Bad Wolf
28-05-2005, 14:33
from bbc news:
More than 5.8 million people tuned in to watch the launch of the sixth series of Big Brother on Friday night.
The figure was one million down on last year's launch, but that show followed the last Friends episode.
The 13 contestants have entered the reality TV house - hoping to win the 11-week series' £100,000 top prize.
This year's hopefuls include a former Tory strategist, a 1970s dancer and a psychic "witch" who claims to have been abducted by aliens.
Belly dancer
Meanwhile, ITV reality show Celebrity Love Island was watched by 2.2m viewers.
And 4.9 million people tuned in to watch Have I Got News For You on BBC, which shared the 2100 BST slot with its reality rivals.
The sixth series of the Channel 4 show will see the housemates filmed 24 hours a day.
Contestants this year include former Tory strategist Derek Laud, 40, and Lesley Sanderson, 19, a temp administrator from Huddersfield, who wore a nurse's outfit.
Kemal Shahin, 19, a male belly dancer from Turkey, entered in gold stilettos and a sari, while the crowd booed Mary O'Leary, 30, a psychic witch wearing a cape and broomstick.
They also booed Anthony Hutton, 23, a dancer from Consett, County Durham, when he started doing dance moves on the way in.
A 22-year-old entertainment entrepreneur called Science - real name Kieron Harvey - said he was the "ghetto spokesman" while Craig, 20, a hair salon owner, and Saskia Howard-Clarke, a 23-year-old promotions girl also went in.
Samantha Heuston, a 23-year-old marketing student from Cheam, Surrey, said she was always the centre of attention "even when I don't want to be".
Others included Vanessa, a 19-year-old business studies student from Surrey, Roberto Conte, 32, a basketball player and a windsurfing professional, and Maxwell Ward, 24, a maintenance engineer from north London. Makosi Musambasi, a cardiac nurse from Zimbabwe, was the "unlucky" 13th contestant and was automatically put up for the first eviction on Wednesday.
More than 5.8 million people tuned in to watch the launch of the sixth series of Big Brother on Friday night.
The figure was one million down on last year's launch, but that show followed the last Friends episode.
The 13 contestants have entered the reality TV house - hoping to win the 11-week series' £100,000 top prize.
This year's hopefuls include a former Tory strategist, a 1970s dancer and a psychic "witch" who claims to have been abducted by aliens.
Belly dancer
Meanwhile, ITV reality show Celebrity Love Island was watched by 2.2m viewers.
And 4.9 million people tuned in to watch Have I Got News For You on BBC, which shared the 2100 BST slot with its reality rivals.
The sixth series of the Channel 4 show will see the housemates filmed 24 hours a day.
Contestants this year include former Tory strategist Derek Laud, 40, and Lesley Sanderson, 19, a temp administrator from Huddersfield, who wore a nurse's outfit.
Kemal Shahin, 19, a male belly dancer from Turkey, entered in gold stilettos and a sari, while the crowd booed Mary O'Leary, 30, a psychic witch wearing a cape and broomstick.
They also booed Anthony Hutton, 23, a dancer from Consett, County Durham, when he started doing dance moves on the way in.
A 22-year-old entertainment entrepreneur called Science - real name Kieron Harvey - said he was the "ghetto spokesman" while Craig, 20, a hair salon owner, and Saskia Howard-Clarke, a 23-year-old promotions girl also went in.
Samantha Heuston, a 23-year-old marketing student from Cheam, Surrey, said she was always the centre of attention "even when I don't want to be".
Others included Vanessa, a 19-year-old business studies student from Surrey, Roberto Conte, 32, a basketball player and a windsurfing professional, and Maxwell Ward, 24, a maintenance engineer from north London. Makosi Musambasi, a cardiac nurse from Zimbabwe, was the "unlucky" 13th contestant and was automatically put up for the first eviction on Wednesday.