Big Brother 2006 on official YouTube Channel (Live-streamed 26-28 Sep & 3-5 Oct)

[Kingston]

You throw a bunch of young kids in a house and watch them interact - the social experiment concept of the show. This, or something similar, would happen eventually.

Yes and no. Kris Noble essentially wanted to produce Love Island way before the modern Love Island was even a thing. This incident and the stuff that happened in the previous series show a marked decline in the calibre of HM and the direction the show was moving in. I think it’s more than you put the wrong group of young people in a house and something like this was inevitable… NOT that it was or still is an inevitability in all scenarios.

 

[the Theorist]

I had to stop looking at the marathon chat while those episodes streamed - so many people who were either uneducated, lacked logic or proper understanding of how things were back then.

They should’ve disabled the chat.

 

[clofts]

I had to stop looking at the marathon chat while those episodes streamed - so many people who were either uneducated, lacked logic or proper understanding of how things were back then.

They should’ve disabled the chat.

The chat was interesting. There seemed to be a lot of people in there that was not around when it first happened.
But I also did zone out of it after a while.

 

[jessy_girl]

I don’t really participate in the chat, actually I find I can’t follow the show and the chat at the same time, but i did want to see what people saying during this moment and it was a mixed bag. Thankfully lots of supportive and helpful comments but unavoidable that there were gross and ignorant ones. Some with sympathy for John and Ashley (empathy is possible when using compassion but this is the wrong take) and someone even saying it would have been totally fine if it happened at a house party but the only issue was that it broke the rules. I don’t see how this can be seen as acceptable in any setting?

 

[timmy]

someone even saying it would have been totally fine if it happened at a house party but the only issue was that it broke the rules. I don’t see how this can be seen as acceptable in any setting?

I saw that too. And it's not.

 

[dasnico]

BB offered to shut off the chat during said episode but they were overruled.

It was weird seeing people who had no prior exposure to the show voice their opinions. 2006 was not 2025. A completely different time when things were a lot more lax than they are today. It takes something drastic for change to be made. My first thought is the lifeboats on the Titanic. It took a huge loss of life for lifeboat rules to be changed. I don't know if I felt bad for Ash and John or really had any sympathy for them, but on the other side of the coin they were just young guys and did something stupid. Hardly worth villainising them or saying that Gretel should've condemned it and/or threaten to quit because of what she had to say on TV. I did expect the harsh responses though.

Even if this didn't violate any specific rule on the show, they would've been removed anyway because it was the right thing to do. Ash and John knew what they did was wrong. It was written all over Ash's face when they called them to the diary room.

It also blows my mind people go onto the chat to hate on the show in general.

 

[jessy_girl]

I am pleased to at least not see too much hate towards Camilla in the chat for her “involvement” in this. That was very much part of the discourse at the time and still remains today in the broader discussions, but I didn’t see anyone try to spin anything negative about her.

 

[the Theorist]

BB offered to shut off the chat during said episode but they were overruled.

It was weird seeing people who had no prior exposure to the show voice their opinions. 2006 was not 2025. A completely different time when things were a lot more lax than they are today. It takes something drastic for change to be made. My first thought is the lifeboats on the Titanic. It took a huge loss of life for lifeboat rules to be changed. I don't know if I felt bad for Ash and John or really had any sympathy for them, but on the other side of the coin they were just young guys and did something stupid. Hardly worth villainising them or saying that Gretel should've condemned it and/or threaten to quit because of what she had to say on TV. I did expect the harsh responses though.

Even if this didn't violate any specific rule on the show, they would've been removed anyway because it was the right thing to do. Ash and John knew what they did was wrong. It was written all over Ash's face when they called them to the diary room.

It also blows my mind people go onto the chat to hate on the show in general.

My point being they should have just taken the initiative to temporarily close the chat regardless.

I do think it’s interesting watching a series of events like that completely out of context, particularly for those who were not around or too young or even forgotten what else was going on outside the show. I’m sure if they got to see the countless news stories and pieces from the media that played non-stop at the time, in addition to re-watching those BB episodes, it would add a whole other layer of understanding to the issue.

 

[Will McDougle]

Similarly I really love Brigitte so much and I wish she had been on a different season to get the icon status she deserves. I realise this is maybe not a widely shared opinion though.

Agreed... she's one of my favourite hosuemates as well!

 

[jessy_girl]

I am shocked that everyone thought the best thing for John and Ash to say was that it was just a joke?!!

 

[the Theorist]

I am so embarrassed for every single person contributing to the stream chat during the John & Ashley Interview.

The chat absolutely should have been turned off for that ep. I had to hold back from writing anything on YouTube…

 

[timmy]

God the interview with Gretel was just appalling. John and Ashley explaining away the SA as a practical joke. No apology. And Gretel went along with it all with a smile. Just bizarre.

 

[the Theorist]

I am shocked that everyone thought the best thing for John and Ash to say was that it was just a joke?!!

This was a very different time. And this isn’t happening today, or anywhere close to it. I am so sick of the illogical and dumb comments I was reading in that chat.

 

[jessy_girl]

This was a very different time. And this isn’t happening today, or anywhere close to it. I am so sick of the illogical and dumb comments I was reading in that chat.

Yeah that’s true. This whole thing is a time capsule. It’s hard not to view it through the current lens though.

 

[the Theorist]

God the interview with Gretel was just appalling. John and Ashley explaining away the SA as a practical joke. No apology. And Gretel went along with a smile. Just bizarre.

See, I’m not sure I agree. From a 2006 mindset anyway.

NOT saying you’re wrong, just that you can see where they were trying to come from as well. They had to save face somewhere. And already acted on it and did their due diligence. Again, context is everything and we’re missing a lot.

 

[timmy]

See, I’m not sure I agree. From a 2006 mindset anyway.

NOT saying you’re wrong, just that you can see where they were trying to come from as well. They had to save face somewhere. And already acted on it and did their due diligence. Again, context is everything and we’re missing a lot.

I can understand it was intended a joke/prank, but they took it too far, definitely crossed the line, and they should have owned that and apologised. Ten was in damage control mode from all the negative media attention and this was their solution. I'd love to hear what Gretel really thought at the time.

ETA I guess they were worried about the potential legal implications of owning up ofc.

 

[Rison]

I’m surprised that the footage exists taken directly from the livestream on YouTube still. Considering it also features low quality Ashley peen.

 

[jessy_girl]

I would have liked to see some accountability but I guess I see this was more about defending the show and the brand against the media backlash, they were in a hard situation really.

I do actually feel bad for John and Ash for this being rehashed again.