Cherise wins Big Brother Africa. Big Brother Africa has ended, and 24-year-old Zambian Cherise Makubale walked away with the $100,000 prize. Tanzania’s Mwisho Mwampamba came in second.

Malawi parliament bans Big Brother Africa because of its “horrible pictures.” Big Brother Africa has been banned from the nation of Malawi after a vote of parliament. The media committee chair said that “[p]eople are subjected to horrible pictures which are corrupting the morals of our children,” according to Malawi’s The Nation. The country’s censorship… continue reading

Big Brother Africa “is the talk of the continent”; some say it’s “done more to unite them than independence.” Big Brother Africa is such a phenomenon that “[s]ome viewers say it has done more to unite them than independence, the Cold War or the pan-African movement,” A Washington Post foreign correspondent reports. The show “is… continue reading

groups want Big Brother Africa–“a mockery of African culture”–off the air. “A group of Zambian churches has demanded that the reality television show Big Brother Africa be taken off the air” because it “is a mockery of African culture,” The BBC reports. Some Zambian churches say the show’s more risque scenes “are eroding Zambia’s moral… continue reading

white contestant on African Big Brother is controversial. Namibian citizen Stefan Ludik represents his nation on Big Brother Africa, “but protestors say he should not be eligible for the hit reality programme because his ancestors came from Europe,” the Guardian reports. He’s the only white contestant on the show, and his country has “small white… continue reading

Big Brother Africa, featuring house guests from 12 countries, began Sunday. On Sunday, two days after the UK debuted its latest Big Brother (which earned Channel 4 record ratings), 12 people from 12 different countries entered the Big Brother Africa house in South Africa. As The Star reports, eviction voting will be by country; the… continue reading

Big Brother Africa will draw contestants from 11 African nations. For the first time, a Big Brother show will find its house guests in countries outside the host nation’s borders. South Africa’s version of the show is being transformed into Big Brother Africa. It will cast one person from Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia,… continue reading

Mexico’s Big Brother “has been a smashing success”; Rocio wins. With an astonishing 70 percent share for some episodes, Big Brother Mexico was “a smashing success, breaking TV ratings records despite opposition from a few social groups and initial wariness on the part of many advertisers,” according to VOANews.com. The show’s winner was 26-year-old Rocio.

despite large audience, advertisers boycott Mexico’s Big Brother. Big Brother Mexico is being watched by 17 percent of the viewing audience, but that hasn’t drawn advertisers, who are mostly boycotting the show. Four of the show’s contestants have been evicted from the house so far.

police in Brazil will raid Big Brother house unless contestant leaves. One of the house guests in Brazil’s Big Brother house is actually a French citizen in the country on a work permit. Because he left his job, Brazilian police “say they will storm the house and deport him” this weekend, according to Ananova.

Behind the Glass cast stays in after government takes station off the air. Russia’s Behind the Glass 2 cast is still inside their set/home, even though the Russian government decided to take TV6, the country’s “last independent, national station” and the network that broadcast Behind the Glass 2 three times daily, off the air. The… continue reading

magazine names France’s Loft Story the 10th best film of 2001. A respected film magazine has named France’s Loft Story the 10th best film of 2001–and three critics “actually made it their choice as film of the year,” the BBC reports. A BBC correspondent says the ranking “reflect[s] the amazing response the show had in… continue reading

South African network talking to Endemol about religious Big Brother. Christian Network Television is discussing producing a version of Endemol’s Big Brother that “would feature 12 housemates from different religious backgrounds who would live in the Randburg Big Brother house for 10 days,” according to the Sunday Times. If produced, the show will feature no… continue reading

popular Big Brother South Africa ends, raises questions about race. South Africa’s Big Brother concluded its 100+ day run this weekend, with house guest Ferdi taking the million rand prize. The show was extremely popular, although it raised questions about the country’s racial climate, with one critic suggesting that “a lot of the voting went… continue reading

Behind the Glass concludes with “mega-ratings” and “social debate.” Russia’s Behind the Glass ended last weekend, concluding the show where seven people lived in a glass apartment for 34 days. The often sexual and explicit show was not without controversy: the Russian Orthodox Church was among its critics. One poll found that 67 percent of… continue reading

Mexico debuts Big Brother. Joining the 18 countries that have their own versions of Big Brother will be Mexico, which this week debuts on Channel 5. The show–officially titled Big Brother, La Convocatoria–will also be available on direct-to-home satellite.

Endemol plans legal action against Behind the Glass, Russia’s Big Brother. Russia’s Behind the Glass may look a lot like Big Brother, but it’s not produced by Endemol, the production company that originally aired produced the show and licenses the concept. So, Endemol is planning legal action against Russia’s TV 6, but Behind the Glass‘… continue reading

Norwegian Big Brother cast members get married inside their former house. Saying their marriage was not a joke, Norwegian Big Brother cast members Ramsy and Anne Mona got married inside the house they met in.

Russia’s Big Brother “has had more sexual intrigue and raunchy incidents.” The Moscow Times reports on Russia’s Big Brother, called Behind the Glass, started with two cast members washing each other in the shower–which consumed most of the first show. The paper quotes the producers saying that other countries’ versions of the show were “boring,”… continue reading