Big Brother’s narrator Marcus Bentley has revealed the surprising reason why the launch show was pre-recorded.
The influential social experiment, in which housemates live together in a custom-built home for weeks without access to the outside world, returned to British television on Sunday after five years.
New hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best kicked off the launch show on ITV, after the reality show was axed in 2018 by Channel 5, introducing a new batch of 16 contestants in front of a studio audience.
But viewers were surprised to find that the launch episode was pre-recorded.
Narrator Marcus Bentley revealed the reason behind the decision on Heart Breakfast with Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston on Tuesday morning.
It’s back: Big Brother’s narrator Marcus Bentley has revealed the surprising reason why the launch show (pictured, with hosts AJ Odudu and Well Best) was pre-recorded
Explanation: Narrator Marcus Bentley revealed the reason behind the decision on Heart Breakfast with Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston on Tuesday morning
He said that the show was already dealing with the ‘chaos’ of a new studio and new house – and didn’t need the extra commotion caused by a live broadcast.
Marcus said: ‘I think they were trying to avoid the chaos of new studios, new house, a new channel and so I think they just wanted it evolve naturally or to be recorded.’
The launch episode saw a new cast of ‘carefully selected housemates from all walks of life’ arrive at the brand-new house in front of a studio audience.
A total of 30,000 people applied to take part in the show and just 16 were selected to enter the house.
The winner will scoop a whopping £100,000 when the series reaches its end.
The new batch of housemates have received respect and inclusion training to set out the ‘expectation for appropriate behaviour and language’ before they take part in the show, ITV has said.
As part of the broadcaster’s duty of care protocols, all housemates will be given the training to prepare them for life within the house – as well as undergoing psychological and medical assessments, background checks and a social media review.
Similar to recent series of ITV’s Love Island, housemates and their family and friends have also been asked to not post any content about the show on their individual social media accounts while they are in the house.
Back with a bang! Big Brother has returned to British television following a five-year hiatus with it’s most diverse cast ever
It comes as broadcasters’ duty of care policies have faced scrutiny following a number of controversies involving on-screen talent.
The cast were quick to complain about the lack of alcohol in the house after being met with just two bottles of prosecco and some mocktails.
The provision of alcohol has been a hot topic of speculation after ITV unveiled a rigorous duty of care protocol.
During the show, new contestant Olivia, 23, remarked: ‘Did they think two bottles of prosecco was gonna last?’
After sipping on the mocktails and coming to the conclusion they contained no alcohol, Hallie, 18, declared: ‘I need a drink!’
Big Brother has experienced its own fair share of controversy over the years including contestants being accused of making racist and sexist comments.
Tuesday night’s episode already saw a ‘racism’ row break out after horrified viewers slammed Olivia’s comment to Chinese housemate Yinrun.
The Scottish dancer, 23, was attempting to teach her fellow contestants a highland song entitled Donald’s Trousers, only for them to struggle understanding her strong accent.
Kerry, from Essex, said: ‘I will be honest with you, I don’t recognise one word that you said.’
While London born Hallie added: ‘No same, all I got was Donald’s trousers’.
Olivia then pointed to Yinrun, who was born in China but lives in Harrogate, and said: ‘If you didn’t understand me, she’s going to have no clue what the f*** I just said.’
ITV has said the famous house will see the return of tasks, nominations and live evictions with the voting public playing a ‘crucial role’ through the series – before voting for the winner of the show.
AJ and Will will host Big Brother: Late & Live each night in front of a live studio audience after the show has aired, which will feature the evictees’ first live interview, as well as celebrity guest commentary and weekly nomination results.
Big Brother: Live Stream also makes its return to screens, showing footage from the all-new house into the small hours every night on ITVX after Big Brother: Late & Live.
The social experiment programme, which sees housemates live together in a custom-built home for weeks without access to the outside world in a bid to win a cash prize, started in 2000 on Channel 4 before Channel 5 took over in 2011.
Listen to Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden weekdays from 06:30 – 10:00 and on Global Player.
BIG BROTHER 2023: MEET THE CONTESTANTS!
JENKIN
AGE: 25
PROFESSION: Barman
FROM: Bridgend
HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU? ‘Loud and messy, and irritating probably.’
TOM
AGE: 21
PROFESSION: Butcher
FROM: Somerset
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO GET NOMINATED FOR? ‘I think I might potentially offend some people. My mouth moves faster than my brain.’
TRISH
AGE: 33
PROFESSION: Stay-at-home mum
FROM: Luton
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THE PRIZE MONEY IF YOU WON? ‘I think my first priority is to sort out my housing situation. The housing crisis is just ridiculous and my housing situation has been unstable. It brings me a lot of mum guilt because I’ve got a young child. It’s my biggest incentive and motivation to win.’
JORDAN
AGE: 25
PROFESSION: Lawyer
FROM: Scunthorpe
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO GET NOMINATED FOR? ‘Being cantankerous and acting as if I don’t want to be there even if I do in my heart. They might nominate me for being disengaged perhaps or not paying everyone an equal amount of attention. They may feel left out but I can’t help that.’
DYLAN
AGE: 39
PROFESSION: DJ
FROM: Coventry
TELL US AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: ‘I appeared on a TV show called The Last Leg about amputees – two years before I lost my leg!’
NOKY
AGE: 26
PROFESSION: Banker
FROM: Derby
WHAT MADE YOU APPLY TO BECOME A BIG BROTHER HOUSEMATE? ‘I love challenges. I’ve had so many amazing times in my life, like going to Miss Universe as Miss Great Britain. I like to do something different and I think this is the next challenge I want to conquer. I want to show people what pageant girls are really like and disprove a lot of stereotypes around them. I also show what it’s like being a woman who’s worked in male- dominated fields. I want to show that women are capable of doing anything they want.’
PAUL
AGE: 23
PROFESSION: Security officer
FROM: Liverpool
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO GET NOMINATED FOR? ‘Being the biggest wind up, eating all the food and being the loudest housemate.’
OLIVIA
AGE: 23
PROFESSION: Dancer
FROM: Glasgow
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO GET NOMINATED FOR? ‘I think when people are in that hangry state, that’s when I’ll wind people up and grind their gears. I think they’ll nominate me for being full on, and for my brutal honesty and oversharing of opinions.’
FARIDA
AGE: 50
PROFESSION: Make-up artist
FROM: Wolverhampton
TELL US AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: ‘People are always surprised when I say I got married at 43. Or also that I’m an ex-holiday rep in Gran Canaria and Menorca.’
HALLIE
AGE: 18
PROFESSION: Youth worker
FROM: London
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO GET NOMINATED FOR? ‘Being lazy and having an opinion. I’m quite opinionated, I like speaking my mind and not many people like that. I’m quite real.’
YINRUN
AGE: 25
PROFESSION: Customer support agent
FROM: Harrogate
WHAT PART OF THE EXPERIENCE ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? ‘I’m most excited about being surrounded by so many people from different walks of life. I don’t think I will ever live in a house again with so many different kinds of people. I’m from China and I think it will help me be more immersed in British culture.’
CHANELLE
AGE: 29
PROFESSION: Dental therapist
FROM: Llanelli
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO BE NOMINATED FOR? ‘Probably just for being annoying. In Wales, we have this sayingm “I’ll do it now in a minute.” So like, if I went to make food and I left a dish on the side, I have all good intentions of washing it but I’d be like, “I’ll do it now in a minute,” and it might be three hours later before I do it. So probably for silly stuff like that.’
ZAK
AGE: 28
PROFESSION: Model
FROM: Manchester
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THE PRIZE MONEY IF YOU WON? ‘Pay off my debts and help my family out. I’ve also been saving up to build a park in my village back at home in Thailand because where I grew up, there’s no parks or playgrounds.’
MATTY
AGE: 24
PROFESSION: Doctor
FROM: Isle Of Man
HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY DESCRIBE YOU? ‘They would say I’m quite like a lucky person or someone who really wants to experience life to its fullest and do everything that it has to offer. Someone who is kind and fun and doesn’t take life too seriously.’
HENRY
AGE: 25
PROFESSION: Food writer
FROM: Cotswolds
HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY DESCRIBE YOU? ‘I think they would say I’m particularly sociable and very chatty. I mean, I’ll be honest, my parents would definitely say I’m a bit of a snob but I take it as a compliment. I think it means you’ve got high standards and good taste. They’d say I was quite a peculiar child.’
KERRY
AGE: 40
PROFESSION: NHS manager
FROM: Essex
WHAT MADE YOU APPLY TO BE A BIG BROTHER HOUSEMATE? ‘I love the programme. It is, for me, the ultimate reality TV show ever. I’ve got multiple sclerosis and so the reason why I never applied before is because I always saw those whacking great big stairs to get into the house. It just felt a little bit unachievable because for the first three years of my illness I was in a wheelchair. When I saw it was coming back and searching for real people from all walks of life, I thought, this is my year.’