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UK Big Brother

Celebrities will control the lives of “gifted” cast on Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack

by Andy Dehnart 27 Dec. 2007 | 12:06 pm

After cancelling the 2008 celebrity edition of Big Brother in the UK, Channel 4 has announced that the next season will adopt a format that involves celebrities behind the scenes.

Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack will debut Jan. 3 and feature “an assortment of cheeky celebrities” who will “be helping Big Brother handle a new crop of housemates, each with a special skill,” Channel 4 says on the show’s web site. The celebrities include Joan Rivers, according to Heat.

The cast members are all 18 to 21 years old, and are “some of the most gifted young people from around the country,” including “young scientists, athletes and Mensa members,” BBC News reports. Of course, none of them were smart enough to turn down an offer to appear on the show, so who knows how much of an exaggeration that is.

Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack [Channel 4]
Big Brother – celebrity hijackers revealed! [Heat]
Channel 4 unveils Brother revamp [BBC News]

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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