[Amy]

WANNABE celebrities in the Capital were today being offered the chance to join the next gang of housemates on hit reality show Big Brother.

Hundreds of hopefuls were expected to turn out for the open auditions and pull out all the stops to secure a spot in the sixth series.

It is the second year running the Channel 4 show, which used to select contestants from videotape submissions, has invited applicants to turn up in person.

The production team was scouring the queues at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange and picking out people to go through to the next stage.

Would-be participants will then have one minute to make an impression in a "diary room" similar to that in the TV show.

Those who make it through today’s process will be invited back for more in-depth interviews and the chance of going on to the next stage.

By 8am this morning a queue of around 100 hopefuls had formed.

Last year, Glasgow art student Shell Jubin, 22, came fourth in the show while the year before Orkney fish seller Cameron Stout, 33, was crowned winner.

Producers will also hold auditions in Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham, Dublin and London over the coming weeks.

The reality TV show was created in 2000 by production company Endemol.

As well as five regular series, two celebrity Big Brother shows have been staged which have raised millions of pounds for charity.

Article Edinburgh News

[Di2001]

I wonder how the first auditions went yesterday? Wonder if anyone is feeling quietly confident about getting into the house this year?

[zed2010]

I was at the auditions in Edinburgh and man you should have seen the sights!! There were Alice Cooper wannabees, ponrstar actresses, the usual mix of boobs and bums and even a smackhead! Best thing I saw was an asian dude wearing a scottish kilt and his face painted like a Maori warrior. Only 40 people out of 2000 were asked back on Sunday and I wasn't one of them, but then again I never auditioned cos I'm too good for this show.