Big Brother seems like one of those reality shows that will never die. The American version of the show premiered back in July of 2000 and has since aired 21 seasons and over 750 episodes. It's a reality behemoth, even powering through the coronavirus pandemic.
Of course, a show that has gone on as long as Big Brother is bound to have some juicy behind the scenes stories. And Big Brother certainly does. There are a lot of secrets and facts behind the making of Big Brother, and they prove just as interesting as the on-air drama. These are ten behind the scenes facts about Big Brother you never knew.
10 How To Work Through A Pandemic
On August 5, 2020, Big Brother kicked off its 22nd season amid the coronavirus pandemic, making it one of the only shows to be filmed since March. This involved testing and quarantining contestants for two weeks before they entered the house, color coding various production teams & not allowing them to mingle, and forcing the crew to take weekly COVID tests. The crew will also live on site for specific amounts of time before being cycled in for a new crew, who had previously been tested and placed in quarantine for two weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
9 The Contestants Get Paid
Big Brother contestants must take a huge risk with their jobs, as they may be in the house for upwards of three months. Some just quit their jobs outright to appear on the show, while others take an extended leave. But it would be ridiculous to have them take three months off work without getting paid. Luckily, Big Brother contestants are paid roughly $1,000 each week that they're in the house. So, if someone goes all twelve weeks without winning, that's still a solid $12,000.
8 Contestants Are Woken Up With Music
The producers don't allow the contestants to sleep in. That said, they are very generous when it comes to wake-up times. Producers don't want their contestants sleeping all day. That doesn't make for good TV. So they typically wake them up with loud pop music, typically played between 8:00 and 11:00 in the morning. It's better than being woken up by a blaring alarm at 5:30.
7 Contestants Aren't Allowed To Sing
There's a reason viewers don't hear the music that wakes up the contestants, and there's a reason that contestants seemingly never sing– even when sitting around or making dinner.
They are actually barred and dissuaded from singing, as CBS would be forced to pay royalties on every song that a contestant sings. The royalties would certainly add up over time, especially considering Big Brother runs for three months!
6 Contestants Aren't Given Any News
When you're in the Big Brother house, you're in the Big Brother house. That means no contact with the outside world, and that means no news of the outside world. Contestants cannot watch or read any form of news. Luckily, the lack of smartphones and TVs helps in that regard. There have only been a handful of exceptions– contestants (both domestic and international) have been informed about the 9/11 attacks, Donald Trump's presidential victory, and the rise of the coronavirus pandemic.
5 Contestants Sleep With Each Other
Audiences will never see it on TV, but Big Brother contestants do indeed sleep with each other inside the house. According to Vulture, the first couple to have relations inside the house were Amanda Craig and David Lane from season four. Typically this involves hiding from the cameras in some way, like going under the bed sheets. And, naturally, these "events" will be cut from the national television broadcast.
4 Contestants Are Required To Watch One Season
It's always entertaining to watch a newbie enter into a reality series having no idea what they're doing. Unfortunately, that will never be the case for Big Brother.
The producers ask new contestants to familiarize themselves with the game and how it's played, and this takes the form of watching one complete season of the show. Contestants typically pick the latest season to have aired, as it's the most relevant and up-to-date in terms of strategy and pace.
3 Physical & Mental Evaluations
It's not like contestants of Big Brother are picked off the street and thrown into a secluded house for three months. There is actually a rigorous evaluation process that each contestant must go through in order to guarantee their health and safety. This includes physical tests to ensure contestants won't collapse during challenges, psychological evaluations to ensure that they won't go crazy in quarantine, and health check-ups to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
2 Forced Into Lockdown
On some occasions, the house guests have been forced into a lockdown– typically stemming from outside behavior. Devoted fans know where the house is located, and in early seasons, this often proved a problem. Some people would shout over the fence to betray alliances or secrets, and in one case, a plane flew overhead bearing a sky message. As the producers don't wish for contestants to know each other's' secrets, this has resulted in more than a few lockdowns.
1 The "House" Isn't Really A House
This may be more of an obvious and open secret than anything, but the Big Brother "house" is not actually a house. It's actually an elaborate soundstage in Los Angeles, and even the "outdoors" location is nothing more than a parking lot. The soundstage is also equipped with very bright lights for filming, which means the house is often excessively warm and stuffy, which is probably why the contestants walk around in their underwear so much...
