Big Brother

Big Brother is one of the most popular reality TV shows on British television. In this article, we will discuss its history, concept, most memorable participants, and winners.

Basic information about the show

Big Brother UK is based on a format created by John de Mol. The project is a social experiment. The daily lives of its participants are built on conflicts, strategies and relationships, which become the subject of observation for producers and viewers.

History of the show

The show first aired on British television in 2000 on Channel 4 and quickly gained widespread popularity. Over the years, Big Brother UK has also been broadcast on Channel 5 and ITV/ITV2, remaining one of the most talked-about television projects in the country. It became an important milestone in the development of reality television in Great Britain. The format proved to be truly revolutionary: round-the-clock surveillance of the participants and the active involvement of viewers in their fate were a novelty for mass television.

From 2000 to 2010, the show was broadcast on Channel 4, after which it was temporarily closed. In 2011, the project was revived on Channel 5, where it lasted until 2018. In 2023, Big Brother returned to the screens, this time on the ITV platform, which once again confirmed the audience's sustained interest in the format even after decades. Over the years, the show has spawned many memorable participants, high-profile scandals and public debates.

British television also aired Celebrity Big Brother, a star-studded version of the show. VIP Big Brother features TV presenters, actors, athletes and other celebrities. One of its winners in 2013 was Rylan Clark. Immediately after that, he began to build a successful career in television.

Format

Each season of Big Brother, a group of participants, deprived of access to the outside world, lives in a specially equipped house equipped with cameras and microphones. Everything that happens inside is recorded around the clock. The only private space for participants is the Diary Room, where they can express their thoughts and emotions.

The participants regularly complete tasks designed to test their ability to work in a team, as well as their psychological stability and personal qualities. At the end of the week, they nominate each other for elimination, but the final decision is made by the audience through a viewer vote.

The winner is the last participant remaining in the house, who receives a cash prize.

The format of the show combines elements of a game, a social experiment and psychological observation. This is what makes Big Brother UK a unique television project. In essence, it is a social experiment involving a group of strangers who voluntarily isolate themselves in a house under constant video surveillance.

The unusual format not only set the standard for reality TV shows, but also became a reflection of public sentiment, conflicts and changes in British society. The show has repeatedly been the subject of public debate, raising questions of ethics and privacy, racism, mental health and the influence of television on viewer behaviour. Despite breaks and changes in television channels, Big Brother UK remains a cult television project, maintaining high ratings.

The House

The House is the central space of the show, where the participants live without contact with the outside world. It was built specifically as a studio set and equipped with cameras and microphones that record everything that happens 24 hours a day. Over the years, the location and design of the house have undergone changes. In the first seasons, the house was located in Bow, London, but then it was moved. Filming then took place at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, where the show was filmed in subsequent years.

After the show's revival on ITV2 in 2023, the house was located at Garden Studios in north-west London. The location was moved again in 2025. This time, the house was placed inside Titan Studios in West London. The space is over 200,000 square feet and includes a garden and a public area.

The house is equipped with an electronic door system that allows control of access to the rooms for participants. It includes areas for games, relaxation, kitchens and the famous room for private conversations with Big Brother, known as the Diary Room.

Hosts

Over the years, Big Brother UK has been hosted by several well-known television presenters. From 2000 to 2010, Davina McCall was the face of the project. She hosted the show on Channel 4 until 2010.

Brian Dowling, winner of Big Brother 2, became the host of the project after moving to Channel 5 in 2011–2012. He replaced McCall in this role.

Emma Willis hosted the show on Channel 5 from season 14 to season 19, from 2013 to 2018. She became the host after Dowling and remained so until the finale on Channel 5.

The current hosts of the show since its revival are AJ Odudu and Will Best. They have been presenting the show since its return in 2023 on ITV2.

Special mention should be made of Marcus Bentley, the voiceover commentator. He has been the voice of the show since its launch.

Participants

Big Brother UK has featured a number of memorable participants who stood out for their unusual behaviour and outspoken comments.

We would like to mention Alison Hammond separately — a British television presenter, media personality and actress. She gained widespread fame thanks to her participation in the show Big Brother. It was from this moment that Alison Hammond began to build a successful career in television. She made her TV debut in 2002 in the third season of Big Brother UK. She was the second contestant to be eliminated that season, but Hammond's vibrant personality and charisma attracted the attention of viewers, which helped her to build a career in the media.

Given her past success, ITV, which revived Big Brother in 2023, offered Hammond a return to the show — as a Celebrity Big Brother contestant and as a potential host. Alison declined the offer, explaining her decision by saying that she had already gotten everything she wanted from the show and did not want to return to the project again.

Winners

The winners of the show were its most prominent participants. Let's list them all.

Big Brother 2025

Big Brother 2025 is the twenty-second season of the British reality television show Big Brother United Kingdom. The first episode aired on 28 September 2025 on ITV2. This season was the longest on the channel. The contestants lived in the house for 48 days, completing tasks, participating in live broadcasts and public votes. AJ Odudu and Will Best were chosen as the hosts this time, while the voiceover remained unchanged, belonging to Marcus Bentley.

Seventeen people representing different age groups took part in the season, including, for the first time, transgender man Zelah Glasson and other colourful characters, which added to the media discussion of the project. The season finale aired on 14 November 2025. Viewers were able to watch it live. The finalists, together with the hosts, discussed their experiences during the isolation period while awaiting the results of the audience vote.

The winner was Richard Storry, a composer and songwriter from South London. He won a prize of £100,000. Elsa Rae took second place.

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