What the hell has happened to Big Brother?
After last year’s amazing civilian series, which boasted a cast of intriguing and captivating housemates, viewers appear to be turning off BB2017 in their droves, as they defect to the sunnier Love Island.
Over the past week the veteran show has reportedly racked up its lowest viewing figures in its 18 year history, attracting around 650, 000 – small fry when compared to last year’s series which regularly attracted 1.8 million viewers.
Now viewers are calling for the show to be axed, with many slating the current crop of housemates as vulgar, boring and aggressive.
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Big Brother has always had its knockers over the years but has still rated fairly well on Channel 5.
So why it doing so badly this year in particular?
Well for one, a lot of fans have felt that the contestants have been a bit of a let down this year because they remind them of the less interesting ones from the previous Channel 5 series (i.e. the rubbish ones).
Last year, we had colourful characters such as the brilliant Jane, the wicked dominatrix Natalie, brainy Andy, snooty Georgina, gorgeous Jackson, campy Ryan and Hughie, cute Laura, wild man Marco Pierre White Jr and housewives favourite and winner Jason Burrill.
This year we have a bunch of people that viewers have found hard to remember even seconds after they walked the catwalk on launch night.
No stand out personalities, just a bunch of by-numbers girls and guys from Ex On the Beach and Ibiza Weekender (hmmm, setting the bar high) who seem to have left their personalities packed away at home.
Actually, let’s rephrase that. They do actually have personalities, they’re just not very charismatic ones.
Which is shame because BB is at its best when people chat to each other and we find out something truly wonderful about them.
So far this year it’s just been a lot of farting, peeing in the pool and fighting.
Yes, this series seems a lot more aggressive than recent series – perhaps inspired by the vile behaviour of Stephen Bear in Celebrity BB last year which proved to be a ratings hit.
But that’s not really why we love Big Brother.
Of course we love confrontation, but this week’s angry spat between Lotan and the rest of the house didn’t captivate us because we didn’t really support either side due to the simple fact the housemates are just so unlikable.
But there are many problems with BB this year.
The house design is very messy and cluttered, and looks claustraphobic and unappealing, especially when you compare it to the sleeker and sunnier villa on Love Island.
In fact that grotty bedroom looks as depressing as the Fowlers’ house did in EastEnders circa 1985!
But the real problem is there are just too many young and empty-headed characters in the house and not enough variety, odd when you consider that the demographic for the show has been recently revealed to be 40+.
The only oldie in the house is the less-than-appealing Joe and no one in or out of the house appears to like him.
And then of course there is Love Island, which has well and truly given Big Brother an almighty kicking.
In spite of its reputation for being busty, brash and dumb, this year’s sunny series has captured the nation’s imagination by selecting a great ensemble cast of warm and genuinely lovable characters!
Weirdly the bikini clad babes are actually sweet, remarkably intelligent and refreshingly vulnerable.
The public have fallen for posh Camilla’s charms mainly because she has expressed her insecurities around sex and intimacy.
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We also have genuine loving relationships forming in the villa like Marcel’s with Gabby (we think!).
Oddly Love Island is charming and innocent in spite of the idea that the sun-soaked villa is meant to be a massive shag pad.
Love Island has really worked this year as we have a bunch of nice guys and girls talking about their insecurities.
Yes, there have been rows, but they seem to be based on genuine concerns within the group, not for gaining attention.
If Big Brother wants to survive, then it needs to remember how important it is for the viewers to actually like the housemates.
So producers, ditch the showy wannabes and narky knickerless numpties and bring back the every day people we all know and love like Jane and Andy and Laura before it’s too late!