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Characters / Big Brother

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Because countless seasons and multiple foreign editions can really add up, Big Brother will require multiple character pages.


Navigation: Main (Hosts and Recurring Characters) | Big Brother US | Celebrity Big Brother | Big Brother Canada | Big Brother UK | Big Brother Australia


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    UK series 

Davina McCall

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/davina_mccall.jpg

Davina McCall is an English television presenter who hosted Big Brother between 2000 and 2010 during its run on the British TV station, Channel 4. She also presented the spin-off series, "Celebrity Big Brother" between 2001-2010.

She has a long list of appearances hosting mainly game shows and reality TV shows in the UK including the aforementioned Big Brother being her most famous. However, she has also presented on The Million Pound Drop, The Jump and Got To Dance. She has also appeared as herself (later a zombie version) on the show, Dead Set which takes place during eviction night on Big Brother with a zombie outbreak.

  • Catchphrase: "Big Brother house, this is Davina. You are live on Channel 4. Please do not swear!" and "You have 30 seconds to say your goodbyes. I'm coming to get you!"
  • Dark and Troubled Past: McCall has spoken about having a drug problem in her early twenties which she overcame with the help of family friend, Eric Clapton. She then got her break into the television industry. She has also said her childhood was quite turbulent and she was rebellious as a teenager.

Brian Dowling

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brian_dowling.jpg

Brian Dowling is an Irish TV personality who rose to fame after winning the second series of the UK version of Big Brother. He later won its spin-off series, "Ultimate Big Brother" in 2010. In 2011, Dowling was announced as the new host of Big Brother upon its transfer to Channel 5 and would be replacing Davina McCall. He would present two regular editions of Big Brother and four editions of "Celebrity Big Brother" before being replaced in 2013 by Emma Willis.

Dowling has also featured as a contestant on the UK's version of Hell's Kitchen where he placed third and also as a runner up in the Irish reality TV competition, Failte Towers. He has appeared on Ireland's version of Dancing with the Stars where he was one half of the first same-sex dancing couple. He also appears regularly in pantomimes and theatre across the UK and Ireland.

  • Catchphrase: "Big Brother House, this is Brian ... your time has come" and "you've lost your place in the Big Brother House. You have 30 seconds to say your goodbyes."
    • Also, when telling the viewers to not vote if they're watching a repeat, "You're just too late!"
  • Older and Wiser: Is a former housemate and won Ultimate Big Brother before becoming the new host.

Emma Willis

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emma_willis.jpg

Emma Willis is an English television and radio presenter and former model. She's known for hosting Big Brother from 2013 until its cancellation in 2018 as well as the Celebrity Big Brother spin-offs. She is also the host of the UK version of The Voice since 2014 and has also hosted the UK's version of The Circle. Willis has been married to Matt Willis, member of Busted and Mc Busted, since 2008 and they have three children together.

  • Catchphrase: "Big Brother House, this is Emma ... The viewers have spoken, your fate is sealed."
  • Icy Blue Eyes: Her eyes are beautiful and a piercing blue.

AJ Odudu

AJ Odudu is a British television presenter best known for presenting on 4Music from 2015 to 2019 and as the host of Married at First Sight: Afters in 2021. She co-presents the ITV run of Big Brother since 2023 with Will Best, and is the first black presenter of the main show. She was previously a co-presenter on Big Brother's Bit on the Side for a short period in 2013.

Will Best

Will Best is a TV presenter and an entrepreneur. He is most well-known on TV for his roles on T4 and 4Music, and also co-operates a drinks company that produces Bloody Mary-style drinks. He co-presents the ITV run of Big Brother since 2023 with AJ Odudu. Like Odudu, Best has also had experience with the franchise before as he appeared as a panelist on Bit on the Side from 2013-2014.

  • Catchphrase: Said together with Odudu: "Say your goodbyes, it's time to leave."

Marcus Bentley

The narrator, who like Mike Goldman, has been narrator for every series.

  • Catchphrase: "Dyah (x) in the Big Brother house" and "You decide!"

    US series 

Julie Chen Moonves

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cast_thumb_800x1000_julie.jpg

  • Berserk Button: Don't talk about Season 15. She almost went off on a particular contestant that year for leveling racist remarks at Asians.
  • Catchphrase: "But first . . . "
  • Deadpan Snarker: Can make a few jokes at a houseguest's expense, all while keeping her professional persona.
  • Dope Slap: With her cue cards in Season 3, and rightfully so! She actually gave a well-deserved one to Marcellas Reynolds after he made the king of stupid moves and didn't use the Golden Power of Veto to save himself from the eviction block when he really needed it, who whined, and shouted, "What were you thinking!?!"
  • Early-Installment Weirdness: In the first few seasons, Julie hosted the show more akin to a news anchor, spoke with recurring guests, and the show had a more traditional talk show-esque studio audience in the background as opposed to more like guests in a theater and the ocassional cameos as it is now. Her voice was also subdued and flat. This led to her in-series nickname, "Chenbot". In later seasons, she has grown comfortable with the role of show host and adds a touch of personality to things.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Julie began addressing herself by her full legal name, Julie Chen-Moonves, in light of her husband Les Moonves coming under attack with allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. After he resigned from CBS, Julie stepped forward to show her loyalty to Les and invoked his namesake in defense of him.
  • The Stoic: Is almost always able to hold her own, even when interviewing some of the zanier houseguests. The only people who've been able to make her laugh are William "Mega" Collins from season 1 (bellowing "YEAH!! YEAH!!" as he entered the house, getting her to break into full laughter- from before she became a well-sharpened stoic), Zach Rance from season 16 upon his eviction (getting up to leave without needing to be told he was evicted), and Johnny Mac from season 17 ("YEA, WHADDYA WANT?").
  • Turn to Religion: She began to be more vocal about her religious beliefs on the show beginning with Season 22, following the passing of her father. This includes signing off most of the live episodes with some kind of aesop about being a good person, as well as mentioning religion whenever it's brought up by the houseguests.

The Zingbot 3000/9000

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zingbotjpg_6.jpg
"ZING!"

  • Catchphrase: ZING!
    • Borrowed Catch Phrase: Later seasons have houseguests giving their own zingers to each other (or Zingbot himself) in the Diary Room, and always imitate his trademark "ZING!" afterwards.
  • Characterization Marches On: As the seasons have gone by, Zingbot has been shown starting a family, getting married in Season 13, having a child in Season 14, and celebrating his child's first birthday in Season 15, and being single again in Season 17, which upgraded him to 9000. Well, motivated him to upgrade himself. And as of Season 19, he's the President of his homeworld, Planet Zing... but he may have colluded with President Puntin of Planet Pun.
  • Flat Character: Justified. Zingbot's one purpose is to crack zings at people, nothing more, nothing less. Although he has become President of Planet Zing as of late...
  • Funny Background Event: During the second eviction of Big Brother 13, the Zingbot is in the audience holding a sign saying, "Comic-con or bust". He actually did attend Comic-con in 2011. Also, during the double eviction of Big Brother 18, Zingbot held a new sign saying "Zingbot for President" a competition that actually happened the next week after Zakiyah and Bridgette were evicted. Becomes downright hilarious in hindsight when Zingbot reveals he became president of his home planet in Big Brother 19.
  • Giant Space Flea from Nowhere: His debut. He just randomly dropped in on the house, snuck into the bedrooms, then began blaring a siren to wake them up (because no one had ever met him yet and thus had no telltale stimulus to properly react to beyond raw noise to wake them up).
  • No Indoor Voice: Zingbot seems to shout every thing he says.
  • Not Himself: Coupled with We Want Our Jerk Back!- in Season 16, Zingbot was malfunctioning and giving contestants "props" instead of "zings", which necessitated the need for an even bigger insult comic to show up... Kathy Griffin. She explained Zingbot needed to be rebooted due to a glitch... after which, he returned to his old, zinging self.
  • Running Gag: He comes in and insults everyone. Naturally, everyone talks about how good/bad the zings were, and then zings everyone else. Also, Zingbot likes to declare "I'M BAA~~AACK!!!" and show up in the wee hours of the morning and declare, "WAKE UP, EVERYBODY!!!"
  • Vocal Evolution: In his debut season, Big Brother 12, Zingbot had a robotic monotone. In 13, it became a shrill, echoing, auto-tuned, high-pitched voice. 14 onward, he has a slightly robotic and stilted high-pitched tone of voice.

Orwell the Owl

  • Companion Cube: A stuffed owl who first appeared as part of the aesthetic design of the Big Brother 19 house of temptation, Josh took a liking to it and christened it Orwell, giving it a lot of attention. He also has a lesser-known brother, Theodore.
  • Running Gag: It's very common for houseguests to hang onto Orwell like a Security Blanket. Josh used him as a friend to talk to when things got tough in the house, Metta practically turned him into an inseparable life preserver, and Haleigh cuddled him on the very first day of Season 20 at the group introductions and never drew very far from him until being evicted.

    Canada Series 

Peter Brown, Gary Levy & Sarah Hanlon

Co-hosts of the Side Show with Arisa, and former contestants from season 1 and in Sarah Hanlon's case, 3.

  • Accentuate the Negative: Peter often does this to houseguests after they've been eliminated. Gary, meanwhile, will accentuate the things the houseguest did right.
  • Ascended Extra: All three of them were in the house in season 1 and in Sarah Hanlon's case, 3, before becoming hosts of the Side Show.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Gary's the sensitive guy, Peter's the manly man. While Sarah and Peter have a similar dynamic, one's male and one's female so it doesn't have the same impact.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Both of them tend to do this in their rants after a contestant does something stupid, and occasionally to their face after they've been eliminated.
  • Replacement Goldfish: With Gary Levy leaving the show to pursue his new career, Peter got a new partner in Sarah Hanlon, winner of Big Brother Canada 3.
  • The Runner-Up Takes It All: They're some of the most well-known contestants from Big Brother Canada, even though Gary was just runner-up and Peter finished in sixth-place. Subverted with Sarah Hanlon who won BB Canada 3.

Marsha The Moose

  • Mission Control: Gives secret assignments to the houseguests she speaks to.

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