Before Chantelle went in, Davina mentioned that in February they went looking for a contestant to fill this celebrity role. She stumbled over it a bit and added "last year". But then it must've been last year. All signs point to Chantelle being a failed auditonee last year. And good point by Revenga re: Derek, we already are reasonably certain that Derek got a special pass into BB6 - remember all the concessions, like wearing a watch, being allowed to use an electic hair clipper - what we never established was whether he approached BB or whether they sought him out. But it's clear that in previous series to this, the audition process isn't as transparent as we'd think.

And in CBB series, they always sought out the contestants - so if Chantelle was recruited without audition, then she's no different to the rest. I mean, did they "audition" Barrymore, Galloway & the rest?

http://specialbets.blogspot.com

Journos are sooo lazy...

There are inconsistencies all over the place.

We saw with our own eyes BB mention to Chantelle in the Diary Room reminding her that she knew that she applied to be in a version of Big Brother that was a mix between celebrities and 'normal' people....to which she acknowledged......

...yet she applied to be in BB6 and was in a dry run?

So nobody can see the inconsistency there?

Plus, she was in some BB6 dry run after applying ot be in that BB,.......and they kept her isolated in a bubble for about 6 months, when for months there has been speculation about Celebrity BB?
Like she didn't know what has been going on for the past couple of months?

She applied to be on a version of BB that was a mix of celebrities and 'normal' people?
Really?
How?
How did this happen?

How do you apply to be on a particular version of Big Brother when there are no advertisments for contestants to come forward and apply?
How does that work then?

We are expected to believe that this Chantelle has answered an advertisment for BB that nobody to our knowledge has ever seen?
Only Chantelle has watched and responded to this advertisment of Big Brother that is supposed to be a mix between celebrities and 'normal' people?

Anyone else see the advert?

The inconsistencies again:

1) She applied to be on BB6......but yet we are told that she also applied for this special version of Big Brother which is a mix between celebs and 'normal' people.
So which is it?
Which version did she apply to be on?.....Both of them?

2) Apparently according to 'The London Evening Standard' she was selected by Endemol via an agency.
So which is it?
She was contacted via an agency and brought in as the hired help, or she applied to ge ton the show in the conventional manner.

3) She has been locked in a bubble for 6 months or so without having any access to any news about Celebrity Big Brother?
She is the only person in the UK who is aware of this special version of Big Brother, and is the only person in the country who saw the adverts and responded to apply to be in this special version of Big Brother?

Things just do not add up.
Somebody is lying about something, and something just doesn't feel right about some of these contradictions going on in one place or another.

Probably the most compelling element that there is more than a slight whiff of bullshit around this is this, and I can't believe how I haven't noticed anybody really pick up on this...How do you apply to be on a show that nobody in the UK knows about?
If there really were the means to be able to enter this special version of Big Brother, don't you think that we would have seen some adverts? Or heard about it? Or people on this forum would have been discussing it?

I'm amazed that when this was mentioned in the Diary Room, that they managed to pass this off to the viewers without question. It was forgotten about almost as quickly as it was mentioned.
They actually managed to get the viewers to believe that this Chantelle actually applied to be on a special version of Big Brother that was a mix between celebs and 'normal' people. Yet the viewer is expected to believe that she applied without any press releases or advertisments about it and was the only person who applied for it.

Know anybody else who applied to be on this imaginary version of Big Brother??

The viewer was clearly led to believe that Chantelle applied to be on a special verison of Big Brother whether she applied to be on BB6 or not.

The only difference is the one that Davina said which is that Chantelle isn't a celebrity. Thats true as by no description is she famous. The fact that nearly all the clebs are unknown too to lots of the population merely makes the point that all fame is relative and celebrity has definitional problems - they are all far better known than Chantelle though.

The audition process as you say has never been simple but the difference between picking auditionees to fill particular roles and going out to get someone like Derek isn't totally clearcut. They don't pick the best HM in a fair competition - they pick Shells to clash with Victors, Michelle's to pursue Stus, Elizabeths to look after Brians and Helens and Jade's to be laughed at. Its a casting exercise not a competition for most talented potential HM. If you know Derek will be an outrageous house father and want someone Black and gay in the role you would be silly not to go out and get him and take second best from the auditions.

Come now, AM, you're looking for a conspiracy that might not be there. Do you have the exact quote from the diary room? Did they say "applied"? I recall it more like "you came onto this series as a non-celeb in with celebs". It could have been put to her in that simple manner. It's conceivable that they could have told her she was going in as an MOTP, isn't it? That's not far-fetched, throwing in a non-celeb has been touted before as a new twist. And I'm sure they'd have no problem in getting her to keep quiet about it, "if this is leaked your place will be taken away".

It's also conceivable that they looked through the nearlys from last year, picked one out then chased her up via her agent. However it's clear to all that she's not a celeb. At least, not until she went into the house.

What's the problem, they were slightly economical with the truth at the start, probably to avoid confusion. We know by now that the selection process isn't transparent, so I don't know why you're surprised.

I mean it doesn't show anything significant.

Right. So I went on to address the other issue which people seemed to think was the main topic of the thread ("her possibly being chosen and hired to appear by means of a media agency"), which is what your "In fact they reported that the agency in question said that they were glad that Endemol had given Chantelle her big break" seemed to be part of.

No, in a series of messages, I started by addressing the "is she a celebrity" point then turned to the one about her possibly being chosen via an agency.

Well there you go, you too have already made a suggestion of a little conspiracy.
I can assure you that one thing I wouldn't be is surprised.
It might not be important in the grand scheme of things.....but it doesn't look like they have been very transparent with us.

"What's the problem?"
Who said anything about a problem? It's a discussion, and like in all discussions we discuss what's being discussed.

Aren't you presenting those things as problems?

I think BB has gotten to the point where Endemol really could hire a load of actors in and present them to the viewer as normal people who applied to be on the show. Then have them all following a loose script, follow themes and cues, .......and the viewers will watch in a hypnotised trance like TV zombies with a phone at their side accepting it all as reality.

Still don't see any problem and the fact that you do doesn't mean I am wrong.

She auditioned for one show - she got to the dry run.

They may or may not have kept her on file with a view for celeb BB - possibly using her agents address. Or they may have trawled agencies blind.

She was then approached for another show. You then hang a series of paragraphs on the meaning of the verb applied which doesn't obviously mean what you imply it does. All applied means is that she filled in a form or wrote a note and they considered her. No one said it was advertised in public ( they would be stupid to go public (if they knew what or who they wanted it would be stupid to go through thousands of unsuitable BB auditions to get there for one person) Advertised just means she saw an piece of paper describing the job - there may have been one piece of paperhanded to her by her agent or any number handed out by multiple agents and any number of people may have been shown them. We don't know if she was the only or the first person considered - for all we know they had a short list.

Nothing wrong there. Its perfectly compatible with what has been said.

The only remaining argument is whether she is as they claimed normal - well she is normal in the sense of being someone who wouldn't qualify as a celeb which is the only definition of normal they are using. She is even the sort of normal person who auditions for BB - she indeed did so though she didn't necessarily get onto BB for that reason.

Well it's up to you to decide if you think it's a problem or not.

If you don't see it as a problem to you, then it won't be.

I looked like you thought they were problems.

Well I don't see it so much as a problem. I'm just posting about what I'm seeing, and offering suggestions.

If you are happy to accept everything presented to you then that's up to you. I'm not going to try to convince you that you're wrong to not see it as a problem.

I'm sure that you could be presented with absolutely any untruths presented to you as truths, and still maintain that you have no problem with it as it's consistent with something used to justify it away.

Originally Posted by Alrightmate
It makes a complete mockery of them making out that your average boy or girl next door applies the conventional way. It also gives a false illusion that you or I could apply and get on if we wanted to and get lucky.
It makes a mockery of the show telling us one thing, but basically lying through their teeth to us.


If they are hiring in paid work, they should be honest with the viewers about it.

But that always has been true. BB 2-5 had clearly designed casts with specific roles in their houses for each HM. The average boy or girl would only get in if they were funny like Brian or Bubble or a mother figure like Elizabeth or Penny or a plotter like Adele or a gangsta like Victor. Its not a national talent competition its an exercise in finding people to fit a theme - thats the only way you get anything happening with any reliability. Since its become more extreme with BB5 and Bb6 all they are now doing is adding to the spectrum of roles by bringing in a few known people from outside to go with the wierdos the normal process throws up.

It depends on what you mean by 'problems'.
If you mean that I'm so bothered about it I'm going to stop watching, lose sleep over it and complain about it to some TV broadcasting standards thingy,...then no it's not a problem.

If you mean problems with accepting everything as honest, and seeing possible problems with the truth, then you may describe it that way if you wish.

i never thourght for a second that she applied to be on a special bb, i dont even get that davina was hinting at that all. All i got from it was she applied to be on bb6, as stating last feb she didnt get in but was in the dry run, the producers liked her and when they came up with the idea of putting a non celeb into the celeb house they remembed chantelle and asked her to be a contestant. they probobly asked her to do it within the past few weeks and told her they dont want the press to know there going to be non celebs in the house as well.

I think their lawyers are very clever - they don't tell you lies - its just how you interpret what they say. They havn't said anything thats inconsistent with them picking Chantelle from a short list of one or two. They would argue you are adding assumptions they never offered you.

The big red flag that lies behind this is a significant one - they fill the shows with actors playing out a script. I just don't think they are there yet - what they do is cast people for roles and then tweak events so they end up playing those roles in a dramatic way. its not quite the same thing - yet.

Did they hire all those people though an agency though?
Would you be happy if they did?

I agree with basically all your points about the personas and roles in your post, because I've posted exactly the same points many times over the last few years.
But I think the show takes a dramatic swing to fictional soap opera drama if they are starting to literally hire people from agencies. That's a very fine step away to literally employing actors.

The thing here is that I believe many people (not saying you yourself) would actually accept it all as reality, and get as emotional at fake scenarios acted out by the characters as they would if it was real....and would phone in to vote too.
That might sound ridiculous and extreme, but over the past couple of years it feels like it's edging ever closer to it actually being possible to pull that off in a year or two.

I think it has already happened, evidence BB6. Well spotted, I had a feeling, suspended judgement.

edit: Derek, Saskia, Max, Makosi had agents; Vanessa, Kemal, Craig, Anfony, = desperate wannabees; Roberto, Mary lost early 30s types, may have signed. Leslah no idea, a wanabee?

LOL.....Tell me about it
There's been many a time I've seen a cleverly worded response by an Endemol spokesperson.

I'm sure they've been very selective in what they've said regarding Chantelle.


Bloody hell,.....that's uncanny...... I just posted the exact same point in my last post before I started replying to this one.
Either you're psychic or I am

You know all this has got me thinking.

I remember Elizabeth from bb2 was meant for BB1 but for some personal reason couldnt enter the house so they put her in bb2.

It appears they also put people in from dry runs from the previous years also.

Therefore i bet someone in BB7 almost got into BB6.

They certainly know what they want anyway. You have to fit a particular character they want you to play.

To a fair extent, I'm sympathetic to the concerns of this thread.

For example, I thought Derek and Orlaith had no business being in BB. They should have been in a celeb BB, if anything. I would find it worrying if BB started getting HMs from agencys, and the house was filled with people who were already models etc trying to further their careers. But it's not so easy to say exactly what the problem with that is.

What makes "manufactured bands" manufactured? Well, one large part of it is that the band members are found by having auditions and picking people out of the ones who show up.

Which is pretty much what BB does anyway.

We also know that many people who end up on reality shows have tried to get on other reality shows. (One of the Space Cadets had tried 5 or 6 times before, for example.)

So if word goes out to agents that Endemol is looking for housemates, and that leads to clients of those agents showing up for BB auditions, is that really do different from what happens now?

Turning BB into a scripted show with actors cast for parts seems a different and much greater step. It's also something that could be done with auditions of the sport that BB's already been using. So the two changes (getting HMs from agents, scripting the show) are significantly independent.

One thing I noticed last night while rewatching Chantelle's initial visit to the DR is that there was absolutely no sign or shock, surprise, or hesitation on her part. Each time BB paused in his explanation of her situation, she just said 'Right' or 'OK', quite casually and unhesitatingly. Whatever was going on, she was in on it.

This is probably the most interesting aspect of how BB is developing. I wonder how far they would be able to push it? Some things are predictable (like Barrymores reaction to the crowd response and being in the house) but others aren't, and if they do push it that far I wonder how much it would matter to us. I'd watch a bunch of actors doing a month long improvisation but they'd better be VERY talented, and I doubt any of them would have the sheer will and stamina to keep it going. Begs the question too, what would we actually be watching?

I don't think that the idea that they will literally hire real actors and give them stories to act out is a that much of a greater step at all,...and I don't think it's that different either.

Because your first paragraph that I've highlighted explains why the situation you describe in the second paragraph I've highlighted is entirely possible.

In fact I'd say that what you describe about housemates being supplied by agents means that this is a whisker away from actually happening in reality.

If you have two things going on;
1)Where BB want certain characters to fulfil certain roles, and they would like certain things to happen in the house...
2) And agents are approaching actors on their books to turn up to auditions,....


that's the whole point, what you posted here is the very reason why they could get away with hiring actors and the whole thing being a pseudo soap opera where actors are paid to act out situations

Of course it isn't that different from what's happening now, that's the point...it's a steady drip drip effect, it doesn't happen overnight.
Look at BB6 and compare it to the very first BB...now there is more of a difference isn't there?
It's a gradual change thing that happens over time.
Over time the viewers get softened up as they are presented with changes each year over time, and are more willing to be open to accept things that they wouldn't have in previous years.

It's already been going in that direction for a while, so it doesn't take a genius to see what the next stage is in the evolvement.
If an actor is paid to act out a role, then why wouldn't he? That would be his/her job.
If BB want certain things to happen because they think it will be entertaining and gain viewers, then why wouldn't they?

Even now some people are saying they don't mind housemates 'performing' in the house. They say things like "Fair play to them".
Fair play???



I bet in the space of two years, maybe even one, BB could actually get away with it. I really do.


Last edited by Alrightmate : 07-01-2006 at 16:10