Big Brother 15 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets You Need To Know

Summer is on the horizon, and for reality television fanatics, that means one thing - Big Brother is coming. There are plenty of reality television shows vying for the public's attention, but for some reason, there's something about Big Brother that gives it a guilty pleasure vibe, even more so than other reality tv shows. Perhaps it's the fact that it's on the air multiple times a week, meaning fans can get their fix on more than just a weekly basis. Perhaps it's the fact that, thanks to the live feeds recording 24/7, fans can catch scandals and controversies and unique behind the scenes gossip far more easily than on other reality television shows. Whatever your poison, for any true reality television fan, it's just not summer without Big Brother.

Through the years, there have been plenty of memorable contestants, and even a few crazy twists that had viewers shocked. They try to mix it up to keep the show fresh season after season, but in all honesty, no matter what they do or don't do - fans will probably continue to tune in.

However, there are a few things that the show may not want you to know. Here are 15 secrets you may not have known about Big Brother.

15 The contestants are often sleep deprived (at least, at the beginning)

While there is certainly some drama, many often assume that life in the Big Brother house is pretty easy. After all, it's not as if you're contending with bugs and creatures like on Survivor, or even things like language barriers on The Amazing Race. However, it turns out that it isn't just a walk in the park. According to insiders, including former BB15 winner Andy Herren, the show actually blasts music to wake contestants up in the morning - at whatever time they choose. “You have to wake up to change your mic pack out,” explained Herren. While contestants can return to bed after that, it's certainly a jarring way to be awoken - and day after day, if you find yourself going to bed later because you're busy strategizing, those early morning wake-up calls can be pretty brutal. Of course, it gets easier - Herren admitted that towards the end of the game, he was sleeping over 15 hours a day because there was simply not much else to do.

14 Contestants aren't allowed to sing

You would assume that contestants could fill the air time doing whatever they wanted, right? After all, anything that isn't entertaining is just cut out when they put together material for the show - the live feeds run all the time, so giving contestants more opportunities to goof off seems like a good idea. However, there's one little issue - copyright. If a contestant sings an actual song, or quotes a movie or television show, then the live feed actually cuts out for a moment and they get warned by the producer to cut it out. So, if you ever wondered why audiences were never treated to impromptu sing-offs or movie chat in the house, that's why. It kind of makes sense - plus when you have literally 24 hours a day of footage to pull from, it's probably easy to find some great alternatives where the houseguests are entertaining themselves in other ways.

13 Contestants have to be hot

Okay yes, there are occasionally Big Brother contestants that are more 'real people,' individuals who don't look like they just stepped off the set of a major blockbuster movie with their insane good looks. However, at the end of the day, a large part of the show involves contestants lounging around the house, scantily clad. So, that's something that is taken into consideration when the show is being cast. Additionally, while no scandal has erupted of a contestant literally being told to lose weight yet, they are gently advised that they should be looking pool-ready - and we all know what that means. The good news is that, whatever fitness regime you embark on to prepare for the Big Brother house will probably be easy to continue once you're inside, because you've literally got nothing but time on your hands. If a contestant doesn't enter the house toned and trim, chances are that's how they'll leave if they commit to a routine.

12 Slop has hospitalized contestants before

Fans of the show who have been watching for a long time know that, back in the day, the punishment for not winning some type of food challenge involved being put on a PB&J diet. And yes, the monotony probably was a little bit dull, but there's a lot you can do with PB&J - and many people actually enjoy the childhood staple. However, after season seven, the producers decided to up the ante by making the punishment a food called 'slop,' which… we're not even really sure what it is. Some type of oatmeal substance, but way more disgusting. And it turns out, slop is actually kind of dangerous. In season nine, a hypoglycemic contestant actually had a seizure because the slop didn't have enough sugar to sustain her, and one of her fellow housemates had to be hospitalized as well because she had an allergic reaction to something in the disgusting mixture. It's still around, but we have a feeling that the show will switch back to PB&J if there are too many more slop-provoked health issues.

11 The contestants are tested for STDs before entering the house

When you put a bunch of people in one house for an extended period of time, chances are there will be some attraction among house mates - hence the rise of showmances. However, showmances have become such a thing that Big Brother actually instituted a new rule that contestants had to be tested for STDs before the show began. While not everyone engages in a showmance, it's a precautionary measure - and it actually had a pretty dramatic consequence for one contestant. Notorious villain Evel Dick was routinely tested before he went into the house for season 13, and he left the show early because the producers passed on some private “news” to him. It turns out, that news was that he had tested positive for HIV - which he may not have realized for who knows how long were it not for the mandatory testing. Although for the average contestant, it probably just means the show can't be sued because someone gets an STD from their spontaneous hook-up.

10 Contestants get paid - even if they don't win

Every fan knows that the contestants are all in competition for the big half a million dollar prize, or the much smaller but still respectable runner-up purse. However, did you know that every contestant actually gets some money for being in the house? The contestants get $750 a week while they're in the house or in the jury house for the summer, an acknowledgement of the fact that they have to give up the majority of their summer to compete. Of course, being under surveillance 24 hours a day can lead to some consequences in real life -such as getting fired from your job - but the fact that the contestants do get some money for their time is kind of nice. If you don't end up winning, it probably seems meaningless in comparison to the potential half a million prize you might have reached, but still - it's something!

9 Contestants have to have seen at least one season

On every reality show, there are usually a few super fans amongst the contestants, ones who have been watching devotedly since they were just children. They know every rule and twist, they can recall every contestant's strategy from the past decade, and are basically just obsessed with the game. Big Brother has certainly had some super fans who have seen every single season over the years, but you'll never find anyone walk into the house with no prior knowledge of the show - that's because they're told they have to have seen at least one full season before entering the house. It's likely just to ensure they know the lingo of things like the diary room or HOH competitions, but still - the super fans definitely have a certain advantage, since they've seen a lot more strategies over the seasons, and may have a good idea of what would work best for them.

8 The house gets disgusting

You would think that, since they don't have to go to work or deal with responsibilities like families, the contestants would have hours and hours to do things like keep the house clean, right? Well, just because they have a lot of time, doesn't mean that they'll spend it cleaning - at least that's what behind the scenes intel seems to indicate. Apparently, the whole house generally ends up smelling pretty awful, and they often get ants that come after all the spilled and unattended food. In fact, things are so bad that fans who watch the feeds know that houseguests are actually told to clean things up before the Thursday live show happens. Seriously, there are so many of them, and the house isn't that humongous - how hard is it to keep things clean? Apparently, very - we'd hate to see what a clean freak contestant thinks of the house after being there for a few weeks.

7 There are crew members who transcribe every moment that happens

Sometimes on the show, particularly when contestants are whispering and trying to have a private conversation, you'll see subtitles sharing exactly what they're saying. It turns out, getting that information is a lot easier than you might think. That's because in the master control room, there are several crew members who spend their time basically taking notes about what the houseguests are doing, transcribe what they're saying, and jot down what type of camera footage is available. Then, when it comes time to edit all that footage into an episode, they can just reference those records to see what they want to include. But still - even though the guests know they're being filmed 24/7, the fact that someone is literally keeping a record of their every word and move is a little unsettling! Plus, we can't help but wonder what would happen if one of those crew members went rogue and decided to leak a bunch of hidden information.

6 They have certain wardrobe restrictions

When it comes to wardrobe in the Big Brother house, there have definitely been some interesting selections. Some contestants are all about comfort and choose to lounge around in sweatpants and t-shirts. Others want to look somewhat glam for the cameras, and might get all dolled up from time to time. Then, there are the ones who spend 90% of their summer in bikinis or swim trunks (less laundry to do, we suppose). However, there are a few rules about what contestants cannot wear. First of all, they can't wear anything with a recognizable logo (likely to avoid any potential issues with brands). Additionally, they're told to steer clear of certain fabrics and patterns that don't look good on camera, such as polka dots, very thin stripes, or silk garments. Who knew? So, guests better avoid packing their polka dot bikinis and collection of branded tees if they want to avoid getting into trouble with the producers.

5 They aren't allowed to read or write

At first, getting to spend an entire summer with no responsibilities apart from coming up with a solid strategy in a reality television show game seems like an absolute dream. I mean, it's kind of like a vacation, right? However, any houseguest who figured they could spend the summer working on their long-time dream of finally penning a novel, or to catch up on their mile long 'to read' list, may be surprised at a certain rule in place. Everyone knows that the contestants don't have access to media while they're in the house - no television, no radio, no phone calls, nothing. However, did you know that they're not even allowed to read or write? Apart from the Bible, contestants aren't allowed to have any books, and they're also not allowed to bring in paper and pens. Honestly, no wonder they get so bored! That's a long time to not even read a single article or jot down a single note.

4 One winner did really bad things with his winnings

A common question on competition-based reality television shows involves what exactly you're going to do with the prize money if you win. Some contestants state that they want to take care of their families, others decide to finally pursue a long-time dream like opening their own bakery, and some decide to just go back to their regular lives and put that wad of cash straight in the bank for the future. And then, there's Adam Jasinski. Jasinski won season 9 of the show, and was constantly saying that he would donate 20% of his earnings to help children with autism. Admirable, right? Well, he didn't quite stay true to his word - once leaving the house with half a million in prize money, he used it to get into the drug business, and was eventually arrested. Well, that's one way to spend the money - although not a way that most people would recommend.

3 It began as a Dutch reality show

Most people know that there are versions of Big Brother in countries across the world. Few are as big as the American version outside of their home countries, so it can be easy to assume that the American version was the original. However, that's not the case at all. The show was initially conceived of for Dutch television, by the hugely successful John de Mol. It originally aired in the Netherlands in 1999, and soon countries around the world all wanted to get in on the Big Brother action. Honestly, we're not sure where John de Mol comes up with his simple yet captivating reality television show ideas, but there's no doubt that Big Brother has captured audiences worldwide. So, while people who don't speak Dutch will likely never watch a full season of the foreign version, true fans should note that it all started in the Netherlands.

2 They usually can't see the cameras

Many people find themselves unable to believe the things that the contestants are willing to do or admit. After all, they know they're being filmed, so why do so many of them end up behaving in a controversial or just plain embarrassing manner? Well, while you may think you're aware of the cameras 24/7, after a while many of the contestants seem to kind of forget about them because they can't really see them. Sure, there are sometimes cameras up front and centre when they're trying to get specific shots, but on the whole, the majority of the cameras are built into the structure and not operated by someone directly. So, it's easy to just allow the cameras to blend into your surroundings. We have a feeling that if the contestants were surrounded by actual camera men, physically reminding them that they're being filmed, they'd be a little bit more cautious with what they said.

1 George Orwell's estate sued the show because of the name

Big Brother is one of the characters/symbols in George Orwell's classic novel 1984, and the show obviously got its name from Orwell's text - after all, the show is all about contestants being watched 24/7, just like in Orwell's book. Well, while the people who initially named the show likely thought it was a general enough reference that it would be fine, Orwell's estate didn't quite feel the same way. The author's estate sued the show, and while not much more has been heard about the incident, we can assume that they reached an agreement of sorts, considering the show wasn't forced to change its name. You wouldn't necessarily associate a classic piece of literature and reality television, but hey - inspiration can come from anywhere. We wonder if any other classic novels might one day inspire a new reality television show.