THE Big Brother house has been the scene of drama, romance, laughter and ground-breaking TV — and I am one of the lucky few to take a pre-show tour before a new set of housemates move in to these hallowed halls tomorrow.
As every fan knows, the Big Brother house is far more than just four walls and a roof.
From Makosi asking for a pregnancy test, to Stuart’s tent table, Alex’s behind-door-dance, Nikki Grahame’s legendary diary room rants and Roxanne Pallett’s career-ending faked altercation with Ryan Thomas — these walls could talk.
And now, with Big Brother back thanks to a reboot on ITV starting tomorrow, every fan is dying to see inside the new house.
The new home is at Garden Studios in northwest London, with its interior built inside a sound stage.
I enter through the huge, neon lit eye and am instantly struck by the scale of it — the space is staggering.
While BB houses of old were intentionally oppressive and left you with a headache, this feels like the kind of Airbnb you’d hand a five star review.
ITV will need to drum up drama by doing more than just making the housemates feel uncomfortable.
This is really quite lavish. It’s stylish.
And there’s a mind-boggling amount of cameras, ready to power the show’s infamous live stream, which bosses said they had brought back, having observed “people’s obsession” with watching the queue to see the Queen lying in state.
There’s a specially built water tank to, presumably, feed the hot tub as opposed to any chickens, which ITV is not including this time round.
Then it’s time for the Diary Room. As the heavily sound-proofed door thuds closed, it is easy to see how old housemates have entirely let loose in this room.
Nestled in the huge reimagined chair, I feel overwhelmed yet reassured.
Some details of the house were kept secret from me, but I can promise the much-hyped, double-height living room, with a mezzanine floor on another level, is the stuff Kevin McCloud’s Grand Designs dreams are made of.
There won’t be any Gemma Collins “I’m claustrophobic, Darren” style quotes I’m sure, and offers ample space for the 16 housemates with “different accents” and “ordinary jobs”, aged from 18 to 50+, promised by executive producer Natalka Znak.
On the two sofas and large table, I’m told weekly shopping tasks, nominations and live evictions will play out.
But inside the bedroom it’s a different story.
The Sun is under strict instruction not to disclose what tricks Big Brother has up its sleeve for sleeping, but I can share that there are several double beds, so some housemates will have to shack up with a stranger.
The show’s sustainability pledge is in action in the bathroom where a bath balances on a raised up plinth.
ITV’s Peter Tierney said this week that this is “the best Big Brother UK house ever and potentially one of the best anywhere in the world”.
I’m sure fans will let them know, but I’m inclined to agree.
