Big Brother is a hit reality television show in which a group of houseguests live under one roof in a custom-built house in Los Angeles, California with around-the-clock surveillance. It's really not a made-for-TV game show competition for the faint of heart, but the grand prize is $500,000, which gives houseguests a reason to isolate themselves from the outside world and deal with all the drama of their fellow housemates.
But there's more to Big Brother than being isolated from others, getting evicted from the home, and missing out on half a million dollars. Here are 10 behind-the-scenes secrets revealed by former houseguests.
10 Production Staff Is Sneaky
Big Brother auditions should already be exhausting enough. Add in the strict rule of non-disclosure agreement and the sneaky move of production staff members pretending to be a fellow auditioner and you've got yourself three things to deal with.
With that said, auditioners are thoroughly screened with a lot of questions and can be eliminated from the audition process before they even get to see the Big Brother house. This is a questionable move, but it does weed out potential houseguests at a faster pace.
9 Being A Primadonna Helps
Big Brother is known for its drama and dramatic houseguests. Hence, the reports like when Cheat Sheet reported that a producer named Christine told Kemi Fakunle to act more stereotypical in the Big Brother house.
So, for those who apply for the Big Brother auditions, be aware that the auditioners who are primadonnas who stir the pot are much more likely to make it on the show. Their dramatic ways can and will increase ratings as there will be more viewers at home who tune in.
8 Production Staff Incorporates Hotels Into Audition Process
According to Reality Blurred, the production staff incorporates hotels into the audition process. The auditioners who make it to the final round of auditions have to stay in the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in LA for nine days.
By doing this, the production staff can see how the auditioners act in private settings and also see them in their so-called natural slates. This may be seen as a strange step in an audition process, but at least the staff members told the truth for the masses.
7 Being Sleep Deprived Is Normal
Just because one lives in the Big Brother house, doesn't mean that his or her experience will be smooth sailing from the break of dawn to when the sun sets.
According to Mental Floss, season 15 winner Andy Herren said: "They blare pop songs in the morning to wake you up. It could be any time between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m."
"You have to wake up to change your mic pack out, and then once you do that, you can go back to bed if you want."
6 Houseguests Can't Do Whatever They Want In Their Free Time
Big Brother houseguests have free time, but that doesn't mean that they can do whatever they want.
Mental Floss reported that houseguests aren't allowed to sing songs or quote movies for copyright reasons, and if a houseguest does such things, then the 24/7 live feed cuts out for a little bit and a producer will give a warning to the houseguest who broke the rule in the Big Brother house.
Also, houseguests aren't allowed to discuss the things they said in the home's low-key Diary Room.
5 Houseguests Have To Be Attractive
Sure, there are Big Brother houseguests who are average Joes or Janes, but a lot of them are attractive.
According to Big Brother Network, the premise was that a group of unattractive men would vie for the affections of a hot woman who thought she was going on a show like The Bachelorette where she'd get to choose from a bunch of good-looking guys.
4 Houseguests Have To Be Free Of STDs
Obviously, not every houseguest is part of a romance on the set, but there are some houseguests who fall for fellow houseguests. That's why precautionary measures are taken by the production staff.
According to Reality Blurred, houseguests must get tested for STDs, but accept the risks of doing the deed with someone who might have an STD, despite the results of their tests. Also, houseguests must relinquish all physician-patient privileges with health care providers, therapists, and producers so their information can be accessed.
3 Houseguests Get Paid For Being On The Show
Even if Big Brother houseguests don't win it all, they'll get paid $750 per week just for being on the show. Not only that, Big Brother also pays their houseguests for taking the summer off for the show. That sounds like a great trade-off, doesn't it?
For those who are well-versed in Big Brother, they might want to audition for the show since it's a pretty good opportunity to earn some extra cash.
2 Producers Completely Control The House
Yes, houseguests will receive $750 each week that they remain in the Big Brother house, but it's not the easiest task to accomplish.
The producers completely control the house. This includes the utilities. Reality Blurred reported that the houseguests have to accept that the producers limit their water use and conserve the power along with other utilities.
If there's one thing that the houseguests can learn from being on the show, it's that life isn't always fair and that they can't always get what they want.
1 Houseguests Can't Hold The Producers Accountable
According to Reality Blurred, houseguests must agree not to hold producers accountable for "intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress, defamation or other things."
Houseguests also have to acknowledge that their own actions and the actions of others may expose them to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation."
That being said, producers can air such actions for a Big Brother episode. So, one should think twice before auditioning and possibly becoming a houseguest, especially if they're not an open book for the general public to read.
