Bye bye, BB

Australia's "Big Brother" television series has just wound up for 2007, with a 21-year old, bottle-blonde, country girl, Aleisha, triu(m)phant* - but only just - over 24-year old, bottle-blond, gay guy, Zach.


Zach, Aleisha and host Gretel Killeen.

The decision was very close, 51% vs 49%. In fact the four last housemates (all blonds) were all deserving possible winners (if you're into trash TV). With BB's past record of making the ocker everyman the winner, I don't think many people would have guessed that a country girl and a country gay would be the last two standing (or indeed sitting, on the couch.)

Yay! Now I can actually start getting some early nights. I've become very accustomed to playing on the Internet this past few months, and listening to "Big Brother Up Late" in the background, until waaaaay to early in the mornings.

The last few days of BB 07 had lots of not-so-unpredictable surprises. The public and media may slam the show as trash TV as much as they like, but BB Australia was off to a good start way back with its very first season (2001), and the show has managed to produce some proactive social commentary on a range of issues ever since. Most of the nation watched, amazed, as young, macho, country-raised, blinkered ocker, Blair (eventually of Neighbours' fame), cried openly when gay Johnny was evicted. He then spent the next few day wearing Johnny's T-shirt.

Well done Zach and Aleisha!

* Re: triu(m)phant - poor ol' housemate Joel will never live down that forgotten "m" in a Spelling Bee.