I'm lovin it!

There is no excuse for it. I am ashamed. I feel dirty. But at the end of the day, Lara and I like and watch and discuss Big Brother. I've used the McDonalds catchphrase as a title partly to attract the attention of my children, who take great delight in winding me up by singing it endlessly, but partly because I think that essentially BB is the TV equivalent of McDonalds.

BB6 or whatever number we are up to now, is certainly starting off more viscously than any I've watched before. They are being refreshingly open with each other and nomination time is no longer the dry, boring, namby pamby affair of old. I am, however, constantly amazed at how unsophisticated they are (and especially the girls) at manipulation. With the exception of Saskia and to a lesser degree Makoze, they are as subtle as a brick. Of the boys, Craig has played the gay, girlie card far too early and is simply coming over as a loser, but the rest are settling down. Looking forward to seeing more of Science, who has determinedly and carefully avoided the limelight without appearing boring or attracting negative attention. Maxwell is without doubt the star of the show and very much our favourite.

But what of us on the outside. Now begins the summer of fun for all the voting public and it is now that we are revealed for the ruthless, nasty, bastards that we are. It is like the Roman amphitheatre. We can literally play with these people, like a cat plays with mice. We do not vote on likes or dislikes. We vote on entertainment value. We will keep people who are stirring things up because we want to be entertained. We will split friends up because we like inflicting misery. And we will toy with them mercilessly - because we can. £70,000 is no prize for this sort of abuse.

Always keen to find a political angle on anything I write, it is worth noting the fashion for citing BB, and all the others, as attracting "voters" more effectively than politics and politicians and that we should revive voting interest in elections by modelling the system on these shows. I say God forbid, but if you have any doubts just watch closely over the next 12 weeks and just see if I am wrong. Anyway, by the looks of the current Government, we may be well on the way!!

Come on Maxwell. "Ur winding me up, right?" Right!!