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Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side co-presenters Jamie East and Alice Levine reveal their opinions on the show in a pre-series Q&A.
Jamie East
Who was your favourite celeb from the last CBB series? Was Paddy Doherty the right winner?
I had a couple of favourites – Darryn was a great villain and his abs gave everyone a great early talking point and Jedward kept the energy levels going throughout, mainly as their diet consisted of Haribo and fresh air. But overall I still think the best man won.
What are you most looking forward to about CBB 2012?
I think that now we have proved that Big Brother is back better than ever, I’m looking forward to knuckling down and making great TV with an AMAZING bunch of celebrities without people questioning whether Big Brother is still relevant. Having a bakers dozen worth of fresh celebrity meat shipped in a week after Christmas is just about the best start to 2012 I could wish for…
Who would be your ideal celebrity housemate?
A common misconception about celebrities is that they should be as famous as possible. Obviously it’s great to get the huge stars in as people will tune in to see them in their pants without make-up, but I think historically the best moments have come from the unlikeliest of sources. Would Brad Pitt dress up in a leotard and lick cream out of Lindsay Lohan’s hand whilst pretending to be a cat? Maybe in my sexual imagination, but not on telly. That’s what George Galloway is for. So for me it’s not about being A-list, it’s about being AMAZING-list.
If you were in the house, what sort of housemate would you be?
I would be lynched in about 10 seconds flat. I cannot bear not having my own personal space and that alone would drive me to distraction. I’ve just given up smoking and do not suffer fools gladly. Anyone with an ego or even a whiff of narcissism would be annihilated by me.
What would be your ideal task for the new celebrity housemates?
Something mean and devious that gets them all cranky. My favourite tasks are the ones that take place over 24 hours – with shift work and things keeping the housemates on their toes all through the night. Make them work harder for their food Big Brother! I love the secret tasks the best. They are the ones that really instill a sense of paranoia, setting the housemates off against each other, breaking ranks and splitting the house in two. Amazing.
In the last CBB series, Kerry Katona had the ‘biggest diva’ task. What are your diva demands on BOTS?
This year it’s a PS3 with Call of Duty and Arkham City (I have had to get this myself though). Other than that it’s the usual. Beer, whisky, Nandos and a full body massage before I even consider entering the studio.
What can we expect from BBBOTS this year? Are there any twists for the new series?
We always have things up our sleeves on BBBOTS! One of the best things about the job is not knowing what’s going to happen until you walk through the door each day. BBBOTS gets away with so much and I don’t want to spoil the surprises, of which there are MANY! I think I’m being given the chance to talk to viewers live on-air, which will be a must-see!
You’ve got a new spin off strand. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Amazing huh? Well, the feedback we got from viewers last series was that they really enjoyed the head to head interviews I did with housemates before they go into the bungalow. The poor sods didn’t know what had hit them! SO this time round we are putting together a whole hour of those chats with all the housemates. It’s been great fun speaking to them, finding out what’s worrying them, who they would like to meet, what kind of housemates they’re going to be, it’s been really eye-opening.
We hear you had undercover access to the new CBB 2012 housemates. Who was your favourite to interview and why?
Well at the time of writing this I’m about halfway through so haven’t interviewed them all. So far my favourite has been Nicola McLean. Whilst not the most famous, Nicola doesn’t hold back and when you watch the show you’ll see that she dislikes a lot of people, including one fellow housemate. She will get the shock of her life when she sees Natasha Giggs and Natalie Cassidy in there. There are going to be fireworks there, believe me! I interviewed Frankie Cocozza for The X Factor and I’m hoping he can live up to the image he’s created for himself, especially with the Playboy twins going in!
You have a huge online following. What feedback do you get online regarding BOTS?
Really positive feedback. I took the job planning on being myself and not holding back which I’ve done. People like BBBOTS because it does offer contrasting views and gives people a chance to have their say in a way and manner that you don’t get anywhere else on TV. Nothing is ignored, glossed over or escapes our beady eyes!
Catch a repeat of Big Brother: Jamie Meets The Celebs this Monday after Bit On The Side on Channel 5
Alice Levine
What do you enjoy most about your role on BBBOTS?
I’ve just really loved working with Emma and Jamie. Jamie says all the things that I would love to, but would never dare. And Emma is the one that holds everything together! It’s been a great team to be a part of.
Who has been your favourite celebrity BBBOTS panelist and who would you love to grace the panel?
I worked with the comedian Joel Dommett again recently who we had on the last series and he is super cool. I also couldn’t believe I got to meet Helen Lederer as I’m a big “Absolutely Fabulous” fan. I think Karl Pilkington would make a great panelist for 2012, I can’t imagine he would be very impressed by…well…anything!
What was your favourite moment from last year’s CBB?
Jedward coming back from the trolley dash shopping task and everyone realising they had basically just got sweets, bananas and coffee.
What are you most excited about for the upcoming series? Do you want to see more of the same or something a bit different?
I’d like to see this year’s Big Brother being a bit tougher. I think we need to see life in there being a bit harder. Not that I imagine living in a house for three weeks with Jedward was a breeze! But come on, it’s a short space of time, make them work for their luxuries!
Last year Amy Childs had a vajazzling task so she could show off her specialist skills. What’s your specialist skill and what task would let you show this off?
I’m a pretty good cook, so maybe some sort of bake off?
If you could create a task for the CBB housemates this year, what would it be?
The pool is just begging for a synchronised swimming task. They’d have to wear the little swimming hats with flowers on that grandma’s sometimes sport and nose plugs!
Who was your favourite CBB housemate last year and why?
I loved Paddy, who didn’t? Everyone seemed really drawn to him and everyone wanted to be his best friend. I just loved the way he sat back whilst all the chaos went on around him.
If you were a housemate, what is the first thing you would do in the Big Brother house?
Claim a bed!
Big Brother’s Bit On The Side airs after the main show, weekdays on Channel 5 and weekends on 5*
Just been watching BBBOTS and Jamie was saying something like people dont need Live Feed
Then when people are saying there views about wanting Live Feed he speaks over them which is rude!
Live Feed is apart of Big Brother
Yes, it sounded a bit arrogant, and I couldn’t even access the live feeds if they were there!
Look, as an Australian, I can’t comment on this situation, but I’ll tell you a story and it may just be me, but it was just something I noticed.
Here in Australia, Big Brother ran for eight seasons before being cancelled. For the first five years, not only did we have live feed- it was free. You could watch it in 20 minute bursts whereby at the end of each burst, you just had to refresh the page to start all over. Actually, I don’t know if this was for all of the first five seasons; I only found out that it was free in the fifth season at which stage I do recall being quite surprised. I didn’t utilise the feature much, however it interested me and I was thinking about utilising it more in the next sixth season. As it turns out, they introduced a fee for it during this season and all subsequent seasons. Nonetheless, we still had it. Regular users (those who paid for the service were known as VIP users) were still granted about just under 10 minutes a day of free live feed as a bit of a taste. You could watch these in three minute intervals about three times a day (somehow I managed four once). Not much, but by the end of the eight and final season, I decided to watch some after not watching since the fifth. I found that the novelty had worn off. Maybe it was because I knew I was watching a limited service which I had more access to if I were to pay, but after the first three minute burst I got bored of it.
While I don’t think the audience has moved on from it so to speak, and I do think the live feed is integral to the format, I really can’t see it as being Big Brother’s saving grace. Chances are, this show isn’t going to be around for much longer and while some may think the ratings it is getting now is ‘great’, I don’t think an added live feed will justify the added costs it will bestow on the show. Sure, the public will pay for it- but like the television audiences, the online audiences will dwindle and it will just be another thing Channel 5 will have to worry about.
I would say to not worry about the live feed too much. As I said, this could be one of Big Brother’s final year, if it isn’t the final year already. It seems Big Brother will go out WITHOUT live feed, so why constantly remind ourselves of it. Watch the daily shows, watch BOTS, watch the evictions, watch the update videos, watch the added hour of live feed after evictions the channel has decided to offer and lets just enjoy the show while it lasts.
But if you think about it if people didnt complain about there not being any Live Feed then we all probably wouldnt have got this 1 or 2 hours of live feed after someone gets evicted.
Live Feed might not make the ratings go sky high but it would make the people who have choosen to not watch BB and CBB anymore watch again and they would get abit more viewers then they get now!
Live Feed is apart of Big Brother and people have been use to Live Feed for years and to just take it away from loyal BB fans is wrong and thats why some have choosen to not watch it anymore!
Marcus Bentley said money isnt a problem they just choosen to not have Live Feed even through thousands have complained by FaceBook, Twitter, emails, there website and even there sponsors Freederm and yet Channel 5 couldnt give a monkeys!
Some might find Live Feed boring at times but alot of people like watching the Live Feed without getting bored. But I think they should have Live Feed when the housemates are awake and then when they are asleep take the Live Feed off until they wake up again as why would anyone watch them being a sleep! lol
When Channel 4 hed Live Feed I didnt watch it for hours and hours but I watched the Live Feed whenever I could
I respect thats your view still
but I really do think there should be Live Feed and I will enjoy watching CBB and BB and BBBOTS but Live Feed is needed! 
Oh, I don’t mind that people have complained about it; as I said, it is an integral part of Big Brother and I would be surprised if people didn’t complain and it seems to have gotten results. But the fact is, a live feed return would have to entice people who have rating meters to return to watching Big Brother. I would say the majority of people who have come onto sites like this to complain wouldn’t have ratings meters because if even SOME of those people did; they could all watch Big Brother now and secure enough man power to throw the ratings through the roof, in which case if they are choosing not to because of the lack of live feed; they are killing off the show they love basically cutting off their nose to spite their face. But as I said, I doubt anyone on this site would be contributing to the ratings; or at least only a small minority of people. A return of live feed may entice one or two rating metered households to return to the show, but that’s only being realistic and the effect would be unnoticeable.
I doubt they will bring back any sort of live feed for this or next series and I know it isn’t ideal, and I know people are only trying to make 5 regret their decision but really; when Big Brother is axed and there’s no other channel to pick it up, the live feed will be the least of fans worries. So I would generally try to enjoy this series and if there is any news of a returning series next year or the years beyond, complain about it then.
And by ‘any sort’ of live feed, I’m talking about ‘any sort’ other than what they have now.
I agree with you about people not watching Big Brother because of no Live Feed!
I believe if they did bring back Live Feed 24/7 they might be surprised how many people would watch it and wish they could at least trie the 24/7 Live Feed for this year and see how many would watch it! I think thousands would watch the Live Feed and that the ratings would go up abit more maybe not sky high but alot
but if Channel 5 doesnt trie this then they will never now!
If Channel 5 doesnt renew the contract to keep Big Brother then maybe after the show as hed a rest that another channel would pick it up and would hope Channel 4 would bring it back again but dont think they will but who nows!
I do enjoy watching CBB and BB and I do understand thats your view and I respect that
I know someone who knows Jamie east and he is a total arsehole who is a failed tv celebrity who has landed a job in big brother because he’s not educated enough to do anything else,arrogance is just the tip of the ice burg total prick for speaking to people like a piece of shit on the phone saying there’s no need of live feed well let us be the judge of that you prick if I could meet him face to face I’d nut him everyone send him hate mail that’s what he deserves
YES LIVE FEED IS COMING BACK SLOWLY