As I sit watching the almost penultimate episode of Celebrity Big Brother, where the final 6 celebs are split into 2 teams, and aim to pop the other teams balloons in order to win a takeaway, I am in absolute glee.
To some it is a bunch of adults pratting about being immature and silly on reality TV. But to me, it is a bunch of adults letting go and tapping into their inner child that society says you must not do as you get older.
It’s given that there’s a time and place in which to do said things (with the office probably not one of them, unless it’s after hours…). But in this age of smartphone addition and Netflix bingeing, I find Big Brother to be a pressure release, away from any judgement or perfection. And with the celebrity version, I think we crave some realism even more than we did when Big Brother first started.
The show made a return last autumn with the non-celebrity version, and needless to say I could not wait to watch it! It’s an indulgent treat of childhood nostalgia where I’d stand by the door of my sister's bedroom way past bedtime, watching personalities collide and the social experiment put to the test.
I’ve always been interested in psychological behaviours, body language, and how unique we all are and how that should be celebrated. We usually all relate to at least one character in the house, and if you don’t at first, there will always be someone who says something that touches an emotional string in yourself. And sometimes the chat will be really banal (like what popular movie or series you’ve never seen - still not seen the whole of SATC.. sorry!), but this is the office chat that we can all relate to and to me, that’s comforting.
A rundown of every celeb you'll see in the house, including a Love Islander, Strictly Pro & TWO X-Factor judges.
The casting is key for Big Brother and regardless as to whether the celebs are A-list or not (they are still humans…), the mix of people matter. Different ages, races, sexualities and people who have come from all different walks of life are pulled together and may have never even met outside the house.
This is the social experiment and the challenge is that they have to get on. You can see the personalities evolve, and with all the challenges and drama surrounding them (which to be honest, I only really want a sprinkling of and this is why Big Brother sets itself apart from the other reality TV shows), they move on and communicate with each other.
Nowadays, it feels like even though we have better communication tools through our digital social media world, some people may struggle to talk openly and honestly in the real world about their emotions and worry that they’ll be judged. David Potts, who is one of the current celebrities on the show, was talking about his vulnerability in this episode. He was opening up, and it seems that's what the house does to you. Especially as they have no contact with the outside world, so there’s no social media or information coming in. So they can just be. Without any judgement whatsoever.
I do get that Big Brother isn’t for everyone.
As I write this, my partner tells me it is complete and utter nonsense, and he would much rather listen to Professor Brian Cox talk about something that will educate; and I agree.
I love to learn, but I do believe that you can learn a lot about yourself from Big Brother. We’re always learning after all. This is what shapes you in your life. Our lives are short, and human connection is the one thing we will always need. And that is what it is all about.
“Big Brother, this is Davina. You are live on Channel 4. Please do not swear.”
