Celebrity Big Brother filming secrets from 'luxury items to special privileges'

09 March 2024 , 19:00

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Not everything viewers see on TV is as it seems (Image: ITV)

Filming Celebrity Big Brother is a lot of work - and not everything gets aired on TV.

The iconic ITV show returned this week with a new batch of familiar faces, including Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Levi Roots. It's already started getting heated between contestants, from Gary Goldsmith moaning to his housemates about 'not knowing true fame' to Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu snapping at Zeze Millz.

But what parts don't we get to see? Over the years, stars have claimed there are special privileges for certain celebs and rumours have emerged of contestants being treated to spray tans, makeovers and preferential treatment. Here, the Mirror takes a look at everything we know about the behind-the-scenes...

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A previous contestant claimed that anyone caught napping in the daytime was yelled at by Big Brother until they got up (ITV)

Apparently, the dozens of cameras hidden in every room and behind every mirror only feature in the regular person version. The celebrity version leaves cameras out of the bathroom so that contestants can do their business in peace. It's also a secret snogging escape and was allegedly used by Sarah Harding and Chad Johnson in the summer 2017 series.

It's said that production staff on the show use secret codes so they can discreetly discuss what's going on with the housemates without anyone overhearing. "To avoid causing unnecessary panic the codes are used to keep discretion at all times," a source told the Daily Star in 2018. "They use code Zebra when someone is determined to leave the house and are ranting in the Diary Room."

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Two-time CBB contestant Nicola McLean, who appeared in 2012 and returned for the All Stars version, previously revealed there are many perks to being a star inside the house. She told Heat Magazine: "I've been told Katie Price got a blowdry a few times a week, and Patsy Kensit got blowdries and spray tans."

She explained: "Spencer Pratt got special cotton sheets, and insisted on him and Heidi being served food before the rest of us, so that no one else touched it." And the special treatment didn't stop there - she also claimed that Chloe Ferry was allowed to completely leave the CBB house to go and film scenes of MTV reality show Geordie Shore.

"Chloe got to leave because she'd already committed to filming Geordie Shore," Nicola said. "I must admit, after a couple of glasses, a few of us were fuming because, regardless if you tell us you're not getting anything from the outside world, you are."

Nicola explained that the CBB house had plentiful supply of alcohol - but the civilians on BB had less. She also revealed that tasks were done late at night to prevent housemates going to bed early, and anyone caught napping in the daytime would be yelled at by Big Brother over the intercom until they got up.

Another ex-contestant, Alex Reid, who won CBB back in 2010, said that celebs would barter with producers for secret luxury items. He explained that if you needed something, Big Brother was able to get it for you but they'd "make you do something for it". He told The Sun: "Where people got on each other's nerves and started to crack on like week three, they allowed me to bring a punch bag."