As with previous years, the press & fan-sites are tarting to carry lots of rumours, & a good deal of speculation, regarding the 2008 series, BB8.

We'll follow them here. Let's see how many of them turn out to be true.

BB SPICES UP HOUSE WITH SEX DEN
By Peter Dyke

BIG Brother bosses are going all out to make sure their show sizzles this summer – by introducing a “love loft”.

Builders are gutting most of the old house at Elstree TV Studios and working on a brand new design.

Producers are adamant that Big Brother 9 will be a success after the backlash they got over BB Celebrity Hijack on E4.

They are doing all they can to spice up the action for the Channel 4 show. A loft was installed for BB Celebrity Hijack last month, but it was only used as an interrogation room when SAS men stormed the place.

Producers have decided to reburbish it as a “love loft” for the new series.

A source said: “It’s the ideal snug for lovebirds to sneak off to.

"We can either open it up when the show starts or wait until we see who gets together in the house and give it them as a reward.”

The wannabes who have auditioned for the series have so far been whittled down to 200.

BB bosses are also hoping to use some of the shocking stunts from Big Brother USA.

In that show, screened on E4, one housemate was shocked to see his ex girlfriend in the house, and a real life couple went in and had to try and hide the fact they were lovers.

TV bosses will have a variety of presenters for BB’s Big mouth, including All Saints stars Nicole, 33, and Natalie Appleton, 34.

Daily Star, 28/02/08.

BIG BROTHER 9 GOES NUDE
By Peter Dyke

Wannabees in this summer's Big Brother 9 will be forced to parade around naked after a dirty trick by TV bosses.

The girls - and there are some beauties lined up - will have nowhere to hide during their most intimate moments.

One telly insider said: "It'll have fans hooked."

TV bosses will make a splash by turning Britain’s hottest show into Bare Brother.

Builders working on this summer’s new Big Brother house are installing a wet room to really get fans in a lather.

And housemates will find they have nowhere to hide when the cameras begin rolling for the new series.

The state-of-the-art washroom has no bath and there will be no screens round the built-in shower either.


One insider working on site at Elstree TV studios told the Daily Star: “The wet room will expose everything. It’ll be no place for shy boys and girls.

“Traditional wet rooms don’t have baths or shower screens – the water just runs down to a drain in the centre of the room.

“Now that’ll make for great viewing if we get gorgeous girls like Chanelle Hayes or the twins Amanda and Sam Marchant in the line-up. Fans will be glued to their sets watching lasses like that soap down.

“But if we end up with rolypoly women like Carole Vincent they’ll just be screaming at their TVs to switch the cameras off.”

Crews are working round the clock to get the new look spy-on-the-wall house ready for this year’s Big Brother 9 series which is due to launch in May.

And fans can expect plenty of changes to the show – hosted by Davina McCall, 39 – to spice up the on-screen action.
One plan includes installing a “love loft” for wannabes to get jiggy in.

Three years ago BB chiefs caused a stir by putting a shower in the garden.

Housemates like Makosi Musambasi, 27, and Orlaith McAllister, 28, had to wash in the open air.

Daily Star, 20/03/08.

Big Brother to get a little sister

BIG BROTHER’s Little Brother could get a girlie twist now Dermot O’Leary has deserted the show.

Channel 4 bosses want a feisty female to help them revamp the tired format for the forthcoming ninth series of the flagship reality show.

Former Blue Peter babe Konnie Huq, Alexa Chung and Miquita Oliver are all being targeted by show bosses.

Our man with the one-way mirror said: “There’s no reason it has to be a man, there is a lot of female talent out there. Someone young and fresh like Konnie, Alexa or Miquita would be ideal.”

Big Brother’s Big Mouth is also set to return, with different guest presenters each week.

The Summer Of Bruv kicks off on C4 in May.

The Sun, 26/03/08.

BB9 to run for 13 weeks. Davina's back.

Full article:

Digital Spy, 26/03/08.

13 weeks will do me very nicely. As a BB fan, I prefer the slightly longer runs. It also allows time for the hms' relationships to evolve & for a real dynamic to develop (though the latter has been hindered in the last 2 years by far too much Endemol interference).

As for Davina being back ... :puke:

I just don't like her presenting style. A fresh BB presenter could have been used to signal a fresh start for the new series, implementation of new ideas etc.

Big Brother house refitted as contestants being chosen

Big Brother fans - the wait is nearly over. E4 boss Angela Jain tells me they have whittled down the applicants to "50 or 60" and are quizzing those to produce a shortlist of 20 who will then go into hiding The BB house is also in the process of being completely gutted and refitted with a fabulous new look for when the show starts in May. It's scheduled for 13 weeks - oh brother...

Mirror, 31/03/08.

Thanks for all this info Eddy - Keep it coming..

Big Brother bosses hunt for new Little Brother host

Showbiz picturesTestosterone's flying all over the place as Big Brother bosses hunt for a host for their Little Brother after Dermot O'Leary quit last year.

Blue Peter girl Konnie Huq and Channel 4 presenters Alexa Chung and Miquita Oliver had all been linked with the job.

But in fact it's between four boys - Alex Zane, E4's Rick Edwards, and radio presenters Dave Berry and George Lamb.

May the best man win...

Mirror, 04/04/08.

Oh im so glad it may be someone we all know - :clownface:

I'm just not keen on that lot.

:angry:

I think they should pick 1 or 2 ex-housermates to present BBLB.

:D

Big Brother's late summer start to avoid getting the chop

Big Brother is banking on a late start this summer to win back ratings for Channel 4.

The reality show normally kicks off in May but will begin on June 5 - avoiding a clash with its ITV rival, Britain's Got Talent which ends in May.

And, despite falling audiences, it will continue for 13 weeks just like last year.

Davina McCall will still be the main presenter but Dermot O'Leary will no longer present the spin-off show Little Brother after quitting to concentrate on The X Factor.

A show source said: "A lot is resting on the opening week.

"If it is not a big hit, the size of show could be drastically reduced next year or maybe even axed."

Tv bosses are now looking at a secret shortlist of around 50 contestants.

Mirror, 05/04/08.

Scots sex-swap soldier set for Big Brother
by Karen Bale

A SCOTS sex-swap soldier is being lined up to star in Big Brother 9 this summer.

And former paratroop captain Jan Hamilton, 43, has also been asked to fly to the jungle for I'm A Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here.

Jan, once known as Ian, will meet TV producers this week for talks to clinch the deals.

A source said last night: "TV bosses are dying to get Jan to sign on the dotted line.

"There is a huge public interest in her and she would make compulsive TV viewing."

Jan, from Aberdeen, returned from Thailand last month where she had final sex change surgery.

It has taken five months for a gruelling full sex change operation - where surgeons have given her a female face and breasts. She is the first officer in the Army to complete gender reassignment.

Last night, Jan confirmed she has been approached to star in two TV shows, but refused to give details. She said: "I can't say too much. I have a couple of meetings lined up but really that's all I can say now."

However, a source said: "Jan's representative has been approached by bosses from Channel 4about starring in Big Brother.

"It's early stages so nothing has been ruled out yet.

"Channel 4 definitely need some interesting characters to boost Big Brother ratings. Producers from ITV show I'm A Celebrity are also keen to get Jan on board.

"She would be perfect. I mean she's a girly now but is jungle trained from her time in the Army.

"Mind you, I don't know how she would cope with eating eye-balls.

"Jan's really excited about the TV offers flooding in."

Daily Record, 07/04/08.

BB8 Chanelle advises BB9 applicants.

' ... Be yourself: “Don’t try and be someone you’re not because the producers have seen it all before and will just dismiss you straight away.

“They are looking for bubbly characters, not complete freaks.”

Don’t dress up: “People think that they have to go to the auditions in fancy dress just to be noticed, but the reality is those people are instantly overlooked. They don’t want to turn the show into a circus, so leave your clown feet and naughty nurses outfits at home.”

Play the fool: “Big Brother will make you do the wackiest things you have ever done in your life.

“So you have to be prepared to laugh at yourself and not take things too seriously. Leave your inhibitions at the door, otherwise you won’t last very long.” ... '

Read the rest of Chanelle's advice here, Daily Star, 16/04/08.

G BROTHER'S LITTLE TEASER

A midget belly dancer who has caused a sex sensation in Australia is set to explode into the Big Brother 9 house.

Insiders say pocket dynamo Rima Hadchiti – who stands just a metre tall – will switch from the hit Aussie version of the show.

Her outrageous behaviour Down Under impressed BB’s UK chiefs, who signed her up as the smallest contestant ever.

Raunchy Rima, 25, sparked Australia Big Brother’s first sex scandal less than 24-hours after arriving in the house.

A set of no-holds-barred nude shots of the tiny dancer appeared on a website that encourages women of all ages, sizes and backgrounds to post racy images of themselves online.

The explicit shots, in which Rima lies back, totally starkers with her legs in the air, are from www.ishotmyself.com.

British BB producers have been monitoring foreign versions of the show to “borrow” ideas and even people. They reckon Rima is the perfect bundle of fun.

A source said: “This was one of the show’s most closely guarded secrets. The producers will be fuming you have found out.

“They have been looking for different candidates who can really make this year’s show a hit.

“Rima is perfect – she’s a tiny person with a huge heart and larger than life personality. Fans will love her.”

She will sleep in a special child-sized bed which the Daily Star exclusively revealed has already been installed as part of the new-look house.

Lebanese-born Rima, who has performed her belly-dancing act at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, says: “If anyone is uncomfortable about the show, it’s their problem.

“While I hesitate about the word ‘freak’, I’d say we’re all freaks really in our own way... mine’s just more obvious.”

A BB spokeswoman said only: “We have heard of her and what she’ s been up to.” But she added: “We have plenty of shocks in store. We’re not going to spoil things by giving away anything at this early stage.”

- BB9 will kick off on June 5 on Channel 4 and run for 13 weeks.

Daily Star, 29/04/08.

This year it's Bigger Brother

THIS year’s Big Brother bunch will have one less thing to worry about – the house will be a third bigger.

Bosses shrunk last year’s pad to start rows. A show insider said: “It was a bit cramped and wound everyone up a bit too much.”

The Ch4 series starts on June 5.

The Sun, 08/05/08.

Vitgin sponsers BB9.

REMEMBER those quirky Virgin Mobile idents after the ad breaks in Big Brother? Well, there's plenty more where that came from ...

Virgin Mobile will be the lead sponsor of Big Brother 9 this year, after backing Big Brother 8 and Celebrity Hijack this year.

And the phone gurus will be making sure us Big Brother addicts will be kept up to speed with everything that goes on in the house.

James Kydd, managing director of marketing and brand for Virgin Media said: "We’re really pleased to be aligned with the show again.

"When it’s not being broadcast on Channel 4, we look forward to keeping fans up to date via our mobile, TV and web portal platforms."

Thank goodness for that!

The Sun, 08/05/08.

House ‘like a palace’
BLING BROTHER
by PETER DYKE

IT’S going to be Bling Brother this summer for the wannabes inside the spy-on-the-wall house.
Telly bosses have splashed the cash on the interior and fitted a bathroom that will make even the likes of Mr T, 50 Cent and P Diddy jealous.

But outside things aren’t as luxurious with the contestants expected to squeeze into a tiny swimming pool. They will discover the lap of luxury when they enter the house, including:
* A posh marble floor fit for royalty.
* Gold taps, shower heads and sinks.
* Versace-style decor.

But as our exclusive pictures show, it is in stark contrast to the pool, which is much smaller than recent years. One worker, who has been helping to install the bathroom, said; “When the housemates walk into this place they’ll think they’ve walked into Bling Palace. “If this was on Through The Keyhole, the contestants would think it was Mr T or Nelly’s private bathroom. “It’s the most expensive bathroom they’ve ever had but outside things are going to be less luxurious.”

Big Brother 9 kicks off on Channel 4 on June 5 when host Davina McCall will unveil the biggest-ever line-up of 16.

Builders are working round the clock to give the house at Elstree TV Studios a makeover. Part of the wooden decking seen in our aerial shots will soon be covered by fake grass. The exterior walls have been painted green, hinting the show may be going eco-friendly. And a large blue sheet is currently covering a secret room.

Pictures from Daily Star Sunday 11/05/2008

By George - it's all new BBLBB
KEELEY BOLGER

E4's GEORGE Lamb and Zezi Ifore have been announced as the new presenters of Big Brother's Little Brother.

6Music DJ George and 23-year-old ex-editor Zezi will take over Dermot O' Leary's BB revered reins and gossip with former housemates every weekday over the summer.

E4 fashionista Zezi Ifore previously styled Dizzee Rascal and edited fashion magazine Super Super.

It's the first time BBLB has been co-hosted and the pair to be dubbed 'Little Brother and Sister.'

Excited

George: "Imagine how excited someone would be if they were presenting Big Brother, well, I’m just a little bit less excited than that but I’m still extremely excited."

Zezi said: "This is preposterously good, I've always loved Big Brother – it’s omnipresent, you can't help but get sucked in!

"And working alongside a lovely Lamb too - George Lamb - ain’t half bad either. Bring it on!"

The Sun, 12/05/08.

BB BOSS THANKS YOUR DAILY STAR
By Peter Dyke

BIG Brother’s boss says his team dream up their best ideas for the hit show in the pub while reading the Daily Star.

Phil Edgar Jones insists some of their funniest and best stunts have come about after a few pints and a good read.

And, with the new series just three weeks away, they are getting their “drinking and thinking caps” on.

Phil’s own favourite task from the past was getting MP George Galloway, 53, to wear a leotard and impersonate a cat when he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother along with singer Pete Burns, 48, in 2006.

Phil revealed: “We just thought that any mime artist worth their salt would wear a leotard. Actually, I came up with that in the pub! But it provided some great scenes.”

Big Brother 9 starts on June 5 and Phil is under pressure to make the Channel 4 show a success, especially after BB Celebrity Hijack was panned by critics earlier this year.

But Phil, 40, insisted: “Big Brother is alive and well.”

Asked about BB9’s housemates, he teased: “Some are there to chase 15 minutes of fame, some for the experience and some for the prize money.

“We try to cast outlandish characters. But we don’t have a BB bingo card looking for the Irish one, the gay one, the mad one, the transsexual one. We try to get a balance.”

Daily Star, 16/05/08.

It's QUID Brother

BIG Brother wannabes get paid just £1 for their time in the famous telly house. In secret documents leaked to the Daily Star Sunday contestants have to agree to being paid the miserly sum in return for a space on the show.

And they also have to accept that the experience might leave them “emotionally damaged”. A clause in the pre-show contract applicants have to sign states: “The Company shall not be liable to you...for any loss or damage or injury to you (including emotional damage).”

An insider on the hit Channel 4 show said: “It’s viewed as a privilege to be on Big Brother, regardless of whether you end up a nervous wreck or not!” The leaked papers also reveal applicants have to confess whether they’ve taken drugs, had therapy or any cosmetic surgery. One of the only things they can keep secret is whether they have any sexually transmitted infections.

The documents, which include three medical questionnaires, also reveal this year’s rules. Contestants hoping to win the £100,000 prize have to agree to “12 basic rules” covering everything from diary room etiquette to unacceptable behaviour and emergencies.

Full article, Daily Star Sunday, 18/05/08

BB contestants will 'suffer'
By KEELEY BOLGER

BIG Brother fans may McCall a time when Davina was friendly to contestants - but the presenter warns that this time, the housemates are in for a shock.

Davina, who fronts her ninth series of the summer show this year, said Big Brother is getting tough.

Davina said: "Big Brother is no longer going to be lenient in any way, shape or form.

"If there's any kind of rule breaking, they're going to come down on them like a ton of bricks. You're not just going to be able to saunter into the diary room and go 'Hi yeah can I just get some gas for my curling tongs?'.

"No, no, no, no - they're basically gonna make housemates suffer a bit more which will be a good thing I think.

"We've been a bit soft the last couple of years, this is not a holiday camp you know, this is an entertainment programme and we need a winner."

The Sun, 20/05/08.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhh - at last - make sure you stick to your rules BB ..

BIG BRUV IS SET FOR BIG FIGHT
By Peter Dyke Your Shout

BIG Brother housemates are set to become Gladiators in an all-action fight night.

Fiendish telly bosses plan to stage a no-holds-barred wrestling contest in the BB garden this summer.

And we can reveal that the wannabes will be given skimpy Gladiators-style Lycra outfits to wear as they go to war in an extravagant stunt that should prove a knockout for viewers.

They will be paired off as rivals in the ring for some sweaty sessions involving pinfalls, pile-driving and grappling.

TV chiefs hope to lure a WWE champ such as William Regal, 43, or even sports presenter Dickie Davies, 75, into the house to host the contest.

A source said: “It’s going to be one of the best challenges we have ever pulled off.

“Imagine if we’d had wrestling last year.

“Millions would have tuned in to see Chanelle and Charley – who hated one another – going at it in the ring. It’ll be one of the must-see events of the series. Book your seat now.”

Fans have seen nothing like it since BB5 when curvy Michelle Bass, 27, stripped for a mud-wrestling bout with Nadia Almada, 31.

Meanwhile, bosses have hired private detectives to vet the new batch of wannabes and uncover any saucy secrets before host Davina McCall, 40, sees them on their way into the house.

The private eyes – including ex-police officers with experience in anti-terrorism, arms deals and fraud – have been handed dossiers on the 25 faves in the running to enter the house.

There is pressure on Channel 4 chiefs for BB9 to be a hit, and the producers aim to ensure it is not dogged by scandal.

• Big Brother 9 starts on Thursday June 5 on Channel 4.

Daily Star, 21/05/08.

Big Brother 9 Launch Night Schedule Confirmed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Channel 4 schedules for Thursday 5th June and Friday 6th June.

Thursday 5th June 2008 - Channel 4

9:00pm - 10:40pm BIG BROTHER LAUNCH SHOW
Davina McCall, the queen of Big Brother , is back to host this summer's biggest reality programme. Tonight, direct from the house, Davina will exclusively introduce this year's housemates as they enter the newly-designed house. So who are they? And how many of them will there be? All will be revealed as Davina introduces viewers to the new occupants of the most famous house in Britain. Plus viewers will get an exclusive first-look tour of the housemate's new home and a sneak-peek of things to come. Series Prod: Denis O'Connor; Exec Prod: Sharon Powers; Prod Co: Brighter Pictures (an Endemol company)

10:40pm - 11:45pm THE BIG BROTHER LAUNCH NIGHT PROJECT

2:05am - 4:25pm BIG BROTHER LIVE
Live action direct from the Big Brother house. Prod Co: Brighter Pictures (an Endemol company)


Friday 6th June 2008 - Channel 4

7:30am - 9:00am BIG BROTHER LAUNCH SHOW (repeat)

9:00pm - 10:00pm BIG BROTHER
Highlights from the past 24 hours in the Big Brother house. Series Editors: Adam Barry, Daniel Marlowe, Katy Smith; Exec Prod: Sharon Powers; Prod Co: Brighter Pictures (an Endemol company)

2:50am - 4:25am BIG BROTHER LIVE
Live action direct from the Big Brother house. Prod Co: Brighter Pictures (an Endemol company)

The E4 schedule has yet to be updated.

10:40pm - 11:45pm THE BIG BROTHER LAUNCH NIGHT PROJECT

:angry: A bit late is it not ..

It should be good fun with lots of ex-housemates on it. But it is on a bit late.

Big Bro 9 will pack a WAG

IF the prospect of 13 weeks tuned into Big Brother is enough to give you nightmares, best turn away now.

For TV Biz can reveal one of the likely housemates in the new series next month is a wannabe model who promises to spill the beans on flings with two Premier League stars.

Busty mum-of-two Jill Demirel, from Chigwell, Essex (where else), has been lined up for the ninth series of the Channel 4 reality show.

Her MySpace page is filled with comments from pals wishing her good luck, with one friend saying (you’ve got to love the grammar): “Wont Be Back 4 A Week. If It All Happens While Im Away (Not Sure If I Was Meant 2 Say) Then Dont Take No S**t.”

Jill also comes across as a right charmer as she says: “I’d just like to say I am happy where I am and where I am heading. It’s all good. All you jealous haters out there mind your own. The more you hate me, the more I shall succeed. If you hate me that must mean you care about me, so thanks. GET OVER IT, YOU B****!”

What a class act.

Among the celebrities fame-hungry Jill says she wants to meet are Becks, P Diddy, Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey.

Jill, 32, only has days left to find out if she’s made it on to the show.

Around 25 wannabe housemates are being smuggled to a secret location while producers whittle down the list before revealing the launch day lineup.

As for ruthless Jill, we’re not sure what else to make of her.

She makes Chanelle Hayes from Big Brother 8 look like Bambi.

BB9 kicks off on June 5.

We can hardly wait . . .

The Sun, 23/05/08.

:angry: a Wannabe ..NO NO NO - ORDINARY People PLEASE ..

Rose, I agree with you.

I hope this particular rumour is not true. Each year we get a few models, raising their media profile, by pretending that they are going into the BB House. They know it will get their pics in the tabloid press.

Grace's topless cousin for BB?
By KEELEY BOLGER

GOODNESS Grace-ious - BB will be explosive if sexy Shelley Short, cousin of ex-BB meanie Grace Short, goes in.

25-year-old blonde Shelley Short is apparently on the reserve bench for this year's Big Brother and it's hoped if she does go in, the saucy model will create fireworks like her 22-year-old BB7 cousin Grace did two years previous ...

Full article & pics, the Sun, 23/05/08.

See new BB's mad auditionees

Dear oh dear. Let's hope that none of these were picked.

Video here, the Sun, 26/05/08.

Facebook boob got Katrina booted out before show starts

BIG Brother has sensationally made its first eviction... before the show has even started.

TV bosses have booted a stunning student out of the final line-up after she blabbed about being a housemate on her Facebook site.

Katrina Sheikh, 22, was told only last week that she was among the “chosen few” destined to become a contestant on BB9.

She was whisked off to a secret location in Paris and warned to keep a low profile.

Producers told her she could tell only a handful of “trusted people” about being on Big Brother. Strict show rules state that if a housemate’s identity leaks out before the show starts, they face the axe.

However, excited Katrina, from Birmingham, could not resist blurting out the big news on her Facebook page.

She sent messages to six close pals letting them in on her big secret.

But the move backfired. One of the so-called friends leaked the information on to a Big Brother fan website at the weekend.

Full article, Daily Star, 27/05/08

BIG BRO SECRETS LAID BARE.....
By Katie Begley

THE outrageous secrets of Big Brother 9 have been uncovered by the Daily Star – the only paper with a man already INSIDE the TV house.

Then they will get the chance to relax – and romp – in a luxury secret sex room.

The evil Big Brother bosses are planning to starve housemates in one of the cruellest tasks ever dreamed up.

Their wicked scheme is to force the wannabes to go without food for a day ... and then throw in a twist.

One unlucky housemate, nominated by the group, will have to drool over a haul of goodies without being able to satisfy their hunger.

The challenge is to resist temptation for as long as possible, with anything they eat being removed from the group’s shopping list.

But insiders are worried about the effect it could have on housemates who may suffer from eating problems, like former BB star Nikki Grahame, 25, who admitted she was once anorexic.

A source said: “On one hand you are asking people to starve themselves, and on the other giving them the opportunity to binge-eat when offered loads of tasty food. It could cause problems.”

It’s the ultimate dirty trick Our insider

The task has already been tested on a set of strangers ahead of the main show next week. One unlucky man was named the leader of the house and had to sit in front of a table full of treats while the rest of the gang looked on from outside.

He could not resist temptation and tucked in to all the food, much to the horror of his fellow “housemates”.

Our insider added: “It’s the ultimate dirty trick.

“The real test will be for the chosen one who has to resist temptation for the good of the rest of the group. It has the potential to cause a huge upset.”

Bosses tried a similar stunt last year during the Seven Deadly Sins task.

Ziggy Lichman, 27, was branded the most greedy and sat in front of a table of his favourite food, which he was not allowed to touch. He refused to give in.

Full article, Daily Star, 29/05/08.

Big Brother sex room revealed

The new housemates will be in for a shock when they enter the Big Brother house next week.

Bosses have had a secret room built which the housemates can use just for sex according to a Big Brother insider.

The love room has large double beds with silk sheets and luxury items according to a Daily Star source.

This contrasts with the normal bedroom which is very bare and basic. It is thought this will encourage housemates to get naughty in the love room instead.

The room will initially be kept a secret from the housemates as the entrance is hidden in the garden wall.

The Daily star source added: It's a bit like heaven and hell. This is going to be really interesting."

Series 9 is the make or break series...if the show isn't a success there are fears the show will be permanently axed.

Former winners of the show told New! magazine this week that they regretted taking part.

Kate Lawler said the show was "awful, really bad" and Nadia Almada added: "I regretted doing Big Brother many times."

Series 2 winner Brian Dowling even refused to attend a photoshoot with the other winners.

myparkmag, 29/05/08.

Big Brother's big return

Bosses on the show - which returns next Thursday (05.06.08) for its ninth series - are hoping to spice up the programme with the return of past faces including series three winner Kate Lawler, series seven's beauty queen Imogen Thomas, series five's Michelle Bass and last series' villain Charley Uchea.

A source said: "It would be a real twist in the series to bring old housemates back. They've been there, got the t-shirt and know how to play the game.

"So it would really spice things up in the house and undoubtedly wind up the current crop of wannabes, if some of them were to pop in."

Dubbed the nastiest series yet, bosses are also reportedly planning a task which sees the housemates deprived of food for a day, before giving one contestant the chance to eat their favourite foods - which they must resist in order to win the task.

An insider revealed: "It's the ultimate dirty trick. The real test will be for the chosen one who has to resist the temptation for the good of the rest of the group. It has the potential to cause a huge upset."

myparkmag, 29/05/08.

BIG BRUV IS SET FOR BIG FIGHT

BIG BROTHER housemates are set to become Gladiators in an all-action fight night.

Fiendish telly bosses plan to stage a no-holds-barred wrestling contest in the BB garden this summer.

And we can reveal that the wannabes will be given skimpy Gladiators-style Lycra outfits to wear as they go to war in an extravagant stunt that should prove a knockout for viewers ...

Daily Star, 01/06/08.

Girls Aloud reject for the BB9 House?

... Fame-hungry Stephanie McMichael, 19, will be one of 16 contestants on BB9 which starts on Thursday.

It will be her second shot at stardom after she was kicked off Popstars: The Rivals-the 2002 talent show which created Girl's Aloud-for being too young.

Stephanie, from Liverpool, lied she was 16 to be in with a shot and made the final 30. Viewers later saw her sob to host Davina McCall, who also fronts Big Bro, after being booted off for coming clean she was only 13. A BB source said: "She's sassy and will make a brilliant housemate." ...

Full article, NOTW, 01/06/08.

TV bosses sign up sightless contestant for the new series
By Tom Latchem

Big Brother has sensationally recruited a BLIND contestant for this week's new series.

A source said: "BB is ready to take a blind person into the house.

"Everything possible has been done to make sure the person settles in and is not sidelined. The house has been designed in an accessible way.

"Bosses plan to do everything in their power to make sure the person's stay is comfortable and enjoyable."

The source linked to the Channel 4 show said makers Endemol were determined to avoid claims of exploitation.

The insider added: "After the racism issues with Jade Goody and Emily Parr they will go out of their way to avoid accusations that having a blind housemate is in anyway wrong." BB9, hosted by Davina McCall, launches on Thursday. It's thought the blind housemate will use a cane and be without a guide dog.

The winner of the first-ever US version of BB, in 2000, was wheelchair basketball player Eddie McGee.

Here, in 2006, Tourette's syndrome sufferer Pete Bennett, 26, entered the house amid controversy. But he went on to become the show's star, raising awareness of his condition.

Rnib spokeswoman Ciara Smyth said last night: "I think having somebody blind or partially sighted on Big Brother could be really positive in terms of changing people's attitudes to blindness."

The People, 01/06/08.

I don't know about this one - OF CAUSE a sight impaired person has the same rights as us all to be on any TV show but Im thinking of their safty re tasks etc...