BB FANS

EBroadcast
May 15, 2006, 12:38

Twenty hours of Big brother on Australian TV this week, 20 hours!

A week or so ago it was around 19 hours.

And Ten is stepping up the PR pressure to try and interest people to watch a program that seems pretty flat at times and ordinary.

The presence of a mother and daughter with breast implants and a gay 'cowboy' type of character, plus the suborning of one contestant as a 'spy' has done little to give BB the sort of buzz that surrounded Ten's The Biggest Loser.

The program screens episodes on six nights, ranging from the normal hour or half hour updates, to the eviction and nomination episodes on Monday and Sunday nights, the one-off specials on Tuesday night to allow for special surprise moves (like tomorrow night's 'inviction') and the Up Late stuff Monday to Friday and the Adults only program.

Now with the Beaconsfield story, The Logies and Dancing With the Stars over Ten has moved to tart up Big Brother, especially as last week's audience average dipped because of competition from Seven and Nine's big shows and the real-life drama in Tasmania.

Tomorrow night Ten is dropping live updates' of Big Brother into the OC and Rove Live on Tuesday night.

It's all designed to try and give BB some breakthrough with viewers in the core group because the cast of inmates looks a bit homogenous and a bit too predictable.

There are intruders going into the house this week (and not the young men from a week ago), all in an effort to break the drop off in audience on Sunday and Monday programs.

Three intruders will be invading BB during tomorrow night's one-hour special - and their arrival will be nothing short of controversial; perhaps a bit of Brokeback Mountain, as some media outlets have suggested.

There is no hiding the fact that Big Brother intruders are a vital event in the yearly series. Some even suggest it was intruder Vesna that saved last years season.

Meanwhile, a fortnight ago there was a 'surprise eviction' that wasn't.

After a while viewers, especially in the 16 to 30 part of the demographic, could be excused for becoming rather jaded and cynical at all these engineered 'surprises'.

Certainly Tuesday's special will lift viewing levels in Sydney's inner west and inner Eastern suburbs if the type of intruders rumoured to be on their way prove correct. But that will also be in keeping with the very cynical nature of the program this year.

The 7 pm Monday to Friday program is seeing some growth in audience but the Sunday and Monday Shows are the big ones (the eviction nomination and eviction programs). These two are supposed to be the big audience gatherers each week.

Tonight as a one-off Seven is doubling up episodes of Home and Away to make up for the one that was dropped last Tuesday night for the special 90 minutes News and Today Tonight.

It's a stalker episode (yes, again, next it will be a wedding!) but it will also be a nice trial for Seven to see if an hour long version (back to back episodes) of a program popular with Big Brother's core audience, does any damage from 7 pm to 8 pm to BB.

Meanwhile Nine won last week from Seven and Ten after winning Friday and Saturday nights.

Love Actually and Big Brother helped Ten into a strong second placing Sunday night after Nine. Seven was third. Nine's best was CSI, 60 minutes and the 6 pm News.

May 15, 2006
DailyTelegraph.AU

BIG Brother is about to get a whole lot more Brokeback Mountain.

Three intruders are saddling up and riding in to the BB fishbowl during tomorrow night's one-hour special – and their arrival will be nothing short of controversial. Following spunky farmboy David's "outing" to the housemates three weeks ago, the closet in the BB house will be even emptier with the introduction of 26-year-old Wollongong hairdresser Rob.

According to Big Brother insiders, "this guy is bitchy, noticeable and competitive. He's a bit suspicious and a bit flamboyant."

If Rob's Schapelle Corby-inspired eyebrows are anything to go by, we'd say flamboyant may be an understatement.

Meanwhile Jade, a uni student from Penrith, rates her looks and her intelligence as her best qualities, while glamour girl Danielle, 18, is expected to send the lads – with the exception of David and Rob of course – into a spin.

theAdvertiser
16may06

ADELAIDE'S second chance at Big Brother success, Danielle Foote, is outgoing and knows what she wants - but apparently that's not Jamie.

Despite rumours she fancies the male half of JamKat (as the housemates have affectionately nicknamed Jamie and Katie) we hear the single 18-year-old is not interested in breaking up their union.
Danni is set to enter the house tonight at 7.30 as one of three intruders.

An Adelaide Hills girl and regular at the Oakbank racing carnival, the youngest of the trio is a promotions manager at Supre in Rundle Mall, where she has worked for about three years.

A workmate describes our last South Australian hope as "a friendly, outgoing person". "Based on her looks and the kind of person she is, it might ruffle a few feathers with the girls (in the house), but she won't mean to," she says.

Fellow intruder and hairdresser Rob, from NSW, might also cause a stir. Big Brother has described the 26-year-old as "bitchy" and "competitive", and we think he might have his eye on Farmer Dave.

Big Brother mum 'gave advice'

May 15, 2006

Big Brother "mother" Karen Forscutt says she tried to talk her daughter Krystal out of a breast enlargement but says the 19-year-old was adamant she wanted the surgery done.

Karen, 36, was speaking tonight after last night becoming the third evictee of series six of the Channel 10 reality program Big Brother.

"There's been a lot of controversy about Krystal getting (her breasts) done at 19 and me permitting it, but at 19 you make your own decisions," said Karen, who has also had breast enhancement surgery.

"I was against her getting them done, and I tried to get her to change her mind, but she was adamant that she wanted it done.

"I didn't want her to do anything to her body, especially with the complications and the risks."

Karen had to have another operation this year to repair creasing that had formed after her enlargement several years ago.

Karen, a one-time Queensland postal worker, said she spent most of her time in the Big Brother house trying to reinvent herself so she wouldn't become the resident mother.

"I tried to avoid (playing a mother role) and I went in there trying not to be, (but) I was a bit over my head in there with the age difference," she said to host Gretel Killeen.

The Daily Telegraph

HeraldSun
16may06

BIG Brother mum Karen has hit back at critics over the mother-daughter boob jobs that have captivated a nation.
"I really can't believe it's such a big deal," Karen told The Eye yesterday, just hours after being the third Big Brother evictee for the season.

"The truth is, you can't tell a 19-year-old what to do.

"I didn't want (Krystal) to do it. I tried to persuade her not to as much as possible, but she insisted on it and I could only support her."

The work that she'd had done with Krystal before going into the house was Karen's second time under the knife after complications arose from an enhancement.

Karen said she hoped young girls would not be influenced by her daughter's decision.

"She had an in-depth discussion with (BB housemate Katie) about it and told her that (the surgery) had not changed how she felt about herself," Karen said.

"She thought she would feel more confident . . . but she felt no different."

The mother of three, who had grabbed just an hour's sleep overnight, said she was ecstatic to be out of the house.

Not surprisingly, her tip to win the cash is Krystal, because "she's a nice girl" with "good morals".

news.com
May 16, 2006

Big Brother devotees will be treated to 20 hours of their favourite TV show this week.

From tonight Ten is dropping live updates' of Big Brother into the OC and Rove Live shows.

Three intruders will be invading BB during tonight's one-hour special - and their arrival is being heralded as nothing short of controversial, cryptically aiming to lift viewing levels in Sydney's inner west and inner Eastern suburbs.

Meanwhile Nine won last week from Seven and Ten after winning Friday and Saturday nights.

Love Actually and Big Brother helped Ten into a strong second placing Sunday night after Nine. Seven was third. Nine's best was CSI, 60 minutes and the 6 pm News.

Is Big Brother becoming too big for itself?

comments about BB Australia

Daily Telegraph

May 17, 2006
News.com

TACKY telly at its best, ratings grabber Big Brother is not usually responsible for anything as wholesome as the reunion between a grandmother and her granddaughter.

But as always with Channel Ten's risque reality staple, there's a first for everything.

It's now been 17 years since Maud O'Neill saw her granddaughter Krystal, who as Big Brother viewers well know has grown up in more ways than one.

She lost contact with Krystal and her mum, senior boob-job and recent Big Brother evictee Karen, when Karen split up with Krystal's father, changed her name and moved house.

"The last time I saw her was at my 50th, when she was just a toddler," Mrs O'Neill said.

"I'm just hoping that she feels free to, or wants to call me. It means a lot to me."

Mrs O'Neill says the show's producers promised to pass her contact details on to Krystal when she is evicted.

Unlike most grandmothers, Mrs O'Neill is not concerned about Krystal's raunchy spread in men's mag Ralph.

"She says she's an exhibitionist – but her grandmother was in her day as well."

"You've got to flaunt it while you've got it, because it doesn't stay around for long."

Despite longing for a reunion, Mrs O'Neill wants Krystal to stay in the house as long as possible.

"I've been patient this long another two months won't make much difference," she said.

Meanwhile, evicted mum Karen yesterday told a Gold Coast radio station she knows gay intruder Rob, who is apparently a friend of her cousin.

theMercury
By Alex Murdoch
17may06

AUSTRALIAN viewers found a repeat of Channel 9's 20 to 1 Great Aussie Songs countdown more interesting than Big Brother's Live Nomination show, Monday night ratings have revealed.

A total of 1.31 million people tuned in to watch Big Brother insider Michael receive the lion's share of nomination points, thus fulfilling his latest task and earning exemption from eviction.
This compared with 1.52 million people who preferred the Nine rehash.

Channel 10 attributes the disappointing overall result to failing to grab the over-55 market.

But Ten is quick to point out it managed to snare 47.8 per cent of its core 16-39 demographic and 37.4 per cent of the 25-54 age group.

Meanwhile, the daily Big Brother instalments have consistently ranked third in the overall ratings, behind Channel 9's Temptation and Channel 7's Home and Away.

Even this week's Live Eviction failed to win its timeslot.

The one ratings highlight for the Big Brother franchise was the Big Brother Adults Only – formerly known as Uncut – which won its late Monday night timeslot in all major demographics with a total of 947,000 viewers.

17may06

THERE could be something worthwhile after all coming out of Big Brother.

Ten's tasteless TV ratings grabber might be responsible for reuniting a Mornington grandma with the granddaughter she hasn't seen for 17 years -- none other than junior boob-job Krystal.

Heraldsun

queerplanet

Heraldsun
By LUCY CARNE
21may06

FRIENDS and health professionals fear for a Big Brother contestant who has tearfully revealed her battle with an eating disorder.

Three housemates admitted suffering eating disorders this week after the show's males attacked the females' obsession with body image.
Queensland's Claire Madden, 22 and Perth's Katie, 19, revealed in an emotional scene that they had battled eating disorders.

The show's latest intruder -- Adelaide's Danielle Foote fought for her life two years ago when suffering bulimia. She weighed 33kg.

As the housemates shared their eating disorder secrets, the 18-year-old broke down

"I didn't want to talk about it, but hearing all this stuff . . . it just hit me," she said.

Foote revealed she was in hospital at 16 with bulimia and depression and said she still has insecurities about her looks.

Long-time friend Rebecca Dean, 19, said it was heartbreaking to watch Foote in pain.

While she does not fear her friend will relapse, Dean said she was worried there was no one to comfort Foote if memories of the disease returned.

Jan Cullis, founder and chief executive of The Bronte Foundation, which treats and supports people with eating disorders, said the girls should not remain in the house without specialist support. The foundation had been inundated by worried viewers.

ninemsn
Sunday May 21 21:57 AEST

Anna has become the fourth contestant to be evicted from the Big Brother house as part of the Ten Network reality show.

The 20-year-old was voted out of the sixth series on Sunday night ahead of fellow nominees Krystal, David, Ashley and Camilla.

The Victorian has already felt the eviction hammer once, when housemates voted her and Camilla out in the first week with a "fake" eviction.

Both contestants re-entered the house in a shock return, with a mission to pay back housemates who had voted them out.

Branded childish by some housemates, Anna said conflict between her and Camilla in the past week was because her fellow contestant was annoying.

"She was so aggravating and annoying," she told Big Brother host Gretel Killeen after her eviction.

theAdvertiser
22may06

TALK about separated at birth.

There seems to be a growing resemblance between Big Brother "himbo" Jamie, U.S. actor Ben Stiller's film alter ego, "Derek Zoolander", and Crows player Rhett Biglands.

On Big Brother, Jamie drops as many "likes" in his conversation and adopts as many "blue steel" gazes as Stiller's Zoolander film character.

As for Biglands, it seems he's as fond of sporting the odd headband as Jamie and Zoolander.

Footy-head jokester Lehmo had Biglands put on a headband when he was a guest on Channel 10's Before The Game on the weekend - and the resemblance to Jamie was striking. "Rhett does look a fair bit like him, although someone has also said to me he looks like (Dirty Dancing star) Patrick Swayze," Lehmo says.

Yikes, another comparison. . .

In other BB news, it has been revealed that housemate David Graham, who announced his homosexuality in the reality show pad, had a brief romantic interlude with top British model Kate Moss.

A BB spokesman confirmed that "David talked about a fling with Moss during his overseas modelling days in the first round of auditions in Brisbane back in November". Saucy.

theAdvertiser
23may06

SHE gave the Big Brother swear bleeper a work-out and offended a stack of housemates, but latest evictee Anna is unrepentant about her verbal explosions.

Viewers could be forgiven for thinking the 20-year-old was speaking in morse code as she let fly (at Camilla in particular), but she's told (Confidential) she was not embarrassed by her frequent on-screen outbursts.
"I wanted to be myself, I didn't want to have to watch my mouth if I got frustrated," she says.

"I don't regret anything."

So much for the BB experience being a time for self-reflection . . . Although it is no excuse, it had been an emotional week for Anna as memories of her parents' separation were dredged up by exposed insider Michael's tales.

"It was a touchy issue, it made me realise how much I miss him (her father)," she says.