Big Brother

I have never understood why people spend hours watching Big Brother obsessively. Get a life!

Why watch other people doing ordinary things, all trying to stand out and become famous. Famous for what?

However, I watched the launch of the last UK Celebrity Big Brother because I thought I should be aware of who was in the house as people would be talking about it for weeks. I watched a little of the coverage but lost interest.

When the new series started two weeks ago, I again watched the launch to find out about the characters chosen as housemates. I then watched a few minutes here and there and am now pretty much hooked.

As a hypnotherapist helping people to change, I am fascinated by people's character, habits, thoughts and behaviour. Big Brother gives us a snapshot of watching how total strangers cope in such a limited environment with no contact with the outside world, no writing materials, no books to read and no idea what the public's opinions of them are. I personally could not stand the boredom of being a housemate as I need to do things. I would suffer from PC-deprivation at least.

So I watch "Big Brother's Little Brother" when having my breakfast and catch up before I go to bed.

Co-incidentally, I picked up a library book by Ben Elton called "Dead Famous" which is about a murder committed in a house. I did not realize it was about a Big Brother scenario fictiously called "House Arrest." The programme producer deliberately skews the editing to tell the story she wants, portray the character as she wishes rather than a true representation. Does this happen in Big Brother?

Did I say it was a coincidence I found this novel? No such thing. Read "The Celestine Prophecy."

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Antonia Stuart-James is an English hypnotherapist living in Belgium.