LOVE it or loathe it, it’s impossible to ignore Big Brother.
Since the show first hit our TV screens a decade ago, BB has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, proving a smash hit in more than 70 countries across the globe.
It sparked the rise of reality TV and went on to become one of the iconic brands of the Noughties.
But after 10 series, more than 150 housemates and various scandals, the public’s love affair with BB appears to have run its course.
However, bosses at Channel 4 will attempt to squeeze the pips out of the franchise with the final celebrity version of the show, which is set to start this weekend.
In the past, Celebrity BB has been responsible for some of the most toe-curlingly embarrassing moments in television history.
Who can forget Leo Sayer’s astonishing outburst after refusing to do his own washing? Or George Galloway taking his impression of a cat a step too far with actress Rula Lenska?
The fractious relationship between Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and the late Jade Goody also made headlines across the world.
Pretty much anything goes, which was initially the show’s great strength but more recently has ultimately led to its downfall.
Yet despite all the scandals and shenanigans of the last decade or so, there are still plenty of fading stars desperate to use the show as a vehicle for reviving their flagging careers.
And when the proverbial hits the fan, which inevitably it will do in the world of BB, you can bet Max Clifford will be waiting in the wings, ready to pick up the pieces and restore damaged reputations.
As the Noughties draws to a close, will our obsession with the often vacuous world of celebrity show any signs of abating?
Probably not.
We’ll still keep buying newspapers and watching crass reality TV shows because, as much as we try to kid ourselves, we can’t get enough of it.
And the same also applies in business. As long as it’s carefully managed by media-savvy professionals, there really is no such thing as bad publicity.
Just ask Katie Price – the ultimate reality TV ‘star’!
Viva PR Manchester: Clayton House, 59 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2AQ
Viva PR Rawtenstall: The Old Pickle Factory,
Unit 4, Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, BB4 8EW.