Throughout its legacy on British television, Big Brother has made a reputation for uncovering some of the nation's best characters, with the likes of Josie Gibson, Alison Hammond and Nicki Grahame all making their names on the controversial show.
However, with mental health coming to the forefront, producers are taking the casting process with a higher degree of care, ensuring that all potential housemates undergo extensive psych tests. And those who don't pass, will not be allowed onto the programme.
On Sunday (October 8), the toughest social experiment on TV is back. And it was of paramount importance for ITV to ensure that they take as best possible care of the contestants.
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In an eye-opening interview, executive producer Kate Manley gave the fans a look behind the curtain. Speaking to The Sun, she revealed that the casting process took a whopping ten months, with the team going through an enormous 30,000 applications, with 500 making it to the interview stage.
She admitted: "I can reveal that nearly half of the applicants were ruled out after welfare and psychology tests – because ITV’s already-robust checks have been super-sized."
A welfare source added: “Obviously, it’s been said already that ITV had built on even Love Island’s checks to be sure the housemates were up to the test.
“Big Brother was always a super challenging environment for normal people to face and never more so now with the world as it is today."
The insider continued: "So we weren’t surprised with the level of checks that there were quite a lot of the long list had a few question marks. It’s reassuring, really."
In an interview with Broadcast, Manley confirmed: "Everyone used to know what Big Brother was, but it’s been off the air for five years, so we wanted to make sure [contestants] understand what the show entails.
"Life in the house is really challenging – you are cut off from the outside world, your phone and the internet. It can be very boring at times, and no one can predict what it will be like coming out of there."
Commissioner Peter Tierney claimed: “Duty of care and welfare of contributors is now as important as any other element of the show.”
Some viewers are concerned that the new 'Woke' approach might damage the authenticity of the programme that they've come to know and love. However, there's no denying that when Sunday night rolls around, Big Brother enthusiasts will be gathered around their screens, with a sense of excitement that only a show like this can bring.
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