Big Brother 2 was broadcast in 2001 in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of the Big Brother reality television series. It aired on Channel 4, from 25 May 2001 to 27 July 2001, lasting 64 days. The second series of the show in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize at the end of the run. With a much larger budget for the second series, after the huge success of the first, the house in Bow, East London was renovated and in May 2001, the new batch of housemates moved in.

In a twist to the show, an 11th housemate entered the house two weeks later (Day 16) - as the result of a public vote, in which Josh Rafter was chosen out of 3 wildcard housemates as the 11th contestant. During the first week, at the end of each episode, clips were shown of all three possible housemates:

• Josh, who claimed "to have made a million and then lost it";
• Anne, an older woman who promised sense and maturity in the house, and a "late night talker";
• Natasha, a fiery young girl who promised "naughtiness" and other late-night antics

The trio were not allowed to watch the show or find out what was happening in the house until the winner of the vote entered so they were taken to Portugal up to that point.

The series saw lovebirds Paul Clarke and Helen Adams grow close over the time they spent in the house. Their relationship helped bring in ratings, as tabloids speculated on the possibility of their indulging in sexual shenanigans in a manner similar to that seen in the show's continental equivalent.

Paul and Helen's romance wasn't the only ratings winner, the quick wit of Irish housemate Brian Dowling became an instant hit with viewers. Brian went on to win the series, and launch a successful television career. The public's continued affection for him was illustrated by his being voted the most popular Big Brother housemate from Series 1 to 5 in 2005. In a 2006 update to this poll he had, however, fallen to fourth. Brian went on to become the first openly gay man to present a children's television show in the UK when he joined SMTV Live.

Helen finished second in the show, her popularity was predominantly due to her dumb blonde persona. Famous quotes from Helen, known as 'Helenisms', have included "Is there chicken in chickpeas?" and "I like blinking, I do." Helen and Paul, after 5 years together, have since separated, citing a lack of time apart as the reason for the breakup.

Series two tasks included:

• Manning, fuelling, and keeping alight a fire
• Learning first-aid techniques
• Training a dog to do tricks
• Dancing - it consisted of music being played, and housemates having a set amount of time to rush to a specially-constructed podium in the garden and dance with music. This was seen as popular and appropriate, and many tasks in future series have involved timed klaxons to perform certain rituals. A famous moment that inadvertently resulted from this time pressure occurred as Bubble raced to the podium, only to smash his knee into a chair as he did so.

The dog which housemates had to train, Paddy, died in June 2008 and the episode of Big Brother shown on 26 June 2008, was dedicated to him, making it the first Big Brother episode to have been dedicated.

Series two was also the first series to involve an interactive service, showing two live feeds, and two more with respective one and four hour time delays. This was not a 24-hour service, and the feed was stopped for a two-hour period every night, during which the show and another three programs aired. Endemol were also criticised for cutting the live feed when two intruders broke into the house on Day 39, and subsequently promised to tighten security.

Brian's winning margin was the highest ever garnered by a U.K winning contestant.

Total number of votes in the final week: 7.3 million

Housemates

Amma

Amma Antwi-Agyei, (born 1978) was a table dancer from London. Amma says she is obsessed with cooking, eating and playing with food, though custard and porridge make her cringe. Amma loves karaoke and her party trick is turning her eyelids inside out. Amma was evicted on Day 43. After leaving Big Brother Amma went back to a life outside the public eye, except for a brief acting role in the Sky One TV program Dream Team.

Brian

Brian Patrick Robert Dowling (born 13 June 1978) was the winner of the Big Brother UK series 2. He originates from Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland. Before entering the Big Brother house he was a Flight attendant for Ryanair. He "came out" as being gay to his parents only 2 weeks before the competition. After Big Brother he has gone on to become a television presenter.

Brian was a contestant in the ITV reality series Hell's Kitchen during September 2007, in which he competed against other celebrities to impress celebrity chef Marco Pierre White. Brian finished in third place. Whilst participating, he had numerous clashes with fellow contestant Jim Davidson because of what Dowling interpreted as Davidson's homophobic slurs. Davidson was subsequently asked to leave the show as a contestant due to what ITV described as "unacceptable remarks" against Dowling.

Brian says he doesn't like vegetables, salad or anything healthy but does make "a wicked shepherd's pie". His nickname is Bambie and is happy to describe himself as a "trolley dolly".

The Little Britain character Daffyd Thomas, who consistently denies that other people are homosexual to get special treatment, is based on Brain.

Bubble

Paul "Bubble" Ferguson (born 1977) from Surrey entered the Big Brother house at the age of 24, previously being a Warehouse Operative. Bubble is a huge fan of Chelsea Football Club. When he's not busy working, Bubble spends his time running around after his daughter Bryony and her hamster Pookiebaby. He loves curry, but hates peas after a childhood force-feeding peas incident. He used to run a nightclub and said he was very proud that on his last day at work all the staff wore black arm bands. He was evicted on Day 36.

Dean

Dean O'Loughlin (born 1964) ranks football and sex as his favourite things. He says his biggest achievement was performing as a comedian to a crowd in New York at an open-mic night where he "brought the house down". Dean is a member of both Greenpeace and Amnesty. He came in 3rd place loses out to Helen and Brian. After leaving the house Dean and fellow housemate Stuart formed the company Z List Ltd, which produces the Tea Bag Bin. In 2004 Dean released the book he has written about his Big Brother experience: Living in the Box, and recently Dean announced that he was recording an album in New York.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Woodcock (born 1974) from Cumbria was a website designer. Elizabeth loves avocados but hates smoking. Her favourite movies include Easy Rider and Dangerous Liaisons. Elizabeth adores animals and said she would miss her dog Billy while she's in the house. Elizabeth is a horse fanatic who has worked with MAFF on relocation of animals from foot and mouth-infected areas. She was evicted on Day 63, just missing out on the final which was the next day (Day 64).

Helen

Helen Adams (born 6 June 1978, Cwmbran) describes her perfect day as having a long bath, blow-drying her hair and covering herself in glitter and fluff. She says her best qualities are being enthusiastic and chatty. Originally a hairdresser in Classy Cutz, Newport and part time dance instructor, Adams gained celebrity status in the UK due to her on-screen relationship with fellow Big Brother contestant Paul Clarke — a car designer from Reading. During their time in the Big Brother house, their relationship captivated the nation's interest, with millions of viewers tuning in to see the latest development in their soap-like romance. Adams became notorious for her spontaneous tendency to blurt out whatever came into her head, which often tended to be bizarrely illogical and were referred to as "Helenisms" by fans and the tabloid press. Despite being the bookies' early favourite for eviction, she went on to take second place in the contest, losing out to Brian Dowling in the final; Dowling polled 4,231,660 votes (58%) out of a total 7,255,094, while 2,680,463 viewers (37%) voted for Adams.

Josh

Josh Rafter (born 1969) was a property manager. Josh was voted into the house on Day 16 by the public. He was one of three contenders with the opportunity to become a housemate along with Anne, an older woman who promised sense and maturity in the house, and a "late night talker" and Natasha, a fiery young girl who promised "naughtiness" and other late-night antics. Josh is a fitness fanatic who says his fitness instructor is the biggest influence on his life so far. He also admires his 89-year-old grandmother for her amazing amount of energy and zest for life. Josh says his dream job would be an international tennis player. Josh was Evicted on Day 50

Narinder

Narinder Kaur (born 1973) from Leicester was a Medical Rep. Narinder decided to take part in Big Brother because she wants to entertain Britain for 10 weeks. Shortly after Big Brother she appeared on a UK late night Asian Pop Culture TV Program and when asked if she was set for World Stardom, she replied, "I need to conquer Britain First!"

Later in interviews she has expressed her desire not just to be remembered for being in Big Brother, but prophesised that when 90 and laying on her death bed the nurse will say "You're Narinder from Big Brother Aren't you?"

In 2004 she appeared on Big Brother Panto, a Big Brother spin-off show that saw previous housemates from different series act in a play. Since then she has released her own book titled "Big Brother - The Inside Story". Narinder was evicted on Day 29.

Paul

Paul Clarke (born 1976) from Reading was a CAD Designer. Paul describes himself as a modern man who never forgets his moisturiser and his mirror. He says his biggest worry is impending flabbiness because there is no gym in the Big Brother House. Paul dislikes people who pick their nose in traffic, tomatoes and classical opera. Paul says he expects to impress the girls in the house because he "can work like a dog, laugh like a hyena". Whilst in the house he started dating Helen and they carried the relationship outside of the house. However now they have split up in 2006. Paul was evicted on day 57.

Penny

Penny Ellis (born 1968) from London was an English teacher. Penny says she is a bit eccentric and that her ambition is to make every teenager's dream come true. She says she does not like people sniffing near her, and claims to be very clean and tidy. Penny says she likes to relax listening to music and cuddling her teddy bear. Penny was first to be evicted from the Second Series on Day 15 met by her friend Peter Masterman. She has since moved to Hastings where she works in a restaurant.

Stuart

Stuart Hosking (born 1965) from Oxfordshire was a Director of a Communications Company. Stuart describes himself as a highly confident and articulate person whose passions are fast cars and fois gras. He says he has an aversion to Anne Robinson and he likes to think of himself as Mr Perfect. Stuart says he'll miss his wife's cooking and Indian takeaways the most while he's in the house. Stuart was evicted on Day 22. Since leaving the house Stuart and fellow housemate Dean formed the company Z List Ltd, which produces the Tea Bag Bin.

Weekly Summary

Week 1	Entrances	Amma, Brian, Bubble, Dean, Elizabeth, Helen, Narinder, Paul, Penny and Stuart entered the House on Day 1.
	Tasks	The housemates’ first weekly task was to keep a fire burning in the garden for 120 hours straight. Two people had to be manning the fire at all times. Housemates failed this task, as Helen was left alone manning the fire during the task.
Week 2	Tasks	The task for this week was to learn first-aid. The housemates had to treat injured “people” on the assessment day. Housemates passed this task.
	Exits	Penny became the first housemate to be evicted on Day 15.
Week 3	Entrances	Josh entered the House on Day 16.
	Tasks	The weekly task was for housemates to pair up and learn 10 facts about each other.
	Exits	Stuart was evicted on Day 22.
Week 4	Tasks	The fourth weekly task was for housemates to adopt an individual dance and perform it on request from Big Brother at anytime between 8am and 2am for 5 days.
	Exits	Narinder was evicted on Day 29.
Week 5	Tasks	The weekly task of Week 5 was for housemates to attempt to set new Guinness World Records. Tasks included Dean building a sugar cube tower, and Bubble eating sweetcorn in a specified amount of time.
	Exits	Bubble was evicted on Day 36.
Week 6	Tasks	The sixth weekly task was for housemates to teach a dog (called Paddy) tricks, including “fetching” and “playing dead”.
	Exits	Amma was evicted on Day 43.
Week 7	Tasks	The task was for housemate’s to dismantle a drum kit, move it over an obstacle course and then re-assemble it in 8 and a quarter minutes. Housemates passed this task, doing it in 8 minutes and 1 second.
	Exits	Josh was evicted on Day 50.
Week 8	Tasks	The eighth weekly task was for housemates to take part in playground games. They had to do skipping, ride a pogo stick, hula-hoop and space hopper. Housemates had six minutes to complete the task. They failed the task, taking nine minutes.
	Exits	Paul was evicted on Day 57.
Week 9	Tasks	The last task was for housemates to make papier mache models of each other.
	Exits	Elizabeth was evicted in fourth place on Day 63. Dean and Helen left in third and second place respectively on Day 64 and Brian left as the winner of Big Brother 2001.

Nominations table

	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	Final Week 9
Brian	Helen, Elizabeth	Stuart, Helen	Paul, Amma	Paul, Amma	Paul, Amma	Paul, Josh	Paul, Helen	Winner
Helen	Bubble, Narinder	Narinder, Bubble	Brian, Narinder	Bubble, Brian	Josh, Dean	Dean, Josh	Dean, Elizabeth	Runner-Up
Dean	Narinder, Penny	Narinder, Paul	Paul, Narinder	Paul, Helen	Paul, Amma	Helen, Josh	Paul, Helen	3rd place
Elizabeth	Penny, Helen	Paul, Stuart	Narinder, Paul	Paul, Brian	Paul, Helen	Paul, Helen	Paul, Helen	Evicted (Day 63)'''
Paul	Amma, Helen	Amma, Bubble	Brian, Bubble	Amma, Bubble	Amma, Elizabeth	Brian, Josh	Brian, Elizabeth	Evicted (Day 57)
Josh	Not in house	Exempt	Narinder, Bubble	Paul, Bubble	Amma, Brian	Brian, Helen	Evicted (Day 50)
Amma	Paul, Penny	Paul, Stuart	Narinder, Paul	Paul, Dean	Paul, Josh	Evicted (Day 43)
Bubble	Paul, Penny	Paul, Helen	Narinder, Josh	Paul, Josh	Evicted (Day 36)
Narinder	Helen, Bubble	Stuart, Helen	Amma, Bubble	Evicted (Day 29)
Stuart	Penny, Narinder	Amma, Narinder	Evicted (Day 22)
Penny	Helen, Amma	Evicted (Day 15)
Against public vote	Helen Penny	Paul Stuart	Narinder Paul	Bubble Paul	Amma Paul	Helen Josh	Helen Paul	Brian Dean Elizabeth Helen
Evicted	Penny 58% to evict	Stuart 86% to evict	Narinder 62% to evict	Bubble 53% to evict	Amma 64% to evict	Josh 84% to evict	Paul 84% to evict	Elizabeth 2% (out of 4)	Dean 5% (out of 3)
								Helen 39% (out of 2)	Brian 61% to win

Notes

• There were no nominations in the first or final week.

The series averaged 4.7 million.

Nomination totals

Amma	Brian	Bubble	Dean	Elizabeth	Helen	Josh	Narinder	Paul	Penny	Stuart
12	8	10	4	4	16	8	12	25	5	4

References

External links

• Big Brother - Series 2 at Channel4.com