Announcement and promotion

The sixth series of Big Brother was first confirmed in 2002, when Channel 4 made a deal with franchise owner Endemol to keep the show on the air until at least 2005.^[1] In early 2005, Channel 4 confirmed that Big Brother would return for its sixth series in the summer of that year.^[2][3] After speculation^[4] that the "evil" theme from the previous series would not return, executive producer Sharon Powers told the press that Big Brother would "continue to be evil this year".^[5]

For the fifth year in a row, Channel 4 commissioned graphic designer Daniel Eatock to create the "Big Brother eye".^[6] The eye was a sliced mirror of alternating black and blue strips, in reality, two eyes on top of each other. It was publicly revealed on 30 April 2005.^[7] Promotional material included an art installation of the eye at the Truman Brewery in East London, constructed out of over 1000 cardboard boxes (some of which contained televisions).^[6]

On 9 May 2005, Channel 4 began airing countdown bumpers, eighteen days before the launch.^[8]

Presenters and programming

Davina McCall, who had presented the show since its inception in 2000 was confirmed to return to the sixth series as presenter of the live shows, such as launch night, weekly evictions, the finale and other special live shows.^[2] Nightly highlights were broadcast on Channel 4, narrated by Marcus Bentley. Dermot O'Leary returned as presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother weekdays on Channel 4 and Sunday lunchtime.^[2] On E4, live coverage once again dominated its daily and nightly schedule, with additional live streaming online.^[9] Nominations Uncut and Diary Room Uncut also returned. Big Brother's EFourum – introduced in the previous year – was revamped and its name changed to Big Brother's Big Mouth, with Russell Brand continuing as presenter of that show.^[2] It was also announced that E4 would be available on the Freeview platform from May 2005, to coincide with the beginning of the series.^[10]

Housemates and prize

For the second year, open auditions were used to select housemates; these took place between 5 February and 6 March 2005.^[11] The broadcaster told the press that there would be thirteen housemates with a theme of "unlucky thirteen," inspired by triskaidekaphobia.^[5]

The winner stood to earn £100,000, however two days before the final, housemate Eugene was given a dilemma, to take half of the prize money from the grand prize by Big Brother. He was unaware that refusing the money would have doubled the prize fund to £200,000. He took the money, which meant that the eventual winner Anthony only won £50,000 (the same as Eugene).^[12]

The Secret Garden

On the opposite side of the main Diary Room entrance was another door, which led to the "Secret Garden". The Secret Garden was an indoor room decorated like a jungle and contained a fridge, basic cooking utensils and crockery, a hatch, three beds, a decorative stag head (which was revealed to be able to speak), a television screen and an adjoining toilet. The Garden also contained a telephone that Big Brother used to communicate quietly with the secret housemates, and a "Quiet" sign that illuminated whenever one of the main housemates occupied the Diary Room.

It was first used on Day 29, when housemates Kinga Karolczak, Orlaith McAllister and Eugene Sully secretly entered the House, minutes after Roberto Conte was evicted. For several days, the three housemates had to live in the Secret Garden, with only Makosi knowing their existence. The only clothing initially supplied to the three secret housemates was fig-leaf underwear. With Makosi's help, they had to steal clothes and food from the main Big Brother House when the other housemates were asleep, and to make sure that the other housemates did not find out about them. The secret housemates stayed in the Secret Garden until Day 32, when Orlaith and Eugene were selected by Makosi to enter the main House and become true housemates.

Notes

Notes

Viewership

These viewing figures are taken from BARB.^[23]

Criticism and controversy

Throughout the sixth series, Big Brother was subject to numerous complaints from the viewing public.^[24][25][26] While some were generalised concerns about the welfare of the housemates,^[24] others referred to specific incidents, including but not limited to: Maxwell's claim to have put scabs from his feet into Science's food;^[27] scenes filmed in the pool that led some viewers, and housemates, to believe that Anthony and Makosi had sex;^[28] Craig allegedly making "unwelcome advances"^[24] towards Anthony; Kinga allegedly masturbating with a wine bottle;^[24] hostility directed towards Makosi by the live crowd and, allegedly, Davina McCall during the Live Final;^[24][29][30] and Channel 4 breaking the Advertising Standards Authority's code.^[31] There was also commentary by some viewers, and by some housemates themselves, on what appeared to be a clear racial divide between groups that formed in the House.^[32] In one group were Anthony, Craig, Maxwell, and Saskia (all of whom are white British). In the other were Derek (Jamaican descent), Kemal (Turkish Cypriot), Makosi (Zimbabwean), Science (black) and Vanessa (black).

Media regulator Ofcom, which received over 900 complaints about the series, opined in response that Big Brother "offers viewers, unpalatable though it may be, a window on what some complainants believed to be the unacceptable attitudes of some members of society".^[24] Although Ofcom did not uphold any of the viewers' complaints about the series as a whole, they were particularly critical of the pool scenes and the scene involving Kinga and the wine bottle, stating that such scenes "operated at the limits of acceptability in terms of potential harm and/or offence for a programme of this nature, broadcast on this channel and at this time".^[24]