Big Brother viewers all make same complaint about this year’s lineup

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Fans of Big Brother are expressing their concerns about the group of contestants chosen for this year's edition of the reality series.

On October 6, during the live launch event, the hosts of the show, Will Best and AJ Odudu, presented a fresh group of 16 housemates to a live audience.

Nevertheless, viewers quickly expressed their dissatisfaction, suggesting that the contestants resembled a group selected straight from a "college dorm," as most of them are in their twenties.

One viewer humorously suggested online that ITV mistakenly accepted a roster of Love Island hopefuls as participants for Big Brother. This comment was in reference to ITV's well-known reality dating show, which features contestants aged between 20 and 30.

Someone else inquired, "Where are the older housemates? What about individuals from various backgrounds?"

The eldest member of the group is Emma, a 53-year-old entrepreneur in the aesthetics field. She is the only participant in the series who is over 40. Next in line is 38-year-old forensic psychologist Ali, and then there’s Dean, a 35-year-old barber.

Big Brother - Figure 2 — Photo The Independent

Another commenter said, "This group reminds me of a busy Saturday night at All Bar One."

Henry Southan, a participant from last year, shared on X/Twitter, “We need more older contestants!” while another user commented, “There’s just ONE housemate who's over 40.”

Another commented, "We need to see more older individuals involved, like Farida and Kerry from last year. There should also be a greater variety of backgrounds and a mix of ages."

The previous year's lineup featured 50-year-old makeup artist Farida, 40-year-old NHS manager Kerry, and 39-year-old DJ Dylan.

One viewer commented, "It's tough to form an opinion on debut night, but the absence of older participants makes me doubt that this season will measure up to last year’s. There are only four people over the age of 30."

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Big Brother - Figure 3 — Photo The Independent

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In addition to 53-year-old Emma, the lineup features a 24-year-old advocate for climate change, a 23-year-old sales team leader, and a 26-year-old administrator from the NHS.

The youngest member of the household is 20-year-old Lily, who works at a Chinese takeaway in Warrington. Lily mentioned that if she comes out on top, she plans to use the prize money for “a holiday party in Ibiza with a private jet.” She added, “I just want to enjoy it all because I wouldn’t have the chance otherwise.”

Joining Lily is Nathan, a 23-year-old pork salesman from Dumfries who previously worked as a butler for Prince Charles, who is now King. You can find more information about this year's housemates here.

The 2024 contestants aim to achieve the same level of success as Jordan, a 26-year-old attorney who won the £100,000 cash prize last year.

Jordan, hailing from Scunthorpe, was a favorite among fans thanks to his witty humor and sharp remarks. Upon his victory, he casually stated, "I could really use a drink."

The series returned to television in 2023 with a reboot, after being canceled by Channel 4 in 2010 and Channel 5 in 2018.