Big Brother: What are the rules of the reality show house?

Hallie and Olivia’s rule-breaking looks set to cause tension in the Big Brother house, after the pair are pulled up over their actions.

Wednesday night’s instalment (18 October) of the ITV reality show saw the housemates scrawling “secret messages” on each other’s backs, and they get told off in the next instalment.

The housemates are called to the lounge where BB tells them: “Before you entered the house, the Big Brother rules were explained to you. The rules state that you may not attempt to communicate in code or write in messages.

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“Yesterday this rule was broken by Hallie and Olivia.”

Hallie then confessed that she wrote that Zak was “a gameplayer” and also mentioned nominations.

Secret messages have always been a big no no in the house. But what other rules are there for housemates?

Nominations chat

Nominations have always been one of the most important parts of the reality show, and discussion about them is off limits.

A few have fallen foul of this particular rule over the years, right back to the first series when Nasty Nick won a place in the annals of Big Brother history by writing notes trying to influence the outcome of the nominations.

Housemates are also supposed to give real and honest reasons for their nominations.

Alarms and naps

Big Brother wouldn’t be Big Brother without an alarm, and it’s thought that getting up when the morning one sounds is a rule.

Traditionally the bell would keep ringing until all the contestants were up and at ‘em, to make sure the gang were doing something worth filming rather than snoozing the day away.

Former runner-up Deborah Agboola – who was on the 18th series - previously suggested that napping was also frowned upon.

“You cannot stay up as long as you want,” the Mirror quoted her as saying last year. “When producers feel like they’ve filmed enough you will get a signal like, ‘Everybody it’s bedtime’.”

She went on: “The producers would wake you up, they would say like ‘This is Big Brother, Deborah wake up’ and it’s not even like you’re sleeping, even if they just heard one snore.”

"You’re not allowed to sleep during the day, that is the number one rule,” she claimed.

However, it isn’t clear if any napping rule applies to the 2023 contestants.

Social media blackouts

This year housemates have to have a total social media blackout during their time on the show.

The rule was announced earlier this year as Big Brother confirmed its welfare package for people on the programme.

The guidance said: “Housemates and their family and friends will be asked not to post any content on their individual social accounts for the duration of their time in the house.”

Microphones and whispering

Housemates have got to wear their personal microphones at all times, in order for the show to work.

It’s a rule that has been broken many times over the years.

And earlier in the current series some viewers reckoned they actually heard housemates being told off for it on the live feed.

Some of them apparently took off their mics after the main programme, and one fan posted on X, formerly Twitter: “OMG a young sounding Big Brother voice just told them off for not wearing their mics.”

In the same vein, the stars aren’t supposed to whisper because it might mean the microphones can’t pick up what they are saying.

Clothes

When the hopefuls turn up pulling their suitcases behind them, it seems one thing that can’t be in them is clothes with logos all over them.

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Show bosses apparently warn the contestants not to bring outfits emblazoned with designer labels or names.

Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

Watch: Big Brother housemates rally round Hallie