Elstree Calling

Celebrity Big Brother 7 eye. Image: © Remarkable/Endemol UK/Channel 4

Big Brother Feature:

Introduction:

The UK version of the game show Big Brother started in the summer of 2000. In 2002, the show moved to Elstree Studios (then known as Elstree Film & TV Studios) and has been based there ever since.

In this special feature I take a look at some of the facts connected with the show and give information on where you can find out further information, including how to obtain free tickets to the eviction night broadcasts and the spin-off shows, BBLB (Big Brother's Little Brother), Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother (CBBLB), BBBM (Big Brother's Big Mouth) and CBBBM (Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother).

Big Brother - Latest News Headlines: 

• Audience ticket news for Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother's Littke Brother can be found below.
• Celebrity Big Brother 7 launched at Elstree Studios on Sunday 3rd Janaury 2010. A total of 6.72m people are said to have watched the launch show on Channel 4 as celebrities including: Stephanie Beacham and Vinnnie Jones enter the compound. 
• The final of Big Brother 10, which saw Sophie Reade, 20, crowned as winner, took place at Elstree Studios on Friday 4th September 2009.
• It has been confirmed that Channel 4 is not renewing its contract with Remarkable/Endemol UK to broadcast the series after the summer of 2010.
• It has been confirmed, however, that Celebrity Big Brother 7 and Big Brother 11 will both take place at Elstree Studios during 2010.
• Please click here to read a feature on where the Big Brother house is situated.

Celebrity Big Brother 7 Ticket News:

Please note: the following links are to pages on the website of the Applause Store audience ticket agency. Applause Store are not connected to Elstree Calling. They are, however, the official ticket agents for Big Brother, Big Brother's Little Brother, Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother. All tickets are free.

Applause Store, however, are not the ticket agents for Big Brother's Big Mouth or Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth. A link to where to obtain free tickets for this show is also added below: 

Celebrity Big Brother:

To obtain free tickets for the Eviction Night shows hosted by Davina McCall, please click here.

Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother:

To obtain free tickets for broadcasts of CBBLB hosted by George Lamb, please click here.

Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth:

Applause Store does not arrange free studio audience tickets for CBBBM. To obtain free tickets for the popular E4 spin-off show hosted by Davina McCall, please click here.

Celebrity Big Brother - Official Website:

Please click here to visit the official Celebrity Big Brother 7 website.

Digital Spy - CBB Website:

Please click here to visit Digital Spy's Big Brother website.

Paul Burton's Big Brother & Celebrity Big Brother Blog:

Please click here to visit Paul Burton's Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother blog. 

Big Brother - Facts & Figures:

Here are some interesting facts you may or may not know about the UK version of Big Brother:

• Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother in the UK are both currently made by Remarkable/Endemol UK for Channel 4 & E4.
• Both versions are made at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.
• The Big Brother house is situated on top of the one surviving exterior studio water tank (click here to see feature). 
• The water tank on which the Big Brother house is situated has been used for various films including Moby Dick and The Dam Busters (click here to see feature).
• The Big Brother house stands close to where the exterior set for the Overlook Hotel was built for the film The Shining (click here to see feature).
• To date, there have been eight main runs of Big Brother (inc. BB10), five Celebrity editions of Big Brother (including Celebrity Big Brother 7) and one run of Celebrity Hijack made at Elstree Studios.
• Big Brother, BBLB (Big Brother's Little Brother), Celebrity Big Brother and CBBLB (Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother) are all made in Stage 1 of The George Lucas Stage complex at Elstree Studios. The stage complex is situated close to the house.
• Efourum, BBBM (Big Brother's Big Mouth), Celebrity Big Brother's Efourum and CBBBM (Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth) were all broadcast from an adapted Workshop 2 at Elstree Studios. Since BB8, Big Brother's Big Mouth and Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth have all been broadcast from an adapted Workshop 1.
• Permission has been granted to allow the Big Brother house to remain at Elstree Studios until the end of 2010.
• Remarkable/Brighter Pictures are reportedly looking for another broadcaster to screen the reality series once its long-running contract with Channel 4 ends after BB11.
• Most of the housemates' shopping is purchased from the Tesco's supermarket next door to the studios. This branch of Tesco's stands on a piece of land which used to belong to the studios (click here to see feature).
• The makers of the CBB6 are said to have spent £150,000 on fireworks and champagne for the finale night.

Page last updated: Wednesday 6th January 2010