[Amy]

Press Release: Sunday 24 June, 2007
TASK ANNOUNCEMENT

IF YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE… HOUSEMATES MUST STAY AWAKE TO WIN SHOPPING TASK
(starts E4/Interactive streaming Sunday 24 June)

Housemates will tonight begin the ultimate endurance test - by collectively sleeping for a mere four hours over a 60-hour time-frame in order to win a luxury shopping budget. And with nominations due to take place at 2am tomorrow (Monday) morning, what affect will sleep-deprivation have on the housemates' decisions?

The task will start this evening when housemates will be treated to cheese and wine, while the Big Brother house is transformed into a sleep haven, filled with cushions and bean bags, white bedding and "sleep" signs in order to make the house as comfortable and sleep-inducing as possible.

At 9pm the task will be revealed by Big Brother to the housemates. By that stage they will have been awake for 11 hours. They will be told that until 10pm on Tuesday they will COLLECTIVELY have only FOUR hours in which to sleep. In the living area will be the "Sleep Clock" which will start ticking down as soon as one or more housemates have had their eyes shut for one minute.

During the task:
* there will be no alarms to wake housemates - it will be entirely the housemates' own responsibility to stay awake.
* Big Brother will offer housemates opportunities to earn more sleeping hours to add to their Sleep Clock.
* for the duration of the task, housemates must wear the white pyjamas provided. They will also be given white dressing gowns, slippers and teddy bears.
* Big Brother will offer housemates a chance to add an extra hour on to their Sleep Clock by "counting sheep" where they must become sheep and jump over fences in the garden.
* The twins, Sam and Amanda, will be offered the chance to win a special birthday treat on Tuesday when they turn 19.
* plus more sleep-inducing temptations to be revealed…

At 10pm on Tuesday Big Brother will gather housemates in the living area to announce the result of the shopping task, and to inform them if they have won a luxury shopping budget, or if they are on basic rations for the week.