BB8 Audition FAQs                                                                      <<

1. How old do I need to be in order to apply for Big Brother 8?
As always, you must be at least 18 years of age (by the summer of 2007) in order to apply/ audition, however there is no upper age limit. This ruling is not flexible and no correspondence will be entered-into by us about the minimum age requirements set by Big Brother. If you don't turn 18 until, say, July, August or September of 2007, then forget it. Try again next year.

Those who turn 18 in May or June probably won't be accepted, but are welcome to audition if they really feel that they have something to offer. Such people could (we stress could) be acceptable as standby contestants. To clarify: no-one under the age of 18 will be allowed to enter the House.

2. Do I need to fill-in an Application Form before attending an audition?
No, simply choose the venue nearest you from the pop-up list of Audition Venues and Dates and try to get there as early as you can on the relevant date. Auditions start at either 9am or 12 midday and you just need to join the queue along with everyone else. With the earlier-starting auditions, if you turn-up later in the day you should be okay. However, obviously, don't arrive at 8, 9 or 10pm and expect to be seen!

If you're invited into an audition Diary Room by the producers, only then might you be required to complete an application form.

3. I need to travel some distance in order to attend an audition; will everyone be seen by the producers?
Essentially, yes. The producers will use various methods to get potential BB8 housemates chatting, including putting people into groups or pairs and asking them why they should go further, or asking them to talk about their (audition) partner in an interesting manner.

Just to re-iterate, not everyone will make it to the next stage; only those people in-whom the producers are sufficiently interested will be invited to participate, everyone else will be sent home.

4. Will the producers be looking for specific types of person?
They always refute this, however we can't help feeling that the production team looks to fill predetermined character roles each season.

In other words, it's almost as though the producers are looking for a mix of mouthy, flirty, dizzy, sensitive, camp, wacky, obnoxious, confrontational and annoying characters etc. We can't offer any advice on how to get your personality across, apart from to say: just be yourself.

The producers will also be scouring the queues for likely candidates, but stripping-off or wearing some kind of comedy outfit will probably mark you out as a total wannabe-slash-loser. That said, if that's what you feel like doing, then go for it!

5. I see that some auditions start at 9am, but I can't make it until the afternoon. Or, they start at 12 midday but I can't come until after work. Is it worth me coming?
Well, somebody's got to be at the back of the queue! You should be fine, but we can't guarantee it. It's obviously best to take time off and get there in plenty of time. That way, even if you have to wait around, you can soak-up the atmosphere, have a chat with other fans and prepare yourself for the audition.

6. Is it essential to attend the audition venue nearest my home town?
No, you are free to attend any of the auditions, no matter where you live in the country. This gives you an opportunity to come along even if you miss the geographically nearest audition. That said, please endeavour to attend your nearest audition if you can.

7. What should I bring with me to the audition?
Depending on how well you do and how many people turn-up, it could be quite a long day. Therefore, it will probably pay to bring some light food and drink with you, along with some warm clothing and definitely a comfy pair of shoes. You MUST bring photo ID with you to bear out your identity and age. A passport or driving licence is ideal. No ID, no entry.

There will always be auditionees who take comedy 'props' with them and that may work for you, we don't know.

8. I've applied/ auditioned for Big Brother before but didn't get anywhere, or I got through the first stages and was subsequently dropped. Can I apply this time?
Yes, of course you can. In fact, BB7 Winner Pete Bennett tried for a couple of years before getting on the show, as did some other former housemates. To re-iterate: you are welcome to attend as many auditions, at as many different venues, as you wish. Just don't blame us if you get overlooked every time; it's entirely possible!

9. What happens after I’ve auditioned?
As always, only successful applicants will be contacted regarding the possibility of them becoming a BB housemate this year. To clarify, all people that the producers are not interested-in (by default, the majority), won't hear back.

Basically, you must accept that have not been called back if you haven't heard anything within around 6/8 weeks of attending either the first audition or the callbacks. Rest assured, the production team will try hard to contact you if they're interested; that goes for all stages of the selection process, so please don't write and ask us how you got on!

10. I don't live in the UK but have seen the show and would like to apply. Is this feasible?
There's no official line on this one, but unless you have a Permit in place that allows you to be here for several months this summer, it isn't going to be feasible.

Actually, because there was a lot of controversy about Makosi being on Big Brother instead of working as a nurse during 2005's Big Brother 6, the producers probably won't be keen to touch anyone who's not a resident of the UK again.

NB. Admittedly, not many do, but if you're travelling over from another country especially for the Big Brother 8 auditions, please bear in mind points No. 9 and 13.

11. Can disabled, deaf or blind people audition for the show?
Of course, why not? Channel 4 insists that everyone is welcome to apply for Big Brother, although obviously they would have to make changes to the house to cater for certain disabilities. Still, it's not as if they can't afford to do that!

If you think that BB fans would be interested in watching you for around twelve weeks this summer, then go for it. What we're suggesting here is that you should definitely consider applying if you're an interesting character, but not just because you've got a disability and want to make some kind of politically correct statement.

The audition venues should all have disabled access, but if you want to confirm this in advance, or need to make special arrangements, please call 020 7602 6261 and leave your name, phone number and details of the kind of assistance you require. This number is NOT for general enquiries about the audition process and any such messages will be ignored.

12. I'm planning to go on holiday this summer; shall I still audition?
Only if you're prepared to forego your holiday in the event that it clashes with Big Brother 8. Don't forget, if successful, you will sign a contract to appear as a contestant on the show. Obviously then, you'll need to be available for between 10 and 14 weeks this summer (approximately mid-May to early September 2007).

Therefore, you will probably miss your holiday if chosen, but it's true to say that you could attend a few rounds of auditions and still not get chosen as a housemate. Whether you book a holiday and take the risk is up to you – if you book/ pay for a holiday now and subsequently become a contestant, you will NOT be reimbursed for any money that you lose.

13. Will I be reimbursed for costs incurred in travelling to an audition? Also, will I be paid anything for appearing on the show?
No, you won't be paid anything for attending an audition. You must be willing to take the risk in terms of time taken off work, your travelling costs etc.

If you make it into the house and successfully become a BB8 contestant, you will be paid a nominal fee for every week you appear on the show. This is to help you with your rent and household bills, and would be something in the region of £200 per week, although don't quote us on that!

14. I've just realised that I missed all of the BB8 auditions and I'm gutted. What are my chances of getting a private audition?
Absolutely none. Apart from the fact that it would be totally unfair to the many thousands who bothered to attend the national auditions, the production team won't have time once those have ended. At that stage, they'll be busy whittling the numbers down via group auditions for the people they've already selected. See point 15.

15. So, is there any other way to apply for Big Brother 8?
Actually, there is. This year the producers are keen see potential candidates from remote locations. So, seeing as there'll be no Casting Coach as there was last year, they are inviting people to send-in video applications online.

You're welcome to send-in short a video clip of yourself even if you've already attended an audition, and many different formats are accepted so you don't need to have lots of expensive equipment in order to prepare your vid. A mobile phone is sufficient.

You can upload your clips via the www.e4.com website, and videos are invited for a further two weeks after the auditions end. Please bear in mind that the majority of Big Brother 8 housemates will be chosen from the open auditions and not the online applications. Therefore, there's nothing better than going along to one of those if you can.

16. Are there any auditions in the Republic of Ireland and if not, can people from the ROI audition?
Applicants from the Republic of Ireland are welcome to attend any of the auditions detailed in the news story that lead you to this page. If you came to this page directly via a search engine, please visit our Home page/ Latest News section and seek-out the relevant article. If you genuinely can't make it to an audition, you can always send-in a video application, as mentioned above.

17. You mention the 'pop-up' above, but when I click the relevant link to see the Audition Venues and Dates, nothing comes up. Why is that?
That's because you are using a pop-up blocker on your PC – not always a good idea as there are some legitimate reasons for using pop-up windows.

If you use Internet Explorer and have Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed, you automatically get a pop-up blocker. If turned on, you should see a message near the top of the screen telling you that a pop-up has been blocked and giving an option to allow it. If not, then go to 'Tools' / 'Pop-up Blocker' at the top of the page, and select the option to allow pop-ups from the Big Brother Online site. You will then be able to see the pop-up when you click the aforementioned link again.

If you're using dedicated blocking software, or have downloaded a Google or Yahoo toolbar with built-in blocking facility, you will need to follow a similar procedure. You should be able to switch-off the option to block pop-up windows, or to allow certain 'trusted' websites like the BBO site.

Check back soon for more Big Brother UK Latest News                          < back    top