The general rules are the same as in the first series

One big house
No contact with the outside world
Limited food budget
Cameras all over the house (except this time none in the bathroom or toilet)
Chickens to feed (hello Marjorie)
Tasks to fulfil for which they must wager some of their food
Nominations and evictions – each housemate must vote out two others everyday and then the public decides which one will be evicted from the house.
General chit chat over nothing (often entertaining)
Arguments (highly entertaining)

As someone who is fascinated by the psychology of this kind of programme, I have been really interested to monitor both the reactions of the housemates themselves and my own reaction. Even though I don’t read any national newspapers I still had certain preconceptions about the celebrities involved and therefore it’s been fascinating to take a peek at the person behind the mask of star status and review my opinions of these people. Certainly they were on best behaviour for the first day or so but now they are being more themselves.

Now Anthea Turner is someone who before watching the show I just couldn’t take to. Having heard various sordid rumours about her personal life and some scandal over chocolate, I let out a groan to see her in the house. Interesting reaction, I thought, as I became aware of my feeling towards her. This is someone I don’t know yet have an unhealthy dislike for. Why? Well – as the programme has progressed through the week I have begun to re-examine my attitudes a little. Generally Anthea has played the
game well. I noticed she got unduly upset on the first night over nominations and was surprised to find I had some empathy for her. Both her and Vanessa (see below) seem to have issues around confidence and self esteem. I like the fact that Anthea has generally relaxed into the mood and spirit of the house – going without make-up and being quite supportive to the others. However – that said – it hasn’t stopped me voting her out 4 times this evening.

Chris Eubank – Boxer and all round oddity. Chris to my great (comic) relief was the first to be evicted from the house. I realised that within about 5 seconds of being in the same room as him I would seriously want to punch him on the nose. That of course is a fantasy as he would obviously know how to pummel me into the ground. In some ways it would have been good fun to see what would have happened if he had stayed as Keith Duffy looked like he would have been up for a fight at some point and Jack Dee was almost pushed to the point of raucous hysteria. Chris obviously had no intention of letting down that carefully crafted wall and used every opportunity to make some kind of vague patronising point about goodness knows what. I’m sure he’s a great Dad and Husband and he has a charming smile but apart from that he drives me to distraction. Whatever it is Chris – Get over it and get real.

Jack Dee. Okay – I admit it. I love Jack. There, I’ve said it! Melancholic funny Man who would dearly love to be doing anything but Celebrity Big Brother – or so he would have us believe. He’s already escaped once and given the security dogs a run for their money but everything’s done with a devilish twinkle in his eye! He makes great bread, quietly strums the guitar, is upset that Anthea’s taking over HIS kitchen and made a great topiary of a Rwandan women and child. He also seems very serious about the cause as a whole. Okay I have noth
ing bad to say about him at all. Loved him before, still love him. What’s more I think he should win (meaning he’ll have to stay in the house to the bitter end!)

Claire Sweeney. After the body under the patio affair, I stopped watching Brookside so I have seen little of her. She seems like an all round nice women. Funny, pretty and witty. There is no pretence with Claire. What you see is what you get which is quite refreshing in the entertainment world. In a way she is the leveller of the group – the one to deal with practicalities and smooth over problems.

Keith Duffy from Boyzone. Okay – I have something else to admit. Before this programme I had never heard of him! He seems very down to earth but easily irritated. That said I think he’s had his patience sorely tested! I reckon he’s a genuinely nice bloke, sociable, approachable and up for a laugh.

Vanessa Feltz – Oh Vanessa, what are you doing? At least the original BB housemates had some psychological screening before they went into the house. It may have been very entertaining television to see Vanessa crack under the strain of eviction nominations as the issue of rejection brought up lots of personal stuff but I also found myself cringing. Cringing as we watched her use chalk graffiti therapy, swear at big brother, gush about how wonderful everyone is then give Anthea several “looks” and finally confide in an obviously bored Jack Dee. On a compassionate level it was awful to watch someone who is so obviously having a difficult time and I hope she is able to resolve some of that internal conflict. As a viewer I was caught between wanting to give her a big hug and shouting “for God’s sake woman it’s not a personal popularity contest!” Sadly though the words “public hanging” come to mind…and…um…yes I voted her out!

To conclude then, so far you have missed Jacks decorated
Pants for Vanessa, various jacuzzi scenes, Chris talking to himself, Anthea finding Vanessa’s outburst scary and Keith getting hot under the collar.

Human nature makes for great viewing. Whatever personal opinions I have and have formed during the course of this week – I congratulate ALL of the housemates for agreeing to take part and raise money for such a worthy course. If you love them or hate them – vote on it!

Each call costs you 25p of which 15.5p goes directly to comic relief.
9pm on Channel 4 all this week (9th – 16th March 2001)

http://www.comicrelief.com/bigbrother/

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UPDATE
And then there were 3...

Anthea has now left the house. It seems to me as though she has had time to chill out in the BB house and allowed us to see more of the real person. I have to say now that I do like her a lot more than I did originally.

Jack made a run for it again - but this time it was to give his wife a hug and a kiss and tell 6 million people he loves her. Ahhhh

Claire, Keith and Jack are now in it for the duration. If the robot "Wanita" babies haven't driven them crazy we'll be seeing them all tomorrow.

Who wins? - YOU decide
Claire 0901 11 55 003
Jack 0901 11 55 004
Keith 0901 11 55 005

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FINAL UPDATE!

Well - he did it. Sexy Jack was the last person to leave the Big Brother house!

But they are ALL winners as Celebrity BB has raised half a million quid for Comic Relief.
Excellent.

Right then - who's up for the next one?
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