May 5, 2005 - 7:52PM
There's been bum-dancing, a marriage proposal, a political protest, intruders and more drunken romps than there are single beds.
So now it's anyone's guess what the fifth season of reality television show Big Brother has in store for viewers when it begins on Sunday with 15 new housemates.
Last year's winner, Trevor Butler, proposed to his fiancee Breea Forrest during the final live eviction and took home a cool $1 million.
That season of Big Brother will also be remembered for a silent political protest by Sydney contestant Merlin Luck.
Speculation surrounding this year's show has centred on an appearance by a priest, and a housemate swap with an overseas version of the show.
There's also the usual rumour that the reality phenomenon will again feature a gay or lesbian contestant.
But host Gretel Killeen isn't giving any hints about the latest series.
"I know you're going to ask but I can't say anything," she said, adding that she was both excited and tense about the upcoming show.
Executive producer Chris Noble is also tightlipped about the 2005 series.
"Once again, we are trying to say - don't think you know it," he warned viewers.
"It is not something that is just going to regurgitate what you have seen before."
But one thing is certain - the show will involve plenty of sex.
"The research told us that people want to see more single people," said Noble, who has executive produced Big Brother since it began in 2001.
"What they meant by saying that is the people with more ability to have a relationship.
"So we have got people who are single and want to have relationships."
Noble also refused to confirm or deny the priest rumour.
"We have seen some incredibly interesting priests and women from the clergy," was all he would give away.
He said Australia's fifth Big Brother would involve different types of housemates than in previous years.
"This year I have really gone for people who are more at the pointy end, who are quite opinionated," Noble said.
"I wouldn't call any of them wallflowers.
"You know you are going to get some friction and tension and you know you are going to get some love interest.
In the end though it is only the housemates that dictate where the show goes.
"Once you put them in the house, you have no control," Noble said.
"It is absolutely up to them what they do in the house.
"It is quite an interesting psychological game."
Noble said it had been a busy time at Gold Coast's Dreamworld, with 240 people working behind the scenes to get the show ready.
Confidentiality is of the utmost importance.
"It is like playing God really," he said.
"All the little twists and turns you plan on a show like this, you just have to make sure there are no leaks."
Big Brother has been a massive ratings winner for the Ten Network with each season achieving more than 1.8 million viewers an episode.
And after five years, Noble says Big Brother still has what it takes to attract a large viewing audience.
"I think when there is a little bit of danger in a show like this, there is more reason to watch it," he said.
"I know we will deliver because the house is surprising and different."
Killeen also said the show hadn't reached its use-by date.
"I don't know why people ever thought that a genre of television would be dated," Killeen said.
"I don't know why people ever decided to decide that in the first series."
Irena Bukhshtaber, who featured in the 2003 Big Brother series and is now a media and communications expert at Melbourne's RMIT, agreed.
"It certainly hasn't got the intense curiosity that it did," Bukhshtaber said.
"But instead of being an outdated form of television it's become part of our routine television."
She said although there might be a few surprises on this year's series, once again the success of the program would come down to the chemistry of the contestants.
"The essence of the show is that it's a soap opera about the interaction of people in a confined environment," she said.
"Certainly the lack of external stimulation and opportunity for entertainment outside the human sector pushes your buttons to do things you may not normally do."
In the first three seasons, the winner won prize money of $250,000 but last year Ten increased the winnings to $1 million.
But often more enticing to many contestants has been the allure of fame.
Previous housemates have gone on to secure regular stints on television including Neighbours star Blair McDonough and Dancing with the Stars personality Sara-Marie Fedele.
"I think perhaps the mild-mannered or person who is not particularly fond of their opinion (will win)," Bukhshtaber said.
The first episode of Big Brother series five will air on Ten on Sunday, May 8 at 7.30pm (AEST). It will then be screened daily at 7pm and evictions on Sunday night. A special Friday night show will also be screened.
AAP
