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A sick and tired formula for Big Brother 2

Last year's contestant, Melanie Hill, laments the cynical manipulation of Helen and Paul's romance by the Big Brother production team

Friday July 20, 2001

When Big Brother hit our screens almost eight weeks ago, with a new set of lab rats waiting to be manipulated, I was filled with a medley of emotions that have been constantly shifting ever since.

I bristled with anticipation, eager to familiarise myself with the characters. My pulse quickened a little at the thought of watching and not being watched. I was thrilled at the thought of experiencing the addiction that swept the nation last year - except I knew what it was like to be one of the inmates and also had experience of the production team's so-called "inspirational" TV-making skills.

It wasn't until I watched the first set of nominations that I really began to relive the longest and most difficult eight weeks of my life.

My stomach turned as memories came flooding back of how guilty and two-faced I felt having to name people I wanted out. No matter how many times I reminded myself that it was only a game show, it was still the hardest thing to do.

Paranoia set in as we were constantly wondering who had nominated whom. This year, there seems to be an altogether more open and honest approach - the contestants seem to know who will be up for eviction, alleviating some of the suspicion from this grinding process.

The first eviction was fascinating. I was left cold watching Penny timidly tread the walkway of shame, remembering my own adrenaline-fuelled eviction.

I briefly became cynical about the motives of the new batch, as eviction after eviction displayed their eagerness to be assured by friends that they were now "household names" - but this feeling didn't last.

As time went on and the numbers dwindled, I became quite protective towards them and couldn't bring myself to join in the character assassinations.

I knew their days would start to seem longer, the feeling of claustrophobia would be increasing and the sheer tedium of each hour would be setting in. Boredom, depression and paranoia are real concerns. It is these kinds of emotion that can never accurately be portrayed on the small screen.

I could empathise with most of the group and was feeling extremely anxious for the more naive members, such as Helen, especially after the gross manipulation of her relationship with Paul by the production team.

On the night of the candlelit dinners, the housemates, lubricated by half a bottle of wine each, easily slipped into dream-script roles. I felt very sorry for Helen, who innocently flirted with Paul, blissfully unaware of the storm of interest her actions would provoke in the outside world.

After this event, we have seen longing stares and heard whispers of love, but how much of this would have happened without the TV trickery?

So the candlelit dinner had the desired effect on the inmates, and also on the viewing public. We were now all dying to know: will they, won't they, and what about Big G, Helen's boyfriend back home?

When Davina McCall shockingly announced to the public that Big G had dumped Helen, I was disgusted. The friends and families of the contestants did not sign up to participate, and should be protected from the attention of the over-zealous public, not exploited.

The production team should be leaving this type of dramatisation to the tabloids and should not take on the role themselves. Yet they saw an opportunity to exploit the Helen, Paul and Big G triangle and did so ruthlessly, all in the name of viewing figures.

This kind of orchestration makes an even greater irony of the idea of reality TV than did last year's Big Brother. No doubt the producers were aiming to re-create the same kind of fairytale ending involving Paul and Helen that we had last year, when Craig gave away all of his Ł70,000 prize money. But Craig's genuine actions last summer somehow made the whole thing worthwhile, and melted the hearts of some intransigent cynics. This year's circus has proved them right, and I have joined the ranks of the disillusioned and disparaging.

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