The Big Brother Rules

Housemates must abide by a strict set of rules during their stay in the house. Any infringement of these rules will be addressed and acted upon by Big Brother - usually by messing with nominations, manipulating the house dynamic, etc etc.

There are some simple and fundamental rules of Big Brother, and they are outlined below:

• There is no contact with the outside world.

• Housemates are filmed 24 hours a day and must wear personal microphones at all times.

• The Diary Room is the only place in the house where Big Brother will interact with housemates individually.

• Visits to the Diary Room are compulsory.

• Nominations are compulsory.

• Housemates must give frank and honest reasons for nominations.

• It is not permitted to discuss nominations or to try to influence anyone else’s nominations.

• Eviction is decided by public vote.

• All tasks and challenges are compulsory.

• Housemates must not act violently towards any other housemate.

• Housemates are free to leave the house at any time.

• If a housemate breaks the rules they may be asked to leave the house.

• Big Brother reserves the right to change the rules at any time.

Personal Belongings

As in all Big Brother series, housemates have restrictions on what personal belongings they can bring into the house. They are each allowed to pack just one suitcase and one small bag to bring into the house. Many of the items they are permitted to bring in are at the discretion of Big Brother so all bags will be checked prior to entering the house and inventories of their contents will be compiled.

Other House Rules

Participants must wear their radio-microphones at all times during waking hours. Microphones can only be taken off in bed, in the shower and in the pool. Housemates are responsible for changing the batteries in their microphones at regular intervals. If housemates attempt to communicate without the cameras or microphones recording the communication (e.g. tampering with microphones, writing secret messages, mouthing words off-camera) or if they try to tamper with or cover recording equipment, Big Brother reserves the right to expel them from the house.

Prior to entering the Big Brother house, the housemates are not allowed to talk to the media. Nor are they are permitted to know the identities of their fellow housemates.

Food, housekeeping, tasks and challenges

Food and drink in the house are supplied only by Big Brother. The housemates will participate in compulsory tasks to determine their shopping budget. If the housemates fail a weekly task, they will each lose an amount per head to spend on shopping that week; if they pass, they have the luxury of spending more money per head that week.

In addition, the housemates will also be set challenges, playing for the chance to win rewards.

Evictions

Housemates can leave the house in three ways: they may be evicted; they can leave of their own free will (and may do so at any time); or in exceptional circumstances they may be asked to leave by Big Brother. At the end of the series viewers will then vote for the winner.

Voluntary/ Involuntary Departure

If a housemate wants to leave they must first report to the Diary Room and give their reasons for leaving. Big Brother may ask a housemate to leave the house if they behave inappropriately, for example, if they engage in violent or abusive behaviour, or damage the house or its contents. Housemates who leave voluntarily, or who have been asked to leave, may be replaced at Big Brother’s discretion.

The Eviction Process

Housemates are required to participate in the much anticipated, and often equally dreaded, nominations process at a time chosen by Big Brother. Any housemate refusing to make a nomination or failing to provide Big Brother with a satisfactory reason for their nomination will be reprimanded by Big Brother. Housemates are not allowed to discuss their nominations with other house members or to try to influence anyone else’s nominations.

The Diary Room nominations will be announced to housemates at a time chosen by Big Brother and will be included in the Channel 4 highlights show the following evening. Viewers will be able to watch Big Brother announce the results of each week’s nominations live on Big Brother’s Little Brother. The housemates who receive the most nominations are then subject to the public vote, conducted via telephone and text message.

Viewers and housemates will later learn who is to be evicted during Channel 4’s live evening eviction shows, presented by Davina McCall, and the evicted housemate will leave during the second live show.

Big Brother reserves the right to change the frequency, times and details of nominations and evictions at any time.