[Gravedigger]

I really hate this phrase!

Originally, it seemed to be used to allow innovative twists in the show but as time has gone on it's more like a cop-out.

I remember when Nikki Graham went back in with the potential to win, it was trotted out then as a justification but that was so out of order, as people had already spent money evicting her. Prior to this, 'the rules' were what applied to things within the house, not viewers who had been led to believe that all evictions were final - a reasonable assumption as that is what we'd always been told. "Ah, now you've given us your money on the deal we made, guess what? We've changed our minds!"

It was like when the Irish government had a referendum, didn't like the result, so had another referendum until they got the result they wanted! At least the government didn't insult the people by using that annoying phrase!

If you go on a show and the prize for the winner is £100,000 (and this is how it's been for the last 11 series), it is rather crap a week from the end to say, "oh, er, actually, now you've been there for eight weeks, we'll bung you half of what you were going to get."

I know it's still money for nothing in the grand scheme of things but Channel 5is not exactly impoverished. They (and the associated magazines) will make a packet out of the winner. Imagine if your pay packet was suddenly halved!

Still, I guess it's the kind of 'creative thinking' we've got used to this series.