[Razmataz]

By KATIE CHEESEMAN
May 18, 2007


AS Big Brother fever begins to grip the nation, what exactly can we expect from Big Brother 8? In less than two weeks, will we be watching an identical parade of Petes and Nikkis or will we be introduced to characters we’ve never seen before?

Big Brother Executive Producer Rebecca de Young, who has worked as a Producer, Director and Editor on the show since Big Brother 2, reveals what she looks for in Big Brother contestants, how they go about selecting each years’ bunch – and what happens when it all goes wrong...

So what's going to be different about this year's Big Brother?
We’ve got some big new plans and ideas for Big Brother 8 and want this year’s Big Brother to feel fresh, funny and very exciting.

Did you choose people at the auditions? Which cities had the best characters?
We work as a team casting the housemates and I was there at every venue we visited, meeting applicants and getting to know them. The tour is great fun because it’s always exhilarating to know that each city will bring new applicants and individuals that you might never have expected to audition for Big Brother. Each city is unique and brings its own unique potential housemates.

Does it get harder each year to find new housemates? Do people try to second guess Big Brother? Who do you rule out straight away?
Each year we have the challenge of casting a group of housemates that are different to previous Big Brother housemates and each year we meet new people that can do just that. Some people try and second-guess Big Brother; some think that if they can be ‘like’ a former housemate they’ll stand a better chance of going in. We always tell people that at the end of the day, the best thing to do is ‘just be you’. We look for individuals with a unique appeal who will be interesting within a group. No one is ruled out straight away and everyone who queues is seen by a member of the production team.

How much time is spent with the housemates, getting to know them before they go in? Do they live up to expectations?
We spend time getting to know the potential housemates in a variety of different situations – in both their own environment and in environments that Big Brother has organised. If you find an interview with Big Brother too hard to handle, imagine how you’re going to feel getting out of a car with a thousand people screaming and millions watching you at home! Housemates always live up to our expectations and it’s really exciting when they exceed them as we follow their journey over the course of the series. For example, Nadia’s journey in Big Brother 5 was remarkable and very touching and the viewers clearly thought so too when they made her the winner. She was initially unsure of how she would be accepted and Big Brother was an incredible experience for her.

What kinds of tests are done to ensure the housemates are suitable to go in the house?
We have a series of very thorough checks that all potential housemates have before we will even consider offering them a place in the Big Brother house. All of our potential housemates are also given something that we call the ‘Talk of Doom’, where we actively encourage them to think carefully about the impact that taking part in Big Brother could have on their lives. It’s important that, in addition to us assessing whether someone is right for the Big Brother house, each potential housemate thinks about whether Big Brother is right for him or her.

There were lots of walk-outs at the start of last summer. How do you cope with these? What would you do in the case of a mass walk-out, or if the housemates all went on strike?
The housemates have gone on strike before! In Big Brother 5, when Big Brother had Stuart’s cowboy hat, the housemates refused to talk. It’s one of my favourite shows. And in Celebrity Big Brother 3, John McCririck refused to speak to both Big Brother and his fellow housemates when he didn’t get any of his favourite cola in the weekly shopping task.

The beauty of Big Brother is that each situation is completely distinctive and unique, and so is dealt with accordingly. Some housemates decide that their Big Brother journey has come to an end. That’s entirely up to them, and just as people are free to drop out of the audition process at any time they choose, housemates are free to leave the house if they choose to do so.


How many people are working on the production this year?
At the last count it was 586 people… and rising. This is due to the number of different shows and the fact that Big Brother is a 24-hour operation!

How will the house cope with the imminent smoking ban? Will Big Brother have to act as smoking police?
As I'm sure you'll appreciate, details of the production are a closely-guarded secret before the programme goes to air. However, this is an issue we take seriously and one that will be addressed during the course of the series.

What will the house be like? Will there be extra rooms or houses next door?
The Big Brother house will have a bold style and some new quirky surprises that are exclusive to Big Brother 8 – all will be revealed by Big Brother in due course.

Last year’s series began and ended with romances in the house – do you think any are likely this year, from the housemates you’ve chosen?
There’s nothing quite like a love story but it’s impossible to cast for one… we will just have to wait and see if romance blossoms in the Big Brother 8 house.

What has been your favourite previous series to work on? What or who made it such a good experience for you?
I love Big Brother and it’s hard to single out any particular series as being my favourite, because each one is such a unique experience for the housemates and for the team. In Big Brother 7, it was great to see housemates such as Glyn and Aisleyne learn so much about themselves, and the Prison Task was really entertaining and very moving when Richard got his letter from home. Big Brother 5 was a lot of fun because we changed the way that we did some things – which makes it exciting. There’ll be plenty more of that this summer; all I can say is, watch this space!



Big Brother 8 Live Launch, Wednesday 30 May, 8.30pm

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