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"Big Brother" tries Wonka ploy to find contestant
By Jeffrey Goldfarb
LONDON (Reuters) - "Big Brother" is trying to find its very own Charlie Bucket, hiding golden tickets in KitKat bars that will win the finder entry to the hit reality TV show's house.
It is the first time a member of the public will be chosen at random to participate in the programme, which generates big TV audiences and tabloid headlines for contestants.
There will be 100 golden tickets placed in KitKat bars distributed to 40,000 retail outlets starting at 10:30 p.m. on May 18, Channel 4 said on Friday. The competition ends on June 2 at 10:20 p.m.
The winners, following thorough background checks, will be invited to a live TV broadcast where one of them will be chosen at random to enter the "Big Brother 7" house.
"We are always looking at new ways of trying to find brilliant housemates and the golden ticket feels like a genuinely exciting way to do so," said Angela Jain, Channel 4's commissioning editor for "Big Brother".
Ripping a page from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and its famed chocolatier Willy Wonka is the latest in a long string of stunts tried by the show's producers.
On the last series, a non-celebrity fooled a houseful of C-list stars into believing she was as famous as they were, and ultimately won the competition by surviving eviction.
Originally shown in the Netherlands in 1999, "Big Brother" has become a global sensation despite widespread derision for the programme's voyeuristic premise and giving celebrity status to people often lacking any noticeable talent.
The show, created and produced by Endemol, is also credited with spawning the new age of reality TV. Nestle owns the KitKat brand.
