LONDON (Reuters) - The winning housemate in this year's Big Brother could walk away from the reality television show with no prize money, under new rules introduced by the programme makers.
In a bid to spice up the show, which was criticised as bland last year, Channel 4 is getting tougher on the 12 contestants vying for the 100,000 pounds prize money and their time in the limelight.
"They (the housemates) could lose the lot, because every Saturday they have to do a live task just to hold on to that prize fund," executive producer Shirley Jones said.
"If they fail a task, they get penalised in cash, at least 10,000 pounds a week. So essentially, the winner of this year's Big Brother could come out of the house with nothing," Jones said in publicity material.
Despite its critics, Big Brother habitually pulls in some four million viewers per episode. The slogan for this series, which starts later on Friday, is "Big Brother Gets Evil".
The house has been designed to be difficult to live in: the only bedroom does not have enough beds and the toilet and shower have see-through doors.
Small and claustrophobic, the house is designed to create tension and conflict among the contestants.
"I love the fights -- they are brilliant," said Jones. "I love it when Big Brother throws the housemates a party or they are doing something like face painting and then someone has a fight.
"It's really not going to be a holiday this year and, knowing what I know, I wouldn't want to go into the house!"
Fans will be able to start viewing at 8 p.m., with auditions of unsuccessful contestants.
Jones said wannabes had dressed up as chickens and brides while others had even stripped bare. Newspapers said among the failed applicants was a man sporting 17 tattoos of his favourite pop band -- S Club -- and a man who wore a bunny costume.
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28-05-2004, 07:56 PM
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This is just evil and slightly unfair..
This is just evil! - Big Brother winner could get nothing
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