[Josy]

Basically what the title asks, is Helen the big character and the rest just centre around her storylines?

[Jack_]

Without a shadow of a doubt, as much as I like the emerging role Ashleigh has she has a lot to live up to if she wants to be anywhere near Helen's level

If for any reason her pass is revoked (which I still have a bad feeling it will be), the show is over, this cast just aren't good enough without her support to deliver another 5/6 weeks of action for us to get invested in

[Jords]

Getting involved in everybody's business =X= only way to be a 'big' character

I think Jale and Mark are also big characters.

In terms of 'interesting' or 'different' characters: Matthew, Chris, Danielle and Kimberly are important.

[Jack_]

Creating discussions and being the focal point of the show = big characters

I love Mark but he's still below Helen (in housemate terms, obviously). The others are interesting yes (Matthew I'm not sure of though) but not good enough to carry the show on their own

[Jords]

Sometimes a HM doesnt need to produce discussion points every show, in fact some of these so-called 'discussion points' get bloody boring

With Matthew for instance I particularly enjoy how he engages with the other HMs, how he handles himself during conflict, his mannerisms and how he phrases things in the DR... Hes very interesting imo

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Jords

Sometimes a HM doesnt need to produce discussion points every show, in fact some of these so-called 'discussion points' get bloody boring

With Matthew for instance I particularly enjoy how he engages with the other HMs, how he handles himself during conflict, his mannerisms and how he phrases things in the DR... Hes very interesting imo

In other words you like the social side of BB and not the soap opera drama.

I love the BB old school.

[Jords]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

In other words you like the social side of BB and not the soap opera drama.

I love the BB old school.

Yepp I enjoy both sides of the show! The social side is underrated on the forums.

[Jack_]

Originally Posted by Jords

Sometimes a HM doesnt need to produce discussion points every show, in fact some of these so-called 'discussion points' get bloody boring

With Matthew for instance I particularly enjoy how he engages with the other HMs, how he handles himself during conflict, his mannerisms and how he phrases things in the DR... Hes very interesting imo

Without discussions this show dies though that's a simple fact. I like regular, civilised and intellectual conversations as well as humorous moments just as much as everyone else but if you evict those who are creating the discussions, drawing people to the show and giving us stuff to dissect and get invested in, no one's interested

Helen has been the star of the show and I'd actually argue in the last week or so her 'story' (I hate using those words but can't think of anything else) and character development has been interesting to see. It's integral to the rest of this series that that pass is never, ever removed. I know people will say 'people say this about every housemate, Toya etc!!!!' but I said it weeks ago, it's not if one of them go...it's if all of them go. Pauline was one step, Toya was two, if Helen goes that's it tbh

Originally Posted by Marsh.

In other words you like the social side of BB and not the soap opera drama.

I love the BB old school.

Don't you go insinuating I don't like that either, we've had this discussion before

[Jords]

The show has lasted 15 series... characters always emerge.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Don't you go insinuating I don't like that either, we've had this discussion before

You darn BBUSA fans!

[Jack_]

They really don't though, there's a reason why in the majority of series the show is at its best in the first month and then it slowly begins to trail off. People say 'well that happens naturally' and that argument may hold some weight in the last week or so but not midway through a series, if housemates like Toya, Pauline and Helen were around in week 7 of this series there's no way it wouldn't be as good as it was in the first couple of weeks

I know that seems a bit silly saying this before we've got to week 7 of this series, but my point I expect will inevitably still stand when we get there

[Mystic Mock]

Helen's definitely the biggest imo, although I do think Ashleigh and Astro Ash are big characters as well.

[Locke.]

Just Helen and Marlon

[Marsh.]

Even when the drama characters hang around until later weeks, the fact that the house is smaller automatically brings less division, less confrontation, less drama.

That's the nature of the group numbers reducing.

The first month is so busy because that's usually when you have the most people crammed in with several little cliques, several little wars between different people. More space for people to navigate between many people.

The nature of BB that the house gets smaller and smaller reduces the drama and "business". That and the housemates are comfortable around one another after a few weeks and bring less surprises, they get into the routine.

[Mystic Mock]

I do think removing the entertainers week after week doesn't help things though.

[Marsh.]

Around 5, 6 and 7 though that's when a good, well executed twist came in handy. That allows the first week freshness, maybe new people to creep in and carry the show further.

7 got dull because it carried on to week 13. I don't think any series lasts that long and stays consistent. All the 13 week series, 7, 8, 9, 10 didn't keep anything up regardless of who was left. The random newbies and conveyor belt if twists are a desperate attempt to salvage it.

5 and 6 ended at the right time, the series felt like they simmered to a natural end, rather than dragging on for an extra month.

[Mystic Mock]

I like BB to be a 10 week series as well as I hated all the newcomers disrupting everything in the 13 week series.

[mrflibble]

Only because she's the loudest. She's similar to Pauline in that she stifles some of the other housemates or just brings out a 'bad' side in them. She bores me to tears

[Macie Lightfoot]

I hate it when I open up a thread and it turns into a debate about talking points, but I don't think "wow Helen's at it again what a slag" is a strong talking point that will make or break the show.

[lovebigbrotheruk]

Imagine the series we would have had if Pauline, Toya, Helen, Ashleigh, Ash and Matthew had been in for the most of it. That would have been explosive and fun to watch.

So sad how this series is turning out

[Mystic Mock]

Yay another person acknowledged Ash's contributions to the series, and I agree as what we'll be left with for Helen to feed off will be people like Kimbot, Danielle, Jale, Mark, and ****ing Steven who's died of death since Pauline's left.

[Niamh.]

No I don't think so, I think most of the HMs have something to offer, there's none in there who I would say is boring

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Without a shadow of a doubt, as much as I like the emerging role Ashleigh has she has a lot to live up to if she wants to be anywhere near Helen's level

If for any reason her pass is revoked (which I still have a bad feeling it will be), the show is over, this cast just aren't good enough without her support to deliver another 5/6 weeks of action for us to get invested in

I agree with all that.

[MrMinaj]

Helen IS this series.

******* all else would be happening if she wasnt there. The producers would be crackers to take way her pass to the final. I think it would be great to have such a villain in the finale aswell.

Lets face it, this series is one of the worst ever, probably on a par with BB4.

[Jamesy]

They all have something to offer and I'm sure can be 'big' in their own ways. Helen just dominates the shows because, well, she's Helen. She likes to get involved with everything and cause confrontation.

We certainly don't have another Sam or Sophie for sure, everyone has done something this year, however minor.