Above: John De Mol, executive of Endemol

The Big Brother format is the genius idea of John De Mol, the executive of the now global production company Endemol. The first ever Big Brother production took birth in the Netherlands, back in 1999 - but ‘BB fever’ soon spread around the world, and the show soon launched in America, Australia and the UK after the rights to the format were sold to various networks. 

Big Brother works on the simple format of placing a group of members of the public in to a specially built house, that comes complete with sets of microphones and cameras in all parts of the building recording their each and every move. However, tensions and emotions run rife with the addition of regular tasks, which require both team work and the nomination process, in which housemates secretly vote their fellow housemates out of the house. One by one, the housemates are whittled down by public vote eviction - until a winner is named, who picks up the sought-after title, along with a useful cash prize too!

Big Brother has hooked millions of people worldwide, and over 32 countries have produced their own versions of the hit programme, with more countries broadcasting repeats of already broadcast international shows.

Big Brother uses interactive tools, such as the live streaming online and through your television to give viewers a 24 hour access to the house, and as each season goes by Big Brother pushes the format to the limits…

For more details on the history of ‘Big Brother’, check out the extensive information listed on Wikipedia right here.