Big Brother is returning to ITV on Sunday and I was lucky enough to be invited to tour the house, before it’s real guests arrived to fight it out for the grand prize.
I entered via the diary room and even got to see the brand new chair, which is being kept top secret until Saturday.
When you’re sitting in there you’re faced with a blinding light and camera and it’s actually really intimidating.
Big Brother’s voice soon set me a secret mission and I was tasked to say something in the voice of iconic narrator Marcus Bentley every time I enter a room.
This was hysterical and sounded so much fun, but I definitely failed after becoming so overwhelmed running around the place and quickly forgot.
Big Brother is returning to ITV on Sunday and I (right) was lucky enough to be invited to tour the house, before it’s real guests arrived to fight it out for the grand prize (pictured with hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best)
I entered via the diary room and even got to see the brand new chair, which is being kept top secret until Saturday
The Big Brother house is actually inside a giant warehouse studio with loads of cameras and lights but the contestants will never see it or know that how how busy it gets with constant stuff happening.
Once I entered the living room I ran into, and grabbed a selfie, with hosts AJ Odudu, 36, and Will Best, 39, who were also having a look around ahead of Sunday’s launch.
It was like stepping inside of a neon rainbow or a funfair, especially the corridor to the diary room with blinding bright lights and lots of clashing colours, I wouldn’t be surprised if the splattered paint theme gave some of the housemates a headache.
I noticed the open plan kitchen and living room was smaller than it looks on screen and it was surreal to be where so many iconic scenes have happened.
The bedroom was probably the best room, I loved the pink theme and it was slightly more toned down than the rest of the house.
There were very comfy beds, but one was a little nicer and had been elevated platform which may come into play later in the series.
There was lots of random decor and way bigger than I could have expected with very high ceilings and mirrors on almost every wall.
I noticed an odd statute of a cat high up on one of the walls and thought it could come mean something or wondered if it was a secret camera.
It was like stepping inside of a neon rainbow or a funfair, especially the corridor to the diary room with blinding bright lights and lots of clashing colours, I wouldn’t be surprised if the splattered paint theme gave some of the housemates a headache
The bedroom was probably the best room, I loved the pink theme and it was slightly more toned down than the rest of the house
Big Brother’s voice soon set me a secret mission and I was tasked to say something in the voice of iconic narrator Marcus Bentley every time I enter a room – but I quickly forgot
I noticed the open plan kitchen and living room was smaller than it looks on screen and it was surreal to be where so many iconic scenes have happened
There was lots of random decor and way bigger than I could have expected with very high ceilings and mirrors on almost every wall
The garden is equally spacious and you can see the buildings next door, which is the only place throughout the house where there’s any glimpse of the outside world.
I also noticed the seating area was not big enough for all of the housemates so cliques will be forming.
But before I knew it and after failing at my secret task I was evicted by Big Brother over the loud speaker.
It comes after both AJ and Will came down with ailments ahead of the launch night as they prepare to welcome a new crop of housemates for the third time.
However, appearing on Capital Breakfast on Thursday, Will revealed that both he and AJ are suffering with individual illnesses that could spell trouble for the live launch show.
He explained that he has been hit by a ‘stiff neck’ that means he is struggling to move his head and was forced to visit an emergency physiotherapist.
Speaking to presenters Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby, Will explained: ‘Yeah, I’ve got a stiff neck. It’s a bit better today, yesterday was bad, I’ve got an emergency physio in a couple of hours after this.’
The garden is equally spacious and you can see the buildings next door, which is the only place throughout the house where there’s any glimpse of the outside world
I also noticed the seating area was not big enough for all of the housemates so cliques will be forming
But before I knew it and after failing at my secret task I was evicted by Big Brother over the loud speaker
Poking fun at the inconvenient timing, he added: ‘It’s always good to just before the biggest show of the year, when you’re going to be live for six weeks, with all kinds of mad stuff, to not be able to move.
‘So I’m sorry Chris I can’t really look at you [laughs], you’re on the wrong side!’
Sian then joked: ‘That’s why we got you a spinny chair, so you can move your whole body,’ causing Will to quip back: ‘I can just present the live show on one of these!’
However, he added that he couldn’t even lean on his co-host for support as AJ has ‘lost her voice’.
Will said: ‘AJ’s lost her voice as well, yeah sorry, I saw her yesterday, we did a podcast record. That’s why she’s not doing radio today!’
He admitted that he was ‘nervous’ about the live launch, but insisted it was down to his love of the show and desire to make sure it all went smoothly.
He explained: ‘Yeah of course I get nervous, because, I love this show so much, so I’m nervous that we’re going to do it justice, the format justice, I’m nervous how the housemates will do.
‘But once we get to Sunday, just before we go live, the nerves sort of disappear. I can’t wait to meet these people.’
Big Brother returns Sunday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
It comes after both AJ and Will came down with ailments ahead of the launch night as they prepare to welcome a new crop of housemates for the third time