Celebrity Big Brother kicks off THIS Sunday on Channel 4 at 9pm (screeeam!), and now we can show you the FIRST glimpse inside the all-new house. In previous years, the show's producers have simply given the summer house a lick of paint and added a few things, but, with this being the last ever series, they decided to do things a little bit differently.
The Celeb BB house has been given a total makeover - and we got to actually walk around inside it! We even had to wear plastic blue things over our shoes to protect the brand new red and cream carpets! We entered through the wall of the house (through a hidden panel. Ooooh!) straight into the main living area, where the new Hell Lies In Others tagline became immediately apparent. We were greeted by thick red carpets, red velvet sofas and ornate chairs, animal rugs, fake fur throws, gold fixtures, animal skulls and lots of quilted wall panels in red and black. The glass coffee table has an ingenius camera at the centre so we can watch the housemates as they sit and gossip, while the room is covered with cameras and mirrors.
We were expecting it to be cold, but once you're inside the house it's actually toasty warm - especially in the luxurious but cramped bathroom. Gone is the sterile area of the summer, and in its place is a thick cream carpet, free-standing bath, dressing table with mirror and a huge shower room. The shower is free from cameras, but if anyone goes in there for a gossip or something else (ahem), then we'll still be able to hear every sound.
The whole house has been inspired by Dante's Inferno, with Executive Producer Shirley Jones telling us, "The famous line from Dante’s Inferno is 'Abandon hope all ye who enter here', which has inspired much of what we have done to the house, particularly the entrance which is dark and cavernous with flaming walls. When the celebrities arrive in the house on Sunday night they will definitely wonder what is in store for them, it looks incredibly different from previous years." As you can see from the pictures below, the Diary Room door is decorated in flame print, and the carpets on the stairs are black.
The kitchen was designed with a hospital morgue in mind (lovely), and the units are large and basic. The place is decorated by a number of snakes, lizards and other creepy-looking things pickled in jars. We weren't allowed to see into the Diary Room or the bedrooms, but we were told that the main living space contains a number of "surprises" that will be revealed once the show kicks off. Outside the garden is quite bare at the moment, but something will be taking pride of place in it when the show starts. All that we know is that this "thing" is "unusual", "quite big", "a bit different" and will "play a big part". Mysterious... Outside the pool has been abandoned in favour of a snug new seating area, which is heated and full of cosy things to wrap up in. Perfect place for a good late-night gossip.
Being inside the Celeb BB house was totally surreal, but utterly brilliant - and we made sure we sat on and touched as much as we could like proper geeks. Excitingly, live streaming is being brought back in chunks, so as well as the main evening show on Channel 4 you'll also be able to catch up on the action during the day on E4, as well as throughout the night. Asked what they were hoping to get from the celebs taking part, Sharon told us, "We want them to be challenged, but we want them to have a bit of fun with it. It's always interesting to see how they cope with the loss of control, because most celebrities are used to being in control."
We couldn't get one squeak out of anyone about who will be going in come Sunday, but we did discover that one celeb has requested "a little special something" that all the housemates will be able to use. We can't wait to find out what it is, and who it's for, and who else is going in, and what the thing in the garden is, and how many bedrooms there are... Too exciting for words! Are you getting excited yet? And what do you think of the new house? Have a look through our gallery below and tell us your thoughts.
Celebrity Big Brother: The Live Launch, Sunday 3 January, Channel 4, 9pm