How To Watch Big Brother UK Season 21 Online: Live Stream The Final Episode Tonight For Free And From Anywhere

How To Watch Big Brother 2024 Live Final Online

Watch Big Brother UK Season 21: Preview

"This is Big Brother. Please head to the living room area." Yes, it's time to get comfy on the couch as the reality TV phenomenon gets underway, with a brand-new contingent of housemates vying for the life-changing prize of £100,000. Brace yourself for 24/7 drama, explosive outbursts, live evictions – and about a dozen disputes over the dishes – as we explain below how to watch Big Brother UK Season 21 online for free on ITVX from anywhere.

After five years off our screens, ITV successfully rebooted the UK series in 2023 with a “refreshed, contemporary” update of the show. The duo of AJ Odudu and Will Best took up the mantle of co-hosts, and ushered their first 16 contestants – representing a broad spectrum of the UK population – into the Big Brother house. The reboot was a hit. Each episode – airing daily from Sunday through Friday – raked in an average of two million viewers, and in March 2024 Celebrity Big Brother was reborn, too.

Viewers can expect more or less the same format this time round. Weekly tasks that secure housemates a luxury budget or groan-worthy basic rations. Tears in the Diary Room and angst-ridden nominations, followed by a thrilling live eviction every Friday, in which one contestant – sometimes more – is given the boot following a public vote. The last housemate standing after six weeks of back-biting and blow-ups then departs with the dizzying sum of £100,000. In 2023, it was droll Scunthorpe lawyer Jordan Sangha who pocketed the top prize.

The show's ITV return was full of compelling, “can’t look away” dramas: Hallie’s "imprisonment" for discussing nominations; Jordan’s “will-they, won’t they?” romance with food writer Henry; and “Evil Big Brother” sending Noky on a secret Halloween mission that led to Kerry’s shock eviction and a fiery confrontation between Trish and Dylan. Big Brother UK 2024 will reportedly “take it up a notch," at least in regards the weekly shopping challenges. And that means the stakes should be higher, and Big Brother more devious than ever.

Fancy another (season of Big Brother)? Then simply read on below, where we break down how to watch Big Brother UK Season 21 online and stream daily episodes of the series free from anywhere.

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Watch Big Brother 2024 final online in the UK

The Big Brother UK final airs tonight, Friday, November 15 at 9pm BST. It will be available to watch through either ITV2 or streaming service ITVX.

Following the live launch, episodes air daily (except on Saturdays), from Sunday through Friday, and followed immediately after by companion series: Big Brother: Late and Live at 10pm BST.

ITV2 is a free-to-air channel in the UK, though it requires a TV licence to watch live. However, you don't need one to watch catch-up TV, which you can do so via ITVX, ITV's on-demand streaming platform.

Sign up is free for an ITVX account. All you need is an email address and a UK postcode (e.g. B1A 1AA).

Abroad? Use a VPN using the instructions below to access ITVX back home

How to watch Big Brother UK from anywhere

If you're a UK citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch Big Brother UK online just as you would at home.

While services like ITVX block access from IP addresses outside of the UK, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN that can change your IP address, allowing you to watch UK TV online by making it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.

For example, UK citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a UK-based server and access their subscription from anywhere in the world, just like they would back home.

Watch Big Brother UK as if you were at home with a VPN
Try out NordVPN, our choice of the best VPN for unblocking many of the major streaming services – and doing so speedily – including ITVX. You'll be able to stream from any device, including your mobile or desktop, TV, or gaming console. Incredibly secure, too, get assistance with its 24/7 customer support and enjoy a 30-day money back guarantee.

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Step-by-step of using a VPN to unblock:

1. Choose your ideal VPN and install – our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN, costing from $3.99 a month with its 2-year plan.

2. Connect to a server – for ITVX, for example, you'll want to connect to a server based in the UK.

3. Go to the stream you wish to access - for Big Brother UK Season 21, head to ITVX.

Can I watch Big Brother UK Season 21 in the US, Canada, or Australia?

Sadly Big Brother UK isn’t licensed to watch abroad. As such, it’s only available to stream in the UK through ITVX.

Each of these countries has (or recently had) its own version of the hit TV show. In America, Big Brother Season 26 is nearing end of its run on CBS. Canada’s final season premiered in March 2024 on Global, while there are plans to revive Big Brother in Australia next year on Network 10.

A UK resident currently out of the country? You can always port yourself back home and watch concurrent with the UK using a VPN.

Everything you need to know about Big Brother 2024

Who Are The Big Brother UK Season 21 Contestants?

The initial 16 contestants to enter the Big Brother house are:

• Dean, a 35-year-old barber from East London *
• Rosie, a 29-year-old dental assistant from Essex *
• Emma, a 53-year-old business owner from Altrincham
• Segun, a 25-year-old charity videographer from Watford
• Nathan, a 24-year-old pork salesman from Dumfries
• Daze, a 24-year-old climate activist from London *
• Khaled, a 23-year-old sales manager from Manchester *
• Martha, a 27-year-old NHS administrator from Scarborough *
• Lily, a 20-year-old Chinese takeaway server from Warrington *
• Ali, a 38-year-old forensic psychologist from London
• Thomas, a 20-year-old amputee footballer from Carlisle *
• Ryan, 28 years old, works in marketing and events, from Stockport *
• Hanah, a 24-year-old HR consultant from West London
• Izaaz, a 29-year-old sales consultant from London (originally Swansea) *
• Sarah, a 27-year-old spa account manager from Shrewsbury *
• Marcello, a 34-year-old youth mentor from East London

* The following contestants have been evicted from the Big Brother house.

What's Happened So Far in Big Brother UK Season 21?

Episode 1:

AJ and Will were in high spirits for the live launch of ITV’s Big Brother, welcoming 16 beaming, rather irrepressible and fashion-forward contestants into the house. Some of the first ushered in were dental assistant Rosie, mummy’s boy Segun, climate activist Daze, and Prince Charles’s former butler, Nathan, who were all soon chatting like besties and swigging champagne in the eye-poppingly colourful living room.

But only 30 minutes in and Big Brother was playing his devious games. One side of the room was carpeted red, and the other blue, and as housemates were drip-fed inside, they were sternly asked to pick a side. But none of them knew what the repercussions of their split-second decision might be.

Once the last contestant, East London barber Dean, had filed in and made some hasty introductions, Big Brother revealed the enormity of their decision. Those on the red side – a whopping 11 of them – were declared “non-housemates”. For the time being, they would not live in the house and would instead be sent to “storage,” which looked like an airport hanger and a more shambolic version of the “Have Not” room in Big Brother US.

Twisting the knife further, “non-housemates” were told they were all up for eviction this week. A shocking start, but it did mean that Segun, Khaled, Ali, Ryan, and Izaaz (Team Blue!) were left to enjoy all the comforts and amenities of the Big Brother house…at least, temporarily.

Episode 2:

Tensions brewed as eleven uncomfortable Housemates were left out in the cold in Storage. Lily was easily the front runner for the title of “Most Annoying Housemate.” The hyperactive 20-year-old mocked spa manager Sarah’s accent, who was later seen crying, and kept her fellow comrades up half the night with her disruptive antics. But it wasn’t like they’d get much sleep anyway. As Dean, or “mother,” pointed out, there was only one bed (a mattress on the floor) to share between them.

Hope arrived while Sarah sadly sipped on a can labeled “Flat Beer”. Big Brother announced that one of them had the chance to regain official Housemate status – and access to decent food and amenities – in a challenge against an “official” Housemate: a “brutal head-to-head” game of deception and persuasion.

Big Brother super fan Martha put herself forward, choosing Ryan as her opponent. If she won, then he’d have to suffer Lily’s annoying antics while Martha took his place and gained immunity from eviction. She’d also be able to bring along two fellow Team Red members.

The challenge saw them facing off across a table with a three-tiered cake on it. But unfortunately the task didn’t involve them chowing down on baked goods. It exploded in front of them instead, and left them with the actual task of convincing forensic psychologist Ali that the other person was responsible, when in fact it was naughty Big Brother who triggered the sugar bomb. Whose gift of the gab kept them safe? Tune in to ITV2 tonight to find out.

Episode 3:

The race was on for the "non-Housemates" in storage to gain their freedom. Martha won in Monday's task against Ryan, and took Rosie and Hanah with her as they became becoming fully-fledged Housemates. And Big Brother had even more challenges lined up to allow those in Storage to avoid eviction (and gain a brief reprieve from Lily's "Tasmanian Devil" energy.) Posing the question “Who among you is the most loveable?” climate activist Daze put herself forward, and faced off against Segun in the garden in a bid to win the affection of a furry little dog. The cute critter eventually sidled over to Segun (who just may have had a bacon-scented advantage) who retained his place in the house.

As Lily entered a rare silence while frantically hula-hooping, Thomas took to Big Brother’s Battle Room against Rosie, where he demonstrated his competitive spirit in an escalating series of dares. First off, Dental Assistant Rosie signed a document changing her name to “Baked Potato” (let's hope that's not legally binding), while Thomas had to wear a bucket over his head, wear a revolting “stench scarf,” and later shaved off an eyebrow (which Big Brother cheekily told him would take “seven to ten years” to grow back). Rosie didn’t have the stomach for her final dare, and she acceded the win to a smelly yet happy Thomas, who saved Sarah and Marcello from any further discomfort in Storage.

The remaining “non-housemates” were given one last opportunity to save themselves: whoever could keep their hand raised in the air the longest would become an "official" Housemate and avoid nomination. There were just two people left standing as the clock passed the two hour mark: Daze (desperate for a wash) and Lily (dying for a Coke). Showing incredible fortitude – and employing some psychological warfare – Daze stole the win, and chose to take a tearful Lily and Emma back with her into the house.

That left us with our four nominees facing eviction, one of whom will leave the house on Friday following the public vote. They are “working class northern lad” Ryan, 29-year-old Essex native Rosie, East End barber Dean, and Nathan, the 24-year-old former butler of Prince Charles. Right then! That gives our endangered Housemates a few more days to make an impression!

Episode 4:

Dog days are over. The hell of Storage is a distant memory and the contestants got candid as they shared some intimate personal details heading into day four of their Big Brother journey.

The Diary Room saw Lily tearfully admit that she didn’t have many friends because, well, she can be a bit much, but she was grateful to have been embraced by Ali and Martha, who told the 20-year-old that, “you are one in a million.” And ladies’ man Marcello shared his love of the fairer sex with Big Brother. He gushed that former Page Three model Emma, “gorgeous” Rosie (aka “Baked Potato”), and Ali were all a bit of him. And he wasn’t in the least deterred by the fact Ali is gay and in a long-term relationship. Meanwhile, the Housemates exchanged a few eye-opening facts (Emma’s had four boob jobs!) and Nathan continued to butt heads with Daze over their political views. Of course, her anti-monarchy views won't have endeared her to Prince Charles’s former butler!

Now to stir the pot as the house goes all The White Lotus for the contestants’ first shopping challenge. Dean has been chosen as hotel resort manager, burdened with the unenviable task of keeping his staff – Lily, Khaled, Sarah, Marcello and Hanah – from going off the rails, and hopefully winning everyone a lip-smacking luxury food budget for the week.

Episode 5:

Contestants awoke on Thursday to Madonna’s “Holiday” blasting through the bedroom – but a stress-free vacation wasn’t on the cards for everyone. In Big Brother’s first shopping task, the house was turned into Coconut Eye-Land Resort. Dean was designated Resort Manager – shouldering the burden for winning this week’s challenge – while Hanah, Marcello, Khaled, Lily, and Sarah would be his employees, who’d have to cater to the other housemates every whim with an eager-to-please smile.

However, not all holidaymakers were created equal. They were split into half-board – getting soggy cereal breakfast buffets – and all-inclusive guests, with the latter given given A-grade treatment that "commoners" were forbidden to piggyback onto. Yes, Emma was a bit irked about getting the “peasant” experience. But she didn’t stir up trouble like that scamp Ryan. He couldn’t stop himself from gobbling an off-limits sausage with a big grin on his face – and wasn't deterred from going back for seconds, even if it meant losing the challenge! Meanwhile, Dean had his work cut out keeping Lily on task, as she was variously shown draped over the furniture like someone suffering from narcolepsy.

The housemates (mostly) relished this bit of role play. And things only got funnier when Hanah was assigned a special mission to get one of the guests to make a complaint, but without drawing suspicion. HR Consultant Hannah went in guns blazing: spilling a tray of drinks on Ryan and then bringing him an unidentifiable concoction that definitely wasn’t coffee. Ding ding! Tongue firmly in cheek, Ryan harangued management meaning Hanah had won the secret task.

Later, as evening fell, it was time for a bit of raucous entertainment. The whole house was in stitches as Khaled led them in the limbo and Sarah performed a hilarious rap. But it was Marcello who had the house in a frenzy, delivering some slightly more X-rated entertainment when he engaged his front-row viewers in a shirtless “Mysterious Girl” singalong.

Tonight, we can expect to see hard truths exposed as the Housemates try to discover what connects them all – something like “Seven Degrees of Davina McCall”? – while we’ll be bidding farewell to one of our lovely Housemates already: either barber Dean, pork salesman Nathan, “Baked Potato”/Rosie, or blue-eyed joker Ryan. Who goes? There’s only one way to find out!

Episode 6:

Anticipation was high as the first live eviction of the season got underway, with AJ and Will ready to whisk either Ryan, Nathan, Dean, or Rosie away from the Big Brother house and that £100,000 prize money.

Recapping the events of the last 24 hours, viewers soon learned the outcome of the shopping challenge. Big Brother commended Dean and Khaled on their service skills, as well as Hanah for successfully completing her undercover mission and goading Ryan into filing a complaint. But, between Sarah comparing Martha to a “rotisserie chicken” while leading a workout and Ryan snaffling the “all-inclusive guest” sausages, they’d accumulated a whopping 51 infractions. No one was really surprised, then, to hear that they hadn’t snagged the luxury budget this week.

A game in the garden in which Housemates had to identify which statements linked them together was more successful – even though it was a little contentious. Segun felt the world was becoming too “woke,” Marcello had expressed wanting Donald Trump to be president, and Nathan held the opinions that it was “okay to lie” and that “protestors should be arrested for disrupting traffic.”

Marcello – the doe-eyed flirt – was (unsurprisingly) open to finding love in the Big Brother house, and he had the Housemates in stiches when elaborated that he’s basically the sort of guy “open to romance on the way to the corner shop.” He’s a caution, but not an unlikeable one. He seems to have developed a playful, teasing dynamic with Sarah, and, to a lesser extent, Ali, although he irked the latter by falsely announcing that they’d shared a “vape kiss” in the garden.

They may have lost the shopping task, but Housemates aced the game of “connections”. And their prize left Lily making all kinds of nonsense noises. However, their win had a limiting condition: as they’d only secured an economy budget, the takeaway treat was capped at five people. Luckily, they all agreed that the put upon employees of Coconut Eye-Land Resort should be the ones to tuck in, which meant Lily (who could reel the contents of a Chinese menu off with her eyes closed), Hanah, Marcello, Sarah, and Khaled got to enjoy the well-earned reward.

The Housemates then slayed in an impromptu drag runway – Nathan in particular making for a killer queen – before nervously gathering in the living room for the results of Fridays live eviction. And the first person to be sent packing was…Ryan! The cheeky Northern lad’s time was cut tragically short, but at the very least, we can applaud him for giving us #sausagegate.

Episode 7:

It’s been just over a week since our contingent of cheery Housemates entered the iconic BB house. There’s been a live eviction, stolen sausages, and yesterday Housemates were reprimanded for repeatedly breaking the sacrosanct Big Brother rule: do not discuss nominations! First to be named and shamed were Daze and Lily, who were chained together to the stair rail for the night. Luckily for them, they're best buds.

In the morning, more trouble. Ali and “Baked Potato” (Rosie), and Nathan and Emma, were also publicly told off. And while normally we’d hear Big Brother recount verbatim some scandalous words said about a fellow Housemate, there was nothing of the sort. The accused simply shared a (very) vague sense of where their allegiances might lie. However, enough was enough. This house of rule-breakers was punished en masse and all hot water was turned off. To be honest, Marcello could probably do with a few cold showers. He’s been professing his admiration to any woman within ten feet, and last night he was wooing Rosie.

Later on, Big Brother announced a musical chairs-style challenge in which the winner would become Head of House and be granted an enviable advantage: immunity from this week’s eviction. Khaled and Izaaz were the last two standing, but it was Khaled who finally won the challenge. As a reward, him and his groupies were treated to an exclusive party. Well, this didn’t help the frosty atmosphere growing between 23-year-old Khaled and forensic psychologist Ali, who, along with Lily, are convinced he’s “fake” (and unable to accept that maybe he’s just a genuinely nice person). Even a one-to-one chat ended with Ali rather snobbishly walking off, with the bad feeling unresolved.

Well, it’s something Ali might regret, because Big Brother had another twist up his sleeve. Sitting in the Diary Room, Khaled was informed that he would be able to pick a special power and influence the outcome of this week’s nominations! It was to remain entirely top-secret though. We should find out exactly what that means, and how it affects the other Housemates, in Monday night’s episode. Whatever happens, it’s bound to cause more “can’t look away” BB drama.

Episode 8:

Excitingly, it was the Housemates first time entering the Diary Room to nominate their fellow contestants. After a week of being cordial, this must have been a weird kind of release. It turns out Nathan was finding Izaaz quite superficial and dull, that Martha was annoyed at Nathan for not helping with the chores, and that lots of people found Lily’s personal habits quite revolting. When they’d all vented, those up for nomination were revealed to be: Daze, Ali, and Lily. Interestingly, the people who didn’t receive a single vote were house charmer Marcello, 24-year-old Hanah, bubbly Martha, and Big Brother’s “Baked Potato,” Rosie.

But all that was about to change. Head of House Khaled still had his “special power” to claim, which would dramatically alter the house dynamic. Instructed to proceed unnoticed to Big Brother’s upstairs “basement," Khaled cleverly diverted Dean and Izaaz and slipped with ninja-like stealth through a hidden door.

There, in a room that looked an abandoned IT Department, he was given the option of two special powers: “Save and Replace,” or “Killer Nomination.” The former was pretty self-explanatory. The latter meant picking someone to automatically join the lineup of Housemates already nominated, leaving them vulnerable to eviction. Whatever one he chose, though, Housemates were gonna be hating.

With the Housemates gathered on the living room sofas, Khaled stood up at Big Brother's bequest. He announced he’d been granted a game-changing power and had picked “Killer Nomination” (dun-dun-dun!). And the person in his crosshairs was…Martha?! Loveable, cuddly, Martha?!

Khaled explained he felt this was the most "fair” choice in impossible situation. Tearing up, Martha left the room, and discord quickly bubbled up. Ali proceeded to harangue Khaled for the “real” reason he picked her, committed to uncovering a malign motive whether there was one or not. She's convinced he’s a game-player (remember how the Housemates turned on big-hearted Zak from Season 1?), while Khaled countered that she was “vilifying” him. Then there was lots of nit-picking and PR damage control over semantics (Nathan defended Khaled’s use of the word “fair” to justify choosing Martha, which Daze said was “invalidating." Ali, meanwhile, was okay with calling Khaled “fake,” but didn't like his use of the word “vilify” and felt it would weaponize the public against her. *Sigh*. In any case, tiny fissures soon became full blown cracks in the BB house.

So that means that like last week, there are four people facing nomination. And, if you want to see less nose-picking and booger-eating on your TV screens, then we think you know who to vote for…

Episode 9:

The Housemates were feeling the strain of being trapped with a bunch of strangers and scrutinized by millions on live TV. Ali was all but ready to exit via the back door as the beef between her and Khaled appeared unreconcilable. On her part, couldn’t drop the opinion that he had been “fake,” and when she did extend an olive branch and asked to get to know him better, he disregarded the gesture as disingenuous.

That was it. After a sleepless night debating whether to leave the reality TV experiment, she told Housemates she was outta there! The thought of her going was galling to 20-year-old Lily, who felt Ali was the coolest person she’d ever met, especially being an activist – even if she didn’t have a clue what she was talking about half the time. Luckily, after a long chat with Big Brother – who it seems also moonlights as Agony Aunt – Ali decided to stay. Having come so close to a dramatic departure, she and Khaled were finally able to shut up, reconcile, and move on. Hurray! Now, let the good times roll.

Or perhaps not! For a time, all was upbeat vibes. Head of House Khaled, assisted by 25-year-old videographer Segun, won the day’s task by successfully guessing who the majority of Housemates would select when given two randomly-drawn names and a bunch of (somewhat contentious) statements. Their reward? The hot water was finally turned back on, and the smelly sods could wash . But that “perk” was quickly withdrawn when Lily and Martha were each revealed to have broken the nominations rule! Time to give in and break out the nose pegs!

Not only was hot water revoked again, but Lily and Martha had to go to report to jail in the garden dressed in their orange prison apparel, where they sat somewhat miserably until 1am. All this misfortune seemed to be souring Martha’s usually cheerful puss, and she was soon griping about Khaled and siding with Lily that he was “fake," too, just hours after that discussion had been shelved. It probably didn’t help that only yesterday he’d dealt her the “Killer Nomination” blow, which could see her leaving the house on Friday.

Episode 10:

Morning Prime Minister! Yes, Head of House Khaled woke up to find he was now running the country (sorry Keir!) as part of this week’s Downing Street shopping challenge. Along with Big Brother-appointed ministers Emma, Nathan, and Daze, they’d have to work together to keep within their one hundred million pound budget to win the task.

Former Page 3 model Emma took to politics like a duck to water: scolding the workers, withholding funds, and generally enjoying being a bit “evil.” Then later that evening the MPs lived their best Conservative Government fantasy with an evening soiree that gave serious #partygate vibes.

Meanwhile, #bagelgate blew up. After Dean chucked Downing Street’s one leftover sarnie (halloumi, yummm) in the bin – he didn’t want to forfeit the task – Izaaz lamented the waste. Which it was, but not as wasteful as the next 30 minutes of viewers’ lives, as a mischievous Izaaz kept the bagel beef going. As punishment for stirring up trouble, Emma picked Izaaz to complete the next task. That involved Thomas and him guarding Downing Street all night, and refusing to allocate any budget to hire a third guard to give them a break. Bad, bad Emma! A few hours in and they looked seconds away from doing a Tweety Bird and propping up their eyelids with cocktail sticks.

Did Izaaz and Thomas sleep on the job? Will the common worker revolt against the salmon-scoffing, champagne-chugging political elite? Check in tonight and get all the unfolding Downing Street dramas!

Episode 11:

It was day two of the Downing Street challenge. Draped in blankets and utterly exhausted, Izaaz and Thomas tapped out after staying awake an incredible 11 hours to help secure a luxury shopping budget for the week. As they caught some z’s, some scandalous headlines were relayed to the rest of the house, courtesy of Big Brother’s mischief-making producers. “Late night booze-fuelled bash” Sarah declared, as she read aloud of PM Khaled’s lavish secret party with ministers Nathan, Emma and Daze, while the rest of the house sadly ate economy budget rations of muesli and pasta. There was a blow-by-blow account of #bagelgate, and Izaaz was fuming to find out ministers could have chosen a third Downing Street security guard – but declined to – that would have provided him and Thomas with a few hours of shut eye.

And the political elite continued to poke the bear, deliberately picking a sleep-deprived Izaaz to participate in the final task. That involved milking a fake cow that intermittently gushed brown goo from its orifices, as a handful of contestants churned and packed eight containers of butter. But all that effort seemed to pay off. Big Brother soon announced they’d successfully passed that week’s challenge and secured the luxury budget! There was general elation in the house. They’d eat like kings, order a few hundred packs of Tangfastics, and get their hot water supply back! Yet Izaaz continued to scowl, feeling disrespected and wary of former firm friends like Khaled.

The wee hours saw boozy celebrations, and the revelation of a house romance! It turns out that pork salesman Nathan and Rosie “Baked Potato” had the hots for each other! As they tried to share a clandestine kiss in the garden, Lily quickly caught on and joined them. And, fairly sloshed and feeling a certain way, she made things weird by repeatedly asking to snog them too. It wasn’t long before the cat was out of the bag. And later that night, the housemates had a laugh at Nathan’s expense by leaving a condom in his bed.

This week has seen bust ups, lots of laughter, and now, love. But it’s about to get real once more as another person leaves the Big Brother house. Lily, Daze, and Ali were all nominated by the house to face the public vote, while poor Martha was thrown into the mix thanks to Khaled's killer nomination power. Tune in tonight for the nail-biting episode, and catch all the fallout of the live eviction.

Episode 12:

Another contestant said goodbye to their TV family in last night’s live eviction, and AJ and Will gave us a look back at the last 24-hours of rule breaking and awkward new romance.

As contestants dreamily discussed their incoming luxury shop after winning the week’s Downing Street task, Big Brother boomed that there’d been another rule break – the fourth in just two weeks. Martha, along with a few others, had absent-mindedly flaunted Big Brother’s commandment that “thou shalt not communicate in code or write messages,” by scrawling innocuous graffiti on the smoking area wall. Martha advertising that she “smells the nicest” resulted in coffee, tea, chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks, and biscuits all being stricken from their shopping list. It was getting a bit ridiculous, and coming just hours after their jubilant win yesterday. A tearful Martha fled the room, most housemates simply groaned, while Daze tried to get Lily to show some composure as she lamented losing her haul of Tangfastics.

Still, they got out of their funk for that day’s Alphabet challenge! Each contestant donned a letter and, when the claxon sounded, had to arrange themselves into a word responding to a question posted by Big Brother. Ironically, Dean couldn’t spell the word “Coffee” – it was the one thing he craved the most. But, despite that, they secured another win and reward, and got all dolled up to enjoy a house D-I-S-C-O later that evening. Gathered in the hot tub, Lily insisted on sucking Martha’s toe, and called Thomas, Marcello et al boring when they wouldn’t surrender their little piggies too. Then the 20-year-old and general Tasmanian Devil riled Rosie up again by cheekily mentioning her and Nathan’s romance. Taking a minute to herself, Rosie admitted to Nathan that she was an awkward person. Yet she just generally seemed embarrassed about the whole thing. Every time her and Nathan talked about their relationship, they spoke like members of COBRA during a national crisis. Is she already regretting their kiss? She didn’t hold back from telling Big Brother that, apart from having polar opposite views politically, he just isn’t the kind of guy she’d date in the outside world.

And talking of the outside world, one of the contestants was about to re-enter it. Despite her drama with Khaled, the crowd cheered for Ali. Lily seemed popular too, while Daze and Martha both got more muted receptions as their names of the nominees were called out. Finally, breaking the interminable tension in the room, it was announced that…Daze would be the second person to leave the Big Brother house. Lily was crestfallen. For her, it truly was the end of days as she said goodbye to her best friend in the whole house.

Episode 13:

It's going to be a deliciously tense and twisty week ahead as the incoming Heads of House – yes, there’s two of them! – were given all the VIP perks of the job (comfy robes and slippers), in addition to the game-changing ability to play puppet master and influence the outcome of Friday's eviction.

Housemates were sullen following Daze’s departure from the show. Lily, most definitely. But perhaps even more so Emma, who was close to throttling Lily as she loudly shrieked and squealed her way through eviction night. As the 53-year-old told Big Brother, Lily was the one person she wouldn’t personally miss and she looked forward to the day she contracted laryngitis.

Marcello ruffled some feathers when, with the housemates gathered round the sofas, he sadly divulged that the last two weeks were the longest he’d gone without having sex. Dean concurred. And that conversation snowballed into a bawdy enquiry over who might have enjoyed a few hand shandies in the shower.

A disgruntled Ali tried to shut that conversation down, but heaped her criticism on Marcello for even bringing the topic up, worried that she could lose work just by being associated with that taboo topic. Marcello felt personally attacked, and although they both tried to bury the hatchet later, bad blood remained. Interestingly, Ali remains a staunch apologist for all of Lily’s unsavory behaviors, like belching in people’s faces.

Later, Khaled was stripped of his Head of House title, and by a process of elimination, his replacement was chosen. One by one housemates filed into a room filled with glass portraits of each contestant. They would have to pick one person they didn’t want to have all the power of HOH and, oh so satisfyingly, shatter their portrait. In the end, two remained: forensic psychologist Ali and East End barber Dean, and it was announced that both of them would be joint Heads of House for the week.

Now for an intriguing, game-changing twist. Big Brother hurried Ali and Dean off to the basement, where “decisions are made that will change the game.” They were asked to pair up the remaining twelve housemates, who would then nominate TOGETHER (Big Brother contravening its own cardinal rule there) against another pair of contestants. They began by dividing them up into groups in a relatively fair way, balancing out more contentious figures with a generally more well-liked housemate. But Dean wasn't going to play too nice. He put Marcello and Khaled together, who he thought were the “most problematic” duo, in the hope they’d get the most votes and one of them would be sent home.

The remaining pairings were: Hanah and Lily; Nathan and Izaaz; Sarah and Baked Potato; Emma and Thomas; and Martha and Segun.

We can see Hanah getting thrown under the bus in this arrangement, as Lily grates on quite a few people's nerves. Meanwhile, Izaaz and his trouble-making #bagelgate antics haven’t helped endear him to the group. Either way, it should be fun to see how this “dual” approach to the game pans out over the next few days.

Episode 14:

“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive.” Last night’s incident-packed episode was overflowing with emotional outbursts and near-the-knuckle drama. And we’re sure things are going to get more heated as rule-breaks lead housemates to discover what their so-called friends really think of them.

Martha, the bubby lass from Scarborough, turned 27 yesterday and Big Brother treated her to some cake and a Wispa Gold. But the celebrations were quickly squashed by the all-encompassing drama of nominations day. Grouped in twos by Heads of House Ali and Dean, the individual pairs took to the Diary Room to pick one other pair they’d like to nominate for eviction. And despite Big Brother explaining that they could only discuss their reasons together in the Diary Room, we’re sure housemates flaunted that rule time and again throughout the episode.

Although co-heads, Ali was easily swayed by Dean’s decision making. He seemed to have it in for “the boys,” meaning Marcello and Khaled. Ali agreed to nominating them – though keenly aware of the bad feeling that would inevitably follow – but she said she personally would have voted for Sarah and Baked Potato. Apparently, Ali’s pet peeve is nice people. “Marchy” and Khaled stuck it to Nathan and Izaaz, and Segun and Martha followed suit, as did Hanah and Lily. The intriguing twist of group nominations made the process a whole lot more complicated. Nathan, for example, is generally well-liked, but by being associated with Izaaz, who contestants felt had shown his true colors of late, he found himself in danger of eviction. The same was true of the Hanah/Lily duo. Though everyone thought Hanah pretty brilliant, Lily could come across as an inconsiderate brat, and that meant they received a total of three votes. Those came courtesy of Nathan and Izaaz, Emma and Thomas, and Sarah and Baked Potato.

Outside of all the Diary Room action, Marcello was still sore about Ali’s outburst yesterday. We were treated to Nathan and Baked Potato’s lip-smacking kisses in Surround Sound, and Hanah – god bless her! – was giving Lily some Pretty Woman-esque etiquette lessons. Well, if Richard Gere had to ask Julia Roberts to refrain from wiping her boogers on near-total strangers.

Ali was close to passing out as contestants gathered to hear the outcome of this week’s nominations. Because, Big Brother (the bitch) had royally stitched Ali and Dean up by once again prompting them to influence who would face Friday’s public vote. Like Khaled previously, the Heads of House were given a preview of which pairings faced the chop –Hanah and Lily, and Nathan and Izaaz – and then asked to decide between “Saving and Replacing” one pair for another, or “Killer Nomination,” which would add on an additional pair to endure Friday’s live eviction.

Big Brother announced the nominations. “Dodged that bullet,” Marcello prematurely muttered. Because Ali – unable to hold back tears – and Dean then revealed that they’d chosen to pick the special power of “Save and Replace” and, after much careful deliberation (hmm) had chosen to save Lily and Hanah and instead replace them with Marcello and Khaled. It was an intense situation for Ali, who’d had beef with them both and knew she’d bear the brunt of the decision. Marcello and Khaled seemed to take the news graciously – well, until Khaled could no longer stop himself from pulling Ali aside to reveal her double standards. Seeing his actions as under-handed point scoring, she flipped, and their prior animosity was revived tenfold. In no uncertain terms, she told him that any bridges they had built had been burnt.

With emotions high, we’re certain there were half-a-dozen rule-breaks yesterday. Ali told Nathan “I would never nominate you” and took the opportunity to share that Dean’s opinions had been the formative ones in their pairings. The guys love Dean. They might not feel the same way after tonight’s episode when Big Brother is bound to air word-for-word some of these private conversations to the whole group.

Episode 15:

All the pre-show talk that “the red witch is coming” had us thinking Big Brother was just a little premature with its Halloween-themed challenge. But the reality was a lot more explosive as Big Brother divulged a private conversation and punitively removed the housemates’ food for continuing to break the rules.

The morning after the fallout of nominations, both Ali and Khaled individually reflected that maybe they were to blame for their spectacular fallout. But burnt bridges soon deteriorated into nuked municipalities. Big Brother’s voice boomed out in the living room as contestants were called out for breaking house rules. No surprise there!

Some innocuous exchanges were relayed between Ali and Nathan and people tittered or rolled their eyes. But they saved the most incendiary exchange for last. Taking place upstairs between Hanah, Khaled, and Segun, Big Brother recounted Hanah declaring that she didn’t trust the Heads of House and, most cringe-worthy, repeated Segun's comments that Ali was a “wolf” and “the red witch.” Ouch!

Hanah hilariously shouted Big Brother down as they were handed their collective punishment. All food was confiscated immediately, and everyone was placed on a strict diet of plain porridge. It was very Oliver Twist, and soon, they were at each other’s throats. Hanah threatened hunger strike. Marcello berated Sarah for announcing that a prohibited chicken had been left in the oven. And Lily’s complaints to Big Brother fell on deaf ears, met with the delightfully stern rejoinder that “Lily will learn to like the porridge.”

As Emma commented in the Diary Room, “It’s not a fairytale house today.” But Ali’s feelings that she’d been villainised as a cartoon "red witch" villain finally had some legs. And there were a few touching moments of reconciliation amid the turmoil. Taking pity on Ali, Izaaz told her he’d gladly keep her company if she was ever alone, which made her choke up, while Segun took Ali aside to apologise for the harsh things he’d said, which she admitted she “rated” anyway.

Relationships are being tested and housemates are feeling the strain. Let’s hope they can keep it together and maybe make amends when we return to the house tonight.

Episode 16:

Ah, Big Brother was keeping the indignities coming! Already half-starved, housemates were hurried out of bed to begin the week’s shopping challenge. In the pairs allotted by Heads of House Ali and Dean earlier in the week, housemates such as Emma and Thomas, and Segun and Martha, dressed up as rodents and spent most the day sharing a cage, as the Big Brother house transformed into R.A.T. Labs. Ali and Dean took on the guise of scientists, while Hanah and Lily became their assistants, and between them they had to correctly guess how housemates would respond to a series of challenges. If they got the majority right, then they’d secure the luxury budget! Of course, even as they tried to predict other people's “rodent behaviour”, no one was safe from the scrutiny of the Big Brother microscope.

The first task required the scientists to pick two pairs, and subject one to stress, and the other to a tranquil, positive environment as they tried to complete a challenge, in order to test their hypothesis that people perform better under pressure. Nathan and Izaaz were weirded out Ali and Dean's affected niceties, while Hanah and Lily subjected Sarah and Rosie to mild shocks and a torrent of abuse.

Following each experiment, the rats were sent back to their confinement, and adding insult to injury, the hungry housemates were given bowls of chopped vegetables. Meanwhile, Ali and her boffins gorged on a mouthwatering Nandos buffet. Lily revealed all kinds of aspect of her personality. Her use of the word “dichotomy” was something of a mic drop moment. Then the greedy guts filled up on a ridiculous amount of chicken, and pizza slathered in massaman curry. Clutching her stomach and groaning, Big Brother gave us a little taste of her fate as a camera panned over to the toilet door, behind which Lily's mic captured some pretty icky squelchy sounds.

The second experiment tested the contestants willpower, asking: “Will the lab rats put themselves first at the expense of others?” Impressively, despite one whole day of plain porridge followed by rabbit food, Thomas remained stoic in the face of a strawberries and a chocolate fountain. Emma did too, but she was centimeters away from planting her face in the liquid chocolate. Placed in the same situation, Marcello and Khaled likewise stood firm.

After correctly predicting the outcome of the third experiment, in which Martha got to eat a white chocolate Easter egg while poor Segun ended up with bin juice in all those hard to reach crevices, Big Brother relayed the result of the shopping challenge. The scientists had successfully predicted the outcome of two of the three tasks, which meant (*squeals*) the luxury budget was theirs! No more slumming it, at least until the next rule break.

Finally, (almost) everyone was in good spirits. Marcello performed a house rap about the Big Brother housemates that even had Ali laughing, Lily and Thomas were seen giggling in each other’s arms in bed, and Segun and Emma praised Marcello as an asset to the house. Even Izaaz, failing to fall asleep as housemates continued horsing around, couldn’t help but crack a tired smile. But eviction day is looming and this is Big Brother, so how long can the good times realistically last?

Episode 17:

It was the (sort of) calm before the storm in the house yesterday. Housemates had formed into splinter groups to discuss who they thought were the game-players and fakers. Nathan found Martha’s upbeat attitude hard to believe – and took offense at her repeated use of the word “slay”. Lily, meanwhile, refused to believe that Segun was as nice as he appeared, remaining suspicious after Big Brother’s reveal that he’d dubbed Ali the “red witch.” Elsewhere, Emma told Hanah she was reaching her limit with Lily’s anti-social behavior and eardrum-piercing screams, whose OTT antics she felt were all for the cameras. But they kept their grumbles largely to themselves.

Jubilation followed Big Brother's announcement that their weekly shop has arrived – including coffee, tea, and a haul of sugary treats that would have given Willy Wonka palpitations. Despite having been in the house three weeks now, this was their first time enjoying a fully stocked store cupboard. Consequently, Lily elatedly shovelled half a jar of biscuit spread and handfuls of crisps into her mouth, terrified her treasury of snacks might be snatched back any minute.

With contestants still basking in the glow of Wednesday’s win, Big Brother sanctioned just one small challenge yesterday. Baked Potato and Sarah were tasked with spreading an outlandish rumor that Nathan was a multi-millionaire who had a superyacht and lots of A-list friends. The kicker was that they could only tell one other person, so they needed to be sure they picked someone who'd reliably pass the misinformation on, with half the house needing to buy the lies to pass the task. Martha was their chosen patsy. They'd picked well, it seemed, as she pretty quickly squealed to a listless Ali in the bedroom. But in no time she was also voicing her suspicious that they were on a secret mission, leading Rosie to lament her woeful ability at telling porky pies. #challengefail.

Khaled and Ali buried the hatchet once again, with the 23-year-old sales manager not wanting to go tomorrow with any bad blood still between them. And, having frozen each other out over the last few days, Ali and Hanah finally cleared the air. No thanks to Dean.

Now another live eviction looms. It's an all-boys lineup too, consisting of Marcello, Khaled, Nathan, and Izaaz. Who will get closer to that £100,000, and who will be shown the door to the Big Brother house? Whatever the outcome, the repercussions are bound to cause shockwaves, so make sure you tune in tonight to see how it all pans out!

Episode 18:

Another member of Team Big Brother hugged their TV family goodbye yesterday, becoming the third person voted out of the house. That followed AJ and Will’s recap of a day in which the mood was a mix of both salty and sweet. Saltiest of all was Nathan, whose animosity towards Martha has now been pretty clearly telegraphed to the perky 27-year-old from Scarborough, while he also stated his opinion that Izaaz wouldn’t be missed if he was voted out. Geez, tell us what you really think! But Martha had picked up on his growing disdain, increasingly under the impression that Nathan and Baked Potato were talking behind people’s backs.

Otherwise, everyone seemed pretty content. There was even the possibility of more than friendship between Thomas and Lily. The 20-year-olds chatted candidly, teased each other, and, erm, even smelt each other’s hands. Emma goaded Baked Potato and Nathan to declare themselves boyfriend and girlfriend (yes guys, its official!), and Thomas and Segun had a pillow fight over Ali while tucking her snugly into bed. But a parlor game initiated by Big Brother sprinkled salt in some old wounds...

In the pairs assigned by the Heads of House, contestants had to either answer a “spicy” question picked from a hat, or forfeit and take a shot of hot sauce. A question about which housemate was the most fake inevitably came up. Martha took the opportunity to take a shot at Nathan, while Khaled wearily rolled his eyes when his name mentioned once again. “Who doesn’t pull their weight?” That was a no-brainer, and Sarah called out Lily, who continues to leave a trail of dirty plates and socks in her wake. But the most contentious question was, “Who do think will win Big Brother?” Lily had her bets on her red haired friend Ali. But when Hanah said Segun and raised a half-empty bottle in his honor, Lily loudly disagreed and got a stern dressing down from Hanah for what she perceived as general bad manners.

One person who definitely wouldn’t be winning was Izaaz. As Friday's live eviction took place, he, Khaled, Nathan, and Marcello listened carefully to discover their fate, and Izaaz shot up when AJ announced his name first among the nominees. A nervous, pre-emptive reaction perhaps, but as it turns out, the right one. Izaaz – thrilled at the prospect of being reunited with his son – became the third person to leave the Big Brother house. With the show already nearing its half-way point, we can all expect the evictions to come devastatingly thick and fast in the remaining weeks to come.

Episode 19:

It didn’t take long for tensions to ignite in the house - possibly less than 5 minutes after cameras had lost sight of Izaaz, the third person to leave the Big Brother house. Friday’s live crowd had been mostly cheering, but the chants of a few critics asking for someone (Lily or Martha) to be booted out cut through, and a tearful Lily was convinced they were aimed at her.

Privately, Hanah told Martha, yes, she thought she heard “Lily,” but when Martha badgered her into announcing it out loud in front of Lily, she refused. Hanah felt like Martha was trying to make her out to be a villain, as did Emma, and they got into a big slanging match before Big Brother summoned Hanah to the Diary Room to cool off. Martha took the high road and apologised, and Hanah accepted, but she didn't get soppy about it. She'd forgive, she said, but she wouldn't forget.

The next morning, before even Big Brother could yank it subjects out of their slumber, a stir crazy Lily had half the house awake. As Segun sleepily complained to Big Brother, housemates discovered their next challenge – and it was an absurdly silly one. Operation Oblivious saw the contestants tasked with keeping Segun in the dark about all sorts of crazy events that tore through the house over the day. Just after 9am, giddy housemates had to pop dozens of balloons filling the living room before Segun returned. Celebrity Big Brother winner David Potts, dressed as a giant sunflower, appeared in the garden and had to be conveyed to the Diary Room without drawing suspicion. At some point, Lily took Segun aside to ask his advice on a recent dream she’d had about monsters with boobs, which bought them a few minutes of time. We also saw Marcello tethered to a giant plastic turkey before the final hurdle – a noisy bathroom rave that had to include 10 people for 10 minutes. Segun remained fairly oblivious, despite commenting that the vibes in the house were seriously off, which meant the challenge was a success. Subsequently, they all enjoyed some delicious-looking apple and raspberry crumble deserts!

Most hilarious were trouble-makers Nathan and Baked Potato, the former of who thought it would be a fantastic idea to wake Emma up by throwing a cold glass of water over her. Chief mischief maker Nathan – who’s already drawn on Emma's face as she snoozed – escaped her wrath unscathed. But poor, innocent Rosie became collateral damage. Shrieking wildly, the episode ended with her utterly soaked after she was scooped her up and plunged into the hot tub. And while Nathan may have gotten away with it for now, he should probably start sleeping with one eye open.

Episode 20:

Big Brother took housemates on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster yesterday. The day's main “challenge” saw Big Brother ringing the house throughout the day, with one person required to answer and complete the call. Sarah was instructed to give Marcello a makeover. Big Brother wound up Baked Potato with the promise of a prize, and Martha was the victim of a “scam call,” which meant the house lost its coffee, tea, and Tangfastics (Dean was incensed!)

Later that evening, Big Brother tried to set off fireworks by broadcasting some hot gossip. “You are live on BB FM. Tell me one thing you’ve never told anyone,” the caller asked Marcello. “Nine inches Big Brother” he said, before Big Brother explained this part of the game. BB would ask a question, and whoever it concerned had to take the phone and answer the next one. This meant divulging lots of bitchy comments spoken in private – such as Nathan describing Segun as “nicely boring” and Martha saying Rosie had “mean girl energy” – but no one really cared as the prize they’d win was booze!

Then, as housemates knocked back their alcoholic beverages, Big Brother set off the waterworks. Calling the house once more, Sarah was put through to Reece, Dean’s boyfriend. She left Dean sobbing as she relayed his words that he loved him very much and everyone at home was proud of him. It was a very tender moment. Ali was next to be gifted with a personal call. And it would have been equally heart-warming, if a slurring Lily hadn’t been loudly shouting and sloppily relaying the message. Ali didn’t seem to mind, though, and even Ali’s girlfriend commented, “Lily, you’re drunk, but I love you.” Then things just got hazier as Marcello and Lily became involved in a rather inappropriate tête-à-tête in the bedroom that Ali sensibly broke up.

The drama’s been coasting the last few days. However, with the announcement that “Halloweek” is about to begin tonight, viewers can expect Evil Big Brother have more than a few jaw-dropping tricks up his sleeve.

Episode 21:

Vying for the role of head of house this week, contestants had to survive a number of spooky, Halloween-themed games in which they were “killed” or “cursed”, with the one survivor crowned HOH. On the bright side, they’d be made immune from eviction. But, in addition to a fluffy robe, they’d also be forced to make some very unpopular decisions.

Gathering around Big Brother’s fake campfire in the living room and dressed like teens from an '80s slasher movie, they each took turns reading an excerpt from a Big Brother-penned scary story, and had to fill in the blanks with the name of a fellow contestant. Nathan ruled Martha out of contention for Head of House, and a “possessed” Ali summarily poured a skull-shaped container of "blood" over her. Let's just say, she wasn’t best pleased. Next, discovering “protective amulets” kept six others in the game, while, based on a group decision, four more (Dean, Ali, Hanah, and Khaled) were "cursed” and subsequently gunked.

Upset by Sarah's "fakery" for choosing to save Nathan over her – having thought they were friends – Hanah poured her heart out to Big Brother about missing her girls on the outside, saying that she just didn’t connect with the girls here. An empathetic Ali noticed she was having a tough time and took her aside, utilizing her top-notch listening skills, offering some advice, and gifting her a hug. That's the Ali we've been wanting to see!

As for Dean? We’re beginning to think he’s more deceptive than others realize, keeping his feelings about people close to his chest. Sitting with Rosie in the garden, he responded to the curious cawing emanating from a plastic toy bird. “Hi. I’m Claire the crow” she chirpily told Dean. “Who do you wanna murder?” Well, it turns out Dean had a few people on his hit list. As they all sat on the sofas, Big Brother announced that, with the help of a killer crow, one of them had taken out Marcello and Segun, preventing them from becoming HOH.

“There are rats among us,” Marchy dramatically said. Which wasn't totally untrue! After letting Ali take the heat for their joint decision to put Marcello and Khaled up for eviction last week, Dean is definitely proving to be underhanded and duplicitous! Only Rosie knew that Dean had chatted to the crow, and he later swore her to secrecy.

Finally, sheer chance saw saucy, 53-year-old Emma become this week's Head of House. It was a role she was reluctant to embrace, recognising it as the poisoned chalice producers intend it to be. Once again, the HOH was sent to the now not-so-secret basement, where Big Brother divulged her explosive special power. She was to be an “Evil Head of House” during “Halloweek.” And her first malevolent deed? She alone had to chose four housemates to face the public vote on Friday. She lamentably marked her selections – Martha, Thomas, Khaled, and Ali – by sticking pins in the voodoo dolls with their faces on.

“More wicked things are coming your way” Big Brother informed her, to which a vexed Emma hilariously cried, “Oh fuck off Big Brother!!” – which made us chuckle. We get the feeling that they’ll be one or two jaw-dropping “flash evictions” this week, and we can’t wait for all the diabolical drama to begin!

Episode 22:

Evil schemes were afoot in the Big Brother house. But just because someone was clearly about to be shown the door didn’t mean they couldn’t look, in Martha’s words, totally slay.

“Halloweek” was in full swing and Big Brother kitted the contestants out in some killer costumes. Ali was living her best “red witch” fantasy. Emma squeezed herself into a fetching dominatrix devil outfit, and Marcello was a hairy werewolf. They were a pretty good reflection of their characters, although we have no idea what Khaled was supposed to be, who lamented that he wanted to be a werewolf and instead was dressed "like a silver dildo.”

The tricks and treats were doled out thick and fast by evil Head of House Emma. Walking around with a tray of chocolate covered foods, half delicious, half disgusting, she was given carte blanche to hand these out as she chose. Was Emma softening the blow of bad news when she gave Ali and Martha the tasty apple option? Martha thought so, and clearly her intuition was spot on! Meanwhile, Emma got prank revenge on Nathan when he chomped into a chocolate covered ONION! Ha!

During the day in the garden, Emma headed up a Halloween-themed game of trust. Lining themselves up in a row, four housemates at a time were told by Emma where to stand, with one area certain to see that housemate gunged. If they trusted Emma, they stayed put. If they didn't, they could move to another spot. Lily, unsurprisingly, found herself slimed. Wolf Man Marchy got oozed too.

Much later, Big Brother gathered housemates for the final part of the day's activities. Anticipation was in the air. The whole game had clearly been a pretext for this moment, and the HOH, Khaled, Ali, Martha, and Thomas – the people Emma picked for eviction in the secret basement yesterday – were sent to the garden. It was explained that Emma had chosen them to face eviction, and she calmly told each of them why.

But she was as gagged as everyone else when Big Brother said whoever got slimed next would be leaving IMMEADIATELY. “I didn’t know” she gasped. Creepy carnival music played as one by one they discovered who the public most wanted to see sent home. Khaled was safe, and Ali. Thomas accepted his potential fate with equanimity, while Martha opined that “this isn’t very slay, it’s pretty nay Big Brother,” or something to that effect. Then, as open-mouthed housemates held hands and watched from the window, Martha was gunked and given her marching orders – but not before a sharing some love with the rather shaken contestants through the living room glass.

We expect Evil Big Brother’s reign of terror to continue tonight, with some kind of devilish twist ahead of Friday’s live eviction, with one – perhaps two, or three!? – housemates yanked out of the game and back into the real world.

Episode 23:

After Martha’s shock exit, Big Brother’s freaky “Halloweek” madness continued as the house transformed into Camp Bloodstone and contestants were split into two teams: “immortal vampires and brave villagers.”

As the decidedly evil Head of House, Emma became head vampire and got to choose her undead minions. To keep things fair, or so she thought, she picked Ali, Thomas, and Khaled – those who’d survived yesterday’s eviction – along with Dean and Segun to join her crew. Everyone else became shabbily dressed, gap-toothed villagers. But it turned out, while the vampires had the glamor, it was the villagers that held the power, and it was revealed that blood-suckers couldn’t leave their lair during the day without being invited in. And pitchfork wielding Hanah and her mob weren’t about to let that happen, so certain they were it would lead them to losing the shopping task. An incensed Emma – absolutely dying for a vape – would just have to suck it.

Although largely kept apart, there were a series of one-on-one competitions between the mortal enemies of vampires and villagers in which they were required to harvest the most fake blood. Ali and Sarah battled it out to suck the blood from cadavers (some surprisingly animated!) and fill up their large glass beakers. Sarah smashed the challenge, and Ali skulked back to her gloomy lair.

The next challenge saw Dean go up against Nathan, with whoever spilt the most “bad blood” about the other housemates winning pints of the red stuff. Dean didn’t hold back! But, after weeks of avoiding conflict, he came off as excessively mean and petty. “Who will you never speak to again after leaving the house?” Sarah, he said, unexpectedly, describing how hearing her talk could be physically painful ("like the tone of your voice," he helpfully clarified later). Nathan opted to say Dean, feeling that he was “all out to win”.

Next, Dean tore Marcello a new one. He not only thought Marcello had “manipulated” the house by cooking for everyone, but went so far as to say he was “everything I hate in a person.” When the vampires were let loose that evening, Marcello approached him in good faith to chat, but, perhaps feeling attacked, Dean doubled down with pretty dismissive remarks, saying “I don’t fuck with toxic masculinity.” The East End barber might have just put a target on his back. But at least he’s finally being transparent?

There’s another live eviction coming tonight. But who in the heck will we see ejected from the house? Only Emma, as Evil HOH, was able to nominate this week. That led to a gloopy Martha being booted out on Wednesday. Can we expect a random competition to decide which of the remaining twelve go? Or will the person holding the second most votes after Martha, following Emma’s picks of Ali, Thomas, and Khaled at the beginning of “Halloweek,” find that one of them is going home?

Episode 24:

AJ and Will recounted the main events from the previous day as the live crowd waited for the fifth live eviction. Still split into “villagers” and “vampires," and really living out that “mortal enemies” enmity (the mob mentality was giving Ali the ick), Segun and Baked Potato (aka Rosie) bravely stepped up for the final challenge. Tasked with not spilling the blood that resided on each end of a yoke over their shoulders, they stood firm as they were assailed by ghoulish characters in the dark, with Segun remaining composed even as a creature revved a chainsaw in front of him and lights flashed on and off. Neither moved. Neither spilt a drop. And both successfully passed the task.

But which team had won by collecting the most blood? The vampires had it! “Karma” Ali commented, referring to the villagers’ "mean girl "behavior during the latter half of “Halloweek”. But, in a devilish twist no one saw coming, the winning team would enjoy both a luxury shop and they alone would be able to nominate their fellow housemates for eviction. Which they had to do immediately. And face to face. Argh!

Ali nominated the two people (of a fair few) she’s had beef with so far, Marcello and Hanah. Dean, fairly predictably after his cutting comments yesterday, chose Sarah and Marcello, while Khaled and Thomas picked Lily for being loud and inconsiderate.

Then – just when we thought this week’s nominees were locked in – we were caught off guard by an additional, but kind of karmic, twist. “Evil” Emma was once again given the power to influence the nominations as Head of House. Subsequently, she put a stake through the heart of her vampire brethren, Dean, in order to “Save and Replace” Nathan, and justifying it as a “mercy killing” given that he was missing his partner Reece. Now Dean was distraught, but for a totally different reason – he had actually REALLY wanted to win!

The final lineup confirmed to face eviction on Friday in a flash public vote were: Dean, Marcello, Lily, and Hanah.

Pondering their potentially final moments in the house, they filled into the Diary Room to chat with Big Brother. Most accepted their situation with equanimity. Marcy was going to enjoy himself, and stop making an effort with Ali – who he later treated to his best death stare from the bubbling hot tub. Lily, on the other hand, was a little more glum. With the Big Brother process causing her to doubt herself, she reflected that “I came into the house thinking I was really nice.” But all she’d heard a lot from others about how they didn't like the way she acted. She was annoyed that her behavior was being critiqued like she was some kind of child, she said, and punctuated her thoughts with a well-timed burp.

Clearly opting not to change their view of "Lily the Inconsiderate", she rattled the winning team by taking Khaled’s Dairy Milk from under his bed and, by scoffing a few blocks, dooming the winning team to join the losers for a week of no-frills foodstuffs.

Nathan was clearly delighted. His veneers gleamed as Thomas and Khaled bickered with Lily about her selfish behaviour, chiming in occasionally to play devil’s advocate, while she whined back about their tendency to patronize her. Clearly, she didn’t consider how her behavior would impact others, let alone Ali, her closest ally in the house.

Then, finally, twelve housemates were whittled down to eleven. The roar of the live crowd, the barometer of public opinion, was a pretty good indication of who would be leaving. Lily received the biggest cheer, while Marcello’s reception was a little more muted. Dean, however, was the recipient of some pretty unanimous boo’ing – a reaction to some of his uncalled for comments recently, perhaps? And indeed it was East End barber Dean who left the Big Brother house last night. Well, eventually. Once the production team figured out how to open the doors!

Episode 25:

With the public in general agreement that Dean should be the next one to shimmy out the Big Brother house, life under the 24/7 scrutiny of cameras continued for the remaining eleven housemates.

Forensic psychologist Ali was sad to see Dean leave – her allies were dropping like flies – and, despite being chummy initially, Nathan decided that he was a “dickhead” and wouldn't miss him after his sharp-tongued comments during the Vampires v. Villagers shopping challenge. Hanah was elated, though, planting kisses on all her favorite people’s cheeks and delighted to be staying another week. That elation was pretty short lived, though.

Yes, because Big Brother was mad. This unruly bunch of contestants had been flouting the rules once again! And they would all be punished as a result. It was made crystal clear that the losing “villagers” weren’t to touch the winning team’s luxury shop, or they’d all be doomed to a week of budget, no-frills cuisine. But mere hours after the Vampires secured their tasty treats, Lily had sneaked a few blocks of Khaled’s Dairy Milk fully aware of the consequences. After Lily had sealed the housemates’ fate, the locusts swarmed in knowing that Big Brother would soon confiscate their goodies.

We’ve lost count of how many times the housemates have had their fancy food snatched away. But now it was leading to stomach woes and a collective sugar crash. It could also have been related to Khaled’s storytelling skills, but, as he valiantly tried to entertain his audience by recapping the story of horror film Nefarious, accents not optional, Emma and Sarah appeared to slip off into a coma. Segun's eyelids drooped heavily, Rosie listened politely, and Lily looked on with great amusement.

Elsewhere, Hanah was having a breakdown. Weepy and sugar-starved, she confessed to Big Brother that she was a “soft life babes” and wasn’t made for this kind of deprivation. Later, with her stomach loudly protesting, she demanded her suitcase. She was ready to leave. But Big Brother convinced her to sleep on it before she made any hasty decisions. She agreed, though it didn’t help matters that all that was readily available was Lily’s godawful carrot stew.

That OTHER rule-break turned out to be Nathan’s doing. He stood up as Big Brother recounted his conversation to Sarah and Jacket Spud that he’d never, EVER nominate Emma. The current HOH was chuffed, of course. But he’d broken protocol and would pay the price. Affecting how the game might play out this week, he was made ineligible to become Head of House and therefore cannot gain immunity from eviction this week.

Even worse for him, he would be prevented from nominating too – leaving him vulnerable to the public vote on Friday. While he generally loves a good moan, he did at least try and broker peace between Ali and Marcello, with Ali saying she’d make more of an effort with the youth mentor and musician going forward.

Tune in tonight as Emma hands over her Head of House privileges and find out who’ll be safe from eviction this week (Clue: it won’t be Nathan).

Episode 26:

The housemates awoke to a second day of basic rations. And the general theme of the morning was “We Need To Talk About Lily.” The fun-loving, though difficult to live with, 20-year-old continued to cause problems for the house. After snaffling prohibited chocolate, she’d doomed the house to a painfully bland sugar-free diet. In the Diary Room that morning, a slightly sunnier, though still sugar-starved Hanah, retracted her threat to quit the show, while Ali’s microphone picked up her stomach’s desperate cries after consuming Lily’s awful carrot stew, the peelings of which remained piled high on the living room table. As Segun told a disgruntled Sarah, “the girl needs prayer.”

But Big Brother threw contestants a bone when it announced Big Brother’s Flower Show, and offered two stand-out contestants the chance to join judges Emma and Baked Potato for an evening garden party of prime beverages and lip-smacking foods.

Donning their finest overalls and gardening gloves, Emma and Rosie grouped housemates into different categories of fauna depending on their personality. That included Nuisance Weeds, Shy Wallflowers, Stinging Nettles, and one English Rose, each of which had to perform a set task and impress the judges.

Unsurprisingly, Lily got earmarked as a nuisance weed (not very self-esteem boasting!), as did “grumpy in the mornings” Khaled, who hashed out a poem about personal growth while sat on a pile of manure in the garden. Nettles Nathan – well known for his barbed comments – and Hanah were to be unfailingly courteous all day long, while retiring “wallflowers” Ali and Marcello worked on a dance routine to Demi Lovato’s “Confident,” which saw the two "enemies" bury the hatchet – at least temporarily.

Although the sight of Ali and Marchy with flowers in their hair doing an interpretive dance about their rollercoaster relationship suggested they’d found common ground, other acts unearthed some bad feeling. Dressed in green bodysuits, “Creeping Ivies” Segun and Thomas were to “get off the fence” and give their unvarnished opinions on a range of questions, with Emma posing the salty question, “Who would you vote for if there was a backdoor eviction?” Poor Lily’s name came up time and again. Meanwhile, "beautiful rose" Sarah roasted the housemates as she gave instruction on how to be more like her. Going full in on her critique, Khaled bristled when she said he should stop fawning over himself and “come down from your ivory tower.”

Marcello and Ali were judged the winners, and later joined outgoing Head of House Emma and the delightful Baked Potato (Rosie) for some posh nosh. Meanwhile, Khaled gave Sarah the cold shoulder. Breaking the stony silence to ask if there was anything she’d done, he simply told her to give him some space, while it gradually dawned on her he’d taken her casually withering remarks to heart. Shake it off, Khaled. Shake it off!

Expect a heated Head of House competition and lots of post-nominations drama in the next few days.

Episode 27:

And just like that, the end of Big Brother 2024 is in sight. As Emma enjoyed her last slap up breakfast as Head of House – and Sarah staged a Diary Room sit-in because she couldn’t have sugar in her tea – arrangements were made to appoint one last Head of House ahead of next week’s finale.

But boy, was it a nerve-wracking shambles. Big Brother instructed Emma to assemble the Head of House alumni – herself, Khaled, and Ali – to report to his basement for a top-secret assignment. Yet as Emma went to quietly collect Khaled from the garden, she slipped and went down hard on the wet patio. As she limped off, she convinced her concerned housemates not to fuss, before Khaled scooped her up and carried her fireman-style upstairs.

As they prepared to make a quick dive into Big Brother's basement, Lily observed with eagle-eyes. To her amazement, she watched as Ali disappeared through the upstairs wall. She followed, trying to force her way in as a crowd of gob-smacked contestants looked on wondering where Emma and Ali had disappeared to. A flummoxed Khaled tried to feign innocence yet only stoked suspicion. Time passed, and eventually he diverted his pals into the garden before legging it upstairs to join Emma and Ali in the basement. On arriving, Big Brother's droll comment was everything: "I would say well done but that would be a stretch."

Signaling that were all reaching the show’s endgame, Big Brother asked them to individually select a housemate they’d like to see become the final Head of House. Being chosen would guarantee them a place in the final, as well as all the luxuries of that elevated position. There were no guarantees that Nathan would make it to next week, though, who became ineligible as HOH after discussing nominations. Ali picked her “sister” Lily, who’d brought “excitement and entertainment” to the group. Khaled picked Marcello for his authenticity and “being a big brother on Big Brother,” while Emma praised Sarah's integrity.

But how would the winner be selected? Wrapped up in the garden for firework night fun, a Catherine wheel attached to a board with pictures of all three nominees faces on was ignited, spinning brilliantly before slowing down with the arrow landing on…Marcello! The stoic charmer from East London was stoked and just a little bit emotional, with pretty much everyone was thrilled for him…though Ali still had some minor reservations.

Yet despite housemates building bridges over the last few days, Marcello’s appointment to Head of House reignited an unpleasant ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality in some corners of the house, as Hanah, Segun, Khaled, and Thomas sequestered themselves upstairs to squeal excitedly and exclaim about “justice" - feeling that, somehow, they were the victims of historic wrongs. Will Marcello’s loyalty to them be put to the test this week? Whatever happens, we’re excited to see whether he plays fair, or stirs up trouble ahead of Friday’s live eviction, now that he’s in a position of power.

Episode 28:

Marcello, the last ever Head of House, helped shape the outcome of Big Brother 2024 as housemates – with the exception of Nathan – filed their way into the Diary Room to make their nominations.

The stakes were higher than ever, so close to the finale and that £100,000 bounty. Although Lily has high odds of winning on the outside, she was once again subject to the ire of her fellow housemates. Yes, she’s proven quite an endearing, fun-to-watch wildcard, but she’d be a nightmare to live with. Her chaotic behaviour, ear-piercing cries, and slap-dash approach to cleanliness saw her recieve a whopping six votes, including from Emma, Sarah, Segun, and Thomas. Ali got the second highest number with four – Hanah and Segun, for one thing, felt she was only cosying up to them since Dean departed – and, with fewer votes, Emma, Khaled, and Thomas joined them on the line-up for eviction.

But Marchy still had his Head of House play to make. Invited into Big Brother’s now “not-so-secret” basement, he was given the difficult decision to either “Save & Replace” housemates, or pick someone as his “Killer Nomination.” Deliberating whether to help Khaled out – who, along with Ali and Lily, are regular fixtures on the Big Brother chopping block – he eventually decided to grant Thomas, his other bestie, some grace and save him from the public vote. In his place, he added the cheerful Baked Potato to the mix! While that could have ruffled feathers, she remained unfazed, with Marcello certain she wasn’t in any danger of being sent home.

That means that the final group of housemates to be nominated by their peers – the Big Brother contestants! – were Emma, Ali, Lily, Baked Potato, and Khaled. And two of them will be saying goodbye this Friday when they face the public vote.

Episode 29:

Lying, deceiving, cheating – just another day in the Big Brother house (*chortle*). The final shopping challenge of the series awaited, and it was a blast for anyone who'd ever fancied themselves a crime kingpin. Transformed into a “Gangsters Paradise,” Marcello – dressed in a spiffy red suit – became the house overlord and Lily his Tangfastic-loving, right-hand woman. The other contestants were split up into three groups – The Biker Bandits, The Grifter Geezers, and The Moustache Mob – whose loyalty to Marcello would be tested during a number of heist challenges. But, while most housemates were under the impression that winning the task depended on their ability to find the secret mob rats, the responsibility actually landed on one group, who needed to undermine each heist without drawing suspicion.

These were the “saboteurs,” and Nathan was delighted when the The Biker Bandits – him, Ali, and Hanah – got the job. It was hilarious and enjoyably tense to watch as one person from each gang came together to successfully bodge / complete a heist. During the first challenge, which saw them tasked with stealing artefacts guarded by motion-sensor lasers, Baked Potato squealed with frustration as she cautiously stepped clear of the beams, only for an alarm to be triggered anyway – one very discreetly activated by Nathan, who masterfully manipulated Segun into believing that BP was to blame for their poor performance.

Inbetween pretend robberies, Marcello and Lily put their henchmen under pressure to discover which one belonged to the group of disloyal saboteurs – and the scrutiny was making everyone just a little bit crazy. After observing Ali and Nathan for some time, Rosie jumped up. “I’ve worked out who it is,” she said. “It’s The Biker Bandits,” she told crime kingpin Marcello. She was right of course. But the accusation only made her seem more suspect.

Finally, Marchy and Lily made their play. Over dinner, they revealed that they thought Khaled, Sarah, and Baked Potato’s group, The Grifter Geezers, were the guilty party. Luckily, Nathan’s knack for deception had been a roaring success. The Biker Bandits revealed themselves as the dirty, heist-botching rats that they were. Securing everyone a luxury budget for the week, the house would finally dine like kingpins!

But then, Lily happened! After some heated banter between Lily and Sarah in the bedroom (Lily told the 27-year-old her bread was flat, to which Sarah retorted, at least her bum wasn't shaped like a pancake), Lily coolly appraised her before saying: “I’m going to nominate you if you stay.” NO! Even though all voting should be made by the public from next week, Lily had once again broken Big Brother’s cardinal rule – do not discuss nominations! – just moments after they’d secured a slap-up budget for their final week. Thanks to that agent of chaos, might their reward be taken away? Even Nathan, who normally finds Lily’s antics uproarious, was fuming. A protective Ali shielded her from the wave of scorn and disappointment, but Lily was unapologetic anyway.

Episode 30:

It was Friday’s live eviction, babes! Viewers eagerly awaited to hear which two of our beloved/highly annoying contestants would be saying goodbye to life in the house. But first, AJ and Will drew out the interminable tension with highlights from the last few days: more doe-eyed awkwardness between Nathan and Baked Potato, putting housemates through Big Brother Boot Camp, and reconciliations, bickering, and boogers.

We all knew it was coming. In fact, it was delightfully inevitable. The day before, Lily had blurted out to Sarah – after the latter jibed that Lily had a flat bum – “If I stay tomorrow, I’m going to nominate you.” Well, there went the luxury budget! The two of them made amends the following day, with Lily telling Big Brother that she felt bad for this latest rule break as, once again, she was to blame for everyone getting only basic rations. Like viewers, I presume, Big Brother was weary of the same story playing out, of laying down the law only to be ignored. So, luckily for the remaining contestants, their punishment was incredibly lenient. What a relief!

Marcello became drill sergeant as housemates undertook Big Brother’s Boot Camp. An annoyed Hanah clapped back. But, if they could all just follow orders for an hour or so, they’d have their luxury budget back. They jumped, climbed, and crawled their through an assault course, before being asked to perform “line-up drills,” i.e. being asked a question like “Who was the most annoying?” and getting in formation from “Least to Most.” Housemates were pretty unanimous about who the most annoying was (Lily), and she didn’t disagree herelf, while Ali found herself as “Least likely to win Big Brother.” Considering she keeps being saved from eviction, though, we think she’ll go the distance.

Then finally, the nerve-wracking moment when AJ and Will announced who the public wanted to send home. Leaving everyone a little gobsmacked, Lily became the sixth person to be evicted. A tearful Ali was heard saying, “How could they vote Lily out?” to Nathan afterwards, convinced that Lily would win it. Yes, that loud, rule-breaking, booger-eating nuisance is gone – and the house will likely be poorer for it. Although both Khaled and Lily received some of the biggest cheers of the night, the fervour of the studio crowd gave little indication of sentiment nationwide. Khaled was next to say goodbye. Unlike Lily though, who seemed scattered and apprehensive, Khaled greeted his public with a huge smile as he was spat back out into the real world.

Two huge characters have just left the building. Find out how the housemates adjust to their absence when the show returns this Sunday night.

Episode 31:

The morning after the night before. Lily’s cries of “EEEEEEEEK!” now only echoed in Ali’s memory. “Waking up without Lily. Absolute disaster,” she lamented, resenting the new, Zen-like peace of the house. Emma and Sarah, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief. They could hear themselves think again.

Trying to process Friday’s paradoxical live eviction, Baked Potato was feeling more like Mashed Potato. For some reason she – and to be honest, us – couldn’t fathom why the crowd booed her so intensely, yet saved her from eviction, when the ostensibly more popular Khaled had been voted out. Poor, sweet tatty. Speaking to Big Brother in the Diary Room, she opened up about how “I’ve always kind of been worried that if people get to know me, they won’t like me.” And for once, Big Brother spoke in a comfortingly human voice to re-assure her that she was very much liked and admired.

With no whirlwind Lily energy coursing through the house, Big Brother diverted the remaining contestants with a pretty uninvolving task where patience equalled prizes. Whoever answered the house telephone had to stay on hold long-enough to earn a treat. After 35 minutes, Thomas was rewarded with an ice cream sundae, using his stubby left arm as a scoop. Nathan, meanwhile, got the opportunity to chose a housemate to eavesdrop on in the Diary Room. He picked Sarah as well as the topic of First Impressions. Luckily for her, she had only nice things to say about him and his burgeoning relationship with Baked Potato.

Housemates mingled and chatted, with attention repeatedly brought back to the weapons-grade level flirtation between Segun and Hanah. With Nathan, Ali, and Sarah all making it clear that Hanah’s touchy-feely-lovey-dovey behavior with Segun was unlike her relationship to anyone else, they were forced to accept there were more tender feelings between them – though ones neither wanted to act on considering their different religious backgrounds. As it was, they were just willing to be great friends and hugely fond of one another.

Now. Are you ready to enter “The Vault”? Big Brother finally revealed that Monday would see several housemates walk in, but not all of them return. Eeek! With just a few days until the live final, it sounds as if series producers are about to whittle down their pool of contestants with some shock evictions tonight, before the Big Brother winner is crowned on Friday.

Episode 32:

Hanah continued to be the house beautician, the Nathan and Baked Potato romance blossomed, and Ali reassured Emma she HADN’T been talking about her during Friday’s eviction – which was a big old barefaced lie! But the seismic event of the day involved Segun. Big Brother presented the remaining contestants with a number of shiny gold envelopes. They were each asked to select one, and whoever’s had the “£” symbol printed on it would have the chance to win £10,000 – taken straight off of the winner’s £100,000 jackpot, mind you.

Segun was the lucky man. Yet the money wasn’t guaranteed, and it came with a game-changing twist. Told he could take three housemates into The Vault with him, his mind instantly jumped to pals like Marcello and Hanah before Big Brother clarified that one of them would return to the house. So, not wanting to risk losing them, he made a massive U-turn and selected Ali, Nathan, and Baked Potato to join him, providing what Ali referred to as a woeful “cop out” explanation that he was sparing him the awkwardness of a boo'ing crowd.

As Big Brother told the group, viewers were already voting for the housemate they wanted to see win on Friday. This vote had temporarily been halted. Now, whoever entered The Vault with the least votes would find themselves sped away forever out the back door, an unceremonious end that Nathan wanted to avoid. But that wasn’t all. Segun had to stake his £10,000 on the housemate(s) he thought would be safe, or risk losing it all. It as a nerve-wracking moment as Segun placed the entire stack of cash on Ali, who's not well-liked in the house but seems to have a solid fanbase outside. Then, the moment of truth. Both Ali and Nathan were declared safe. It was a bittersweet victory, though, with Nathan having to say goodbye to his house sweetheart, Baked Potato. Segun had his money. But Nathan was choked up for the first time in six weeks as he hugged BP/Rosie goodbye.

It’s anyone’s guess who’ll take that £100,000 – make that £90,000! – prize on Friday night. And with two more housemates being dragged into The Vault later tonight, be prepared for some difficult decisions that could see your favorite housemate get the chop.

Episode 33:

Yesterday’s episode was a bit of a Marcello showcase, and all the better for it. Donning marigolds and giving the kitchen a deep clean, he teasingly complained to Big Brother that he was surrounded by “Nasty. Ungrateful. Dirty. Kids” who guiltily skulked past him as he once again did their dishes. Big Brother then gave his mischievous side free rein, and set him on a cheeky secret task. Marcello was to pen fake fan letters to everyone in the house. If none of them suspected that he was their pretend admirer, they’d win a (sort of) treat.

We’re not sure how Marcello managed to suppress his amusement as his housemates basked in the praise – sometimes backhanded, and always highly suggestive – of their fake fans. They howled hearing, for example, Emma’s admirer, “George” pledge his love to the former Page Three star by declaring, “I am tall, tattooed, and waiting.” Another expressed admiration for Thomas, impressed by his courage to shave off his eyebrows in week one and admitted she’d “like to shave other areas of you.” Hilariously, and a little suspiciously “Rosa from Bristol” told Ali “I think you should try being nicer to Marcello,” while Marcello covertly roasted Nathan by describing him as “mother Earth god-headed” – whatever that meant. Either way, it irked him. Ali loved her letter from Rosa, who wanted to join her broomstick-riding coven, and Segun was in no doubt that these epistles were all sincere. Hehe! Marcello had them all successfully hoodwinked. His reward? Having one of his songs played on the show!

The Marcello Show came to a close and the laughs died down. It was 10.44pm when the housemates, about to file off to bed, heard the booming voice of Big Brother. The Vault had been re-opened. The four housemates with the least votes ahead of this week's finale – that was, Sarah, Segun, Thomas, and Nathan – were advised to say goodbye as only two of them would return.

With just three days until the final, there was nothing but love among the them as the contestants were whittled down with increasing rapidity. There was one gut-wrenching twist though. Another £10,000 of the prize money was at stake, with the four guaranteed finalists in the living room having to predict which two contestants might have garnered the fewest votes. After some anguished discussion, Emma announced they thought Sarah and Thomas would be next to go. Sadly – or, luckily for the future winner’s bank balance – they were right! The £90,000 prize fund remained intact as “champion” Thomas and the entertaining Sarah were sped out the back door. Nathan had survived again. But two nights in the vault had left his “mother-Earth god head” in a spin.

There are just two days remaining. Do we have our six finalists? Or will Big Brother throw some more jaw-dropping surprises their way, and so painfully close to the finish line?

Episode 34:

The end was in sight. But after almost six weeks of being trapped in the Big Brother house, scrutinized on live TV and with the omnipresent threat of eviction wrecking havoc on their nervous system, the stress had seeped into the housemates' psyches. Nathan was crying out in his sleep, murmuring, “Where the hell is Baked Tatie” and Ali was having anxiety dreams again. At least they'd soon be back in the outside world. Some of them, perhaps even later in the day?

The Big Brother phone trilled and Hanah cheerfully dashed to pick it up. The voice on the other end told her not to give anything away, but she had to pick another housemate (Marcello) to go with her to "The Vault", where they’d both get something they desired. What could it be? Big Brother was offering housemates the chance to hear a pre-recorded message from their friends or family, although there was only a limited number of “coins”. required to access them. Hanah and Marchy were left to decide who deserved a whole message, who they could get away with giving half of one, and who wouldn't get one at all. Reasoning that Ali had already heard from her girlfriend two weeks ago, Hanah felt Segun deserved to get an unabridged message from his mum. But Marcello, quite kindly and wisely, expressed that Ali would be hurt to be the only person not to receive a message from a loved one – and rightly so!

Gathered together in the living room, Marcello’s good judgement meant that everyone received some much-needed words of support. Marcello soaked up the love of his brother, and tears streaked Emma’s face as one daughter spoke of how proud they were of their beautiful mum. It was all good vibes. That is, until Hanah’s home girls warned her: “Be mindful of Segun. It’s giving two sides of a flip coin.” Ali’s expression said “I knew it,” but Segun was totally dumbfounded. Hanah reassured him she still trusted him, but he was still devastated nonetheless. He rather comically moped around the house with his bible for the remainder of the day, hurt that his name had been dragged through the mud.

Big Brother later announced, “It’s not over yet.” Was another contestant about to be rushed out of the house? Would the final now be a party for four? Expectantly, and one-by-one, Ali, Emma, Hanah, Marcello, Nathan, and Segun were told to stand up. And, just before the suspense made them hurl, it was revealed that they had all made the distance. Yes, they were to be our six finalists and the Class of 2024!

Episode 35:

There was nothing left to do but wait. As viewers across the country pledged their votes to their favorite contestants, the final six finally seemed utterly at ease with each other. Well, mostly. Segun was still feeling sore about the comment made by Hanah’s home girls that he was “two sides of a flip coin,” and Emma and the other housemates were still playing matchmaker, convinced that, if they weren’t from different religious backgrounds, they’d be making babies right now. Emma expressed the opinion that Segun “wants to dip his toes in the water without his feet getting wet.” But, as Segun and Hanah tried to hash out who was misleading who, he had an epiphany: “we haven’t created this situation; they [the other housemates] have!”

Wanting to get the housemates relaxed ahead of Friday’s live finale, Big Brother gave Hanah and Emma the task of becoming the house beauticians. Both would give treatments to two housemates. Poor Nathan’s trip to the Big Brother spa seemed less than relaxing, though, as Hanah dragged him about his large, unsightly "trotters" and rather large head. A paranoid Ali thought Hanah was on some underhanded mission for BB, but eventually opened up, confiding how being neurodivergent had made it harder to access the more carefree aspect of her personality in the house. Both Marcello and Ali seemed to let their guard down, and Marcello’s insight that he’d been raised without a male authority figure and didn't like being told what to do partly explained why he'd hit a brick wall getting to know Ali, after she tried to chided him for being inappropriate at the start of the series.

They all reflected on their personal growth during the show too. Each had to answer a question about their Big Brother journey over the last six weeks, and together decide who deserved the title of, for example, “Biggest Transformation”. Emma was proud that she finally felt she deserved her place in the line-up, despite initially reservations she'd be overshadowed by her younger counterparts. But she gave the win to our sarcastic Scot, Nathan, who, not expecting to get on with anyone, ended up having a whirlwind romance with Baked Tatty. “Biggest Regret”? Marcello said his and Ali’s early spat, as it prevented them enjoying the best of each other earlier on. And, while they might not be each other’s favorite person, it seems that under the right circumstances, there might be a lot more common ground there.

Then they drank and played Truth or Dare into the early hours, when Segun was instructed to perform a 10-second, shirtless dance for Ali, which he did dutifully, but full of woe. And Ali provided some final thoughts in the Diary Room: “whoever wins now will be a deserving winner. But…vote for me!”

Tune in tonight for the live final and find out if your favorite takes home the £90,000 prize.