At the National Television Awards shown at the end of October, Nikki from this year’s Big Brother was voted ‘best TV contender’.
Known for her tantrums and dislike of air-con, Nikki was the popular favourite over others including Carol Thatcher (for her part in I’m a Celebrity Get me out of Here!). Her ‘favourite books’ list includes The Sport, The Sun, The Star and The Complete Guide to Finding Mr. Right. Having being voted out of Big Brother by the public, put back in (also voted for by the public), she eventually came fifth as a result of votes cast by the public.
Really real
Mass public acceptance, rejecting and judging of a much publicised individual or contestant‚ has become a major staple of ‘event’ TV. The focus of the TV watching nation is for a few days entirely concerned with the attributes and failings of a chosen member of the public as they are discussed in the pub, at the water cooler and over the skinny latte. Everyone is invited to cast their vote, to make a judgement call, to comment on what they think of an individual. Are they not very bright (as I implied of Nikki back there)? Or not very attractive? Are they not very thoughtful, or generous, or mature, or are they just not ‘real’ enough? The most derogatory things that can be said of a contestant are that they are ‘too fake’ or ‘plastic’ or that they are too proud and self-confident. We want our reality TV to be really real. When our most ‘real’ and down-to-earth contestant, Chantelle, was planted as a fake celebrity on Celebrity Big Brother, she proved her reality by becoming a celebrity afterwards anyway! The winner of BBC’s Maria, Connie, was praised widely because she was energetic and ‘believable’, lighting up the stage with her vivacious and polished performances while others looked too much as if they were going through the motions. Ironically, some of the criticism that she did get was for making a judgement herself about Helena, one of the other contestants.
