Big Brother kicks off with all-girl house

Big Brother 8 kicked off with an all-girl house, complete with the reality show’s first identical twins, a bisexual political protester and a Posh Spice wannabe.

The realisation the 11 contestants would be living in a man-free zone slowly dawned as more and more women kept entering the house.

But Davina McCall, in trademark black outfit, who presented the live launch show from Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Herts, told viewers a man would join them on Friday.

The housemates have been kept in hiding, away from the outside world for the last two weeks but are now competing with each other for a £100,000 (€147,000) prize.

The 14-week series began with a televised apology over the Celebrity Big Brother race row.

Media watchdog Ofcom had ordered the broadcaster to apologise over its handling of the scandal about the treatment of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty by Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara.

Ofcom’s summary of adjudication, broadcast moments before the programme started, detailed the “significant failings” in relation to the row, which prompted 44,500 complaints.

The statement was aimed to ensure the “largest number of viewers will be made fully aware of the seriousness of Channel 4’s failure to comply”, the summary concluded.

House rules for this series have been updated to warn against bullying and to make clear offensive remarks on the grounds of race, religion or sexuality are unacceptable.

At the beginning of last night’s opening show, McCall immediately scotched rumours that the series would feature a gay marriage and another that one of the housemates had gone missing.

She toured the house and garden, which was said to allow the contestants “nowhere to hide” and bizarrely has a bath in the living room and an oven in the bedroom.

The first housemates to enter were Barbie-loving blonde identical twins Sam and Amanda who said beforehand they have never been apart and that “chavs” made them really angry.

The 18-year-old twins from Newcastle were booed by the crowd as their car pulled up and they emerged, screeching, in white tops, matching pink and white skirts and pink shoes.

With different coloured garlands around their necks, they clutched large lollipops as they entered the house and promptly both got into the bath before running around screaming.

Retired headhunter Lesley, 60, was a stark contrast in her conservative white jacket and black trousers but she also received some boos from the crowd.

The second housemate, who apparently counts the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall as acquaintances, was greeted in the house by the still-screaming twins.

One said: “Nice to meet you, we’re twins,” to which Lesley replied: “No?!”

Self-proclaimed London “It Girl” Charley, 21, in denim hotpants and a low-cut pinstripe shirt, was next and declared: “I love money” and that she had been sacked from every job she has ever had.

The unemployed former lapdancer is the cousin of Manchester United and England footballer Kieran Richardson.

McCall revealed Charley had taken 60 pairs of knickers into the house as she walked in to jeers of: “Get her out” and “Get a job” from the crowd.

The exuberant twins were more welcoming and mobbed her, asking: “Have you seen the pinkness?”

Tracey, a 36-year-old cleaner from Cambridgeshire, followed and promised she would provide the “buzz” in the house.

Dressed in a bright, patchwork-style jacket and sporting pink hair, she said: “I’m a raver, man – I’m a cheesy quaver. I buzz off anything and anyone.”

Victoria Beckham wannabe Chanelle, 19, hurried into the house but found time to lay down her small grey suitcase and pout and pose for photographers.

Host McCall told viewers that Rebecca Loos – who claimed to have an affair with David Beckham – was one of the things that made Chanelle “most angry”.

Shabnam – nicknamed “Shabbalicious” according to McCall – was next and revealed in her video that she loved to read on the toilet.

She described herself as having a “larger than life personality”, which was on display immediately as she ran out of the car, shouting: “Come on, come on, bring it on.”

In black leggings and a pink and black tunic dress, the 22-year-old begged the crowd to cheer her because she was nervous.

Charley, by this point, was wondering why every housemate so far had been a girl, but the rest were too caught up in introducing themselves to question it.

Emily, a 19-year-old performing arts student from Bristol, curtseyed as she entered the house and described herself in her pre-recorded interview as a Tory voter.

She gives herself 10 out of 10 for intelligence and expressed her determination to win the big cash prize, saying: “I don’t do losing. I win. Team Emily.”

Laura, 23, from south Wales, looked relaxed as as she emerged from her car dressed head to toe in black, topped off with a hot pink belt.

The crowd cheered as she blew them kisses and gave high-fives to those waiting behind the barriers.

In her pre-recorded interview she said she hated smoking but loved food because it made her happy.

She took her time entering the house, before walking in to be greeted by cries of “Are you Welsh?”

Nicky, 27, who was born in Mumbai before being adopted, was the penultimate woman to enter, and said little as she headed through the crowds in her turquoise dress, matching eyeshadow and silver sandals.

But McCall said she had described herself as “ballsy”, addicted to hot sauce and the gym and in her interview she dismissed men as “nasty little creatures”.

The accounts executive said she couldn’t tolerate them at the moment, which is perfect considering the house will initially be a man-free zone.

Carole, 53, an unemployed sexual health and HIV worker from east London, was the last to go in and described herself as a political protester and staunchly anti-war.

The divorced bisexual stood for George Galloway’s Respect party last year, but lost, McCall said.

Carole said of her arrival in the house: “I am gonna shake it something rotten” and received loud applause as she blew kisses to the crowd.

Meeting the twins, she said: “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

She later raised eyebrows by telling her fellow housemates: “Don’t worry girls, I’ve got millions of condoms.”

Some of the housemates stayed up chatting late into the night, with Charley, Carole, Shabnam and twins Sam and Amanda still wide awake on the sofas at 4am.

When Carole asked the twins what they wanted to do when they finished their social work degrees the pair replied in unison: “Fashion designers.”

Bookmakers William Hill have already installed Carole as their 8/1 favourite to win, with Laura second favourite at 9/1 and Charley on the longest odds at 25/1.

Coral is offering odds of 4/6 that the winner has not yet entered the house. Carole is favourite of the women at 13/2 to win and Coral is offering 8/11 on a female winner and even money on a male winner.