Back to basics for Big Brother

The new Big Brother house was unveiled today as producers announced they were taking the show back to basics.

There will be no more gimmicks designed to divide the housemates, like last year’s prison-style bars and rich/poor divide.

Instead the 12 contestants will get a “warm and cosy” new house and be encouraged to get along with one another.

The house in Elstree Studios, Herts, has been totally revamped since last year to give it a more intimate feel.

Designers have ditched the garish colours and created a “cocoon” environment with muted tones and round edges.

The garden has also been overhauled with a bigger lawn and a cedarwood arbour where the housemates can sit and relax.

Show chief Phil Edgar-Jones said: “This year Big Brother is going to be much more simple.

“The house is cosy because we wanted to create a warmer and more intimate feel. We wanted the housemates to live in a more natural and friendly environment.”

The group weekly task has been reintroduced to give the contestants an opportunity to work as a team.

Executive producer Gigi Eligoloff said: “It is quite a different dynamic this year. Last year, it was very much geared towards divisions and the tasks were about making people work in a solitary way.

“This year we are much more interested in getting people who might not get on with each other to work together and support each other.”

The fourth series of Big Brother begins at the end of May and will again be presented by Davina McCall.

More than 10,000 hopefuls applied for the show and so far the producers have whittled their number down to 50.

They promised a few surprises for the housemates – but remained tight-lipped about rumours that there will be secret “attics” containing stand-by contestants who could be drafted in at a moment’s notice.