It was when Mike Goldman was kicked out of the Big Brother crew wrap party after falling in a canal in an attempt to elude security that I knew Big Brother was over.
This is the guy who IS Big Brother after all. Ok he doesn’t do the big man’s voice – but he’s done just about everything else.
And he’s a guy, like all the staff on the Reality TV stalwart; that you grow to love the more you know them.
It was the end of a lack lustre season of the show, which finished not with the usual question being bandied around at this time of year ‘Who do you want to win?’ but ‘Do you care?’
It ended with Ben today blaming the housemates for the show’s demise, saying he felt guilty. Truly a sad sad thing to be thinking, let alone saying out loud. Even if it’s true, it’s hardly their fault.
And if that wasn’t enough to end it news that Terri is going to buy a facelift with her winnings certainly did.
But whether Mike was in the water or entertaining his colleagues last night the mood was jubilant.
Many of the 300 crew have worked on the show for years as camera operators, online writers, publicists, prop builders, audio technicians, producers, runners, editors and script writers.
But most seemed to be keen to toast the show’s achievements rather than dwell on its demise. They were more interested in celebrating, in the words of Production Executive Howard Parker, the Big Brother family.
Or maybe they’re just all so exhausted after running a 24-hour operation for three months they were past caring.
And the party the night before, with all the housemates, was just as wild.
Jackie O certainly pulled her weight, dancing through the night – even if Kyle was no-where to be seen. Although her promises to party all night with Travis were proved unfounded as the unworldly lad left after about ten minutes.
Though it may have been the heavy police presence inside the Gold Coast club we all adjourned to that may have turned him off – it felt like we’d gone back to the days of Sir Joh. Or perhaps he just got removed for saying ‘yay’ too much – who knows.
More than that I can’t divulge. Whether Bianca put the hard word on Ben, no-one can tell. Whether Rory and Rhianna got a few private moments, no-one can be sure.
What I do know is that one of the housemates from this year is negotiating with a TV network for a job. Good on her. I hope she pulls it off.
And that the Logan boys are still always at the centre of any party – even if you do include Logan Tim.
But what of BB?
Well I reckon in five years time the public will look back with a warm nostalgia on Big Brother – it’ll become like David Hasselhoff or Bert Bacharach - a trashy at times cheesy pop culture phenomena we all enjoyed and realise we miss.
Yet for the past housemates it may be a blessing the show’s gone. It may allow them to move forward – to stop being associated with something that still exists – to forge a new identity.
Not that it’ll be an end of LIVENEWS.com.au’s coverage of Big Brother.
We’ll be bringing you some more juicy stuff in the next 24 hours – like some behind the scenes interviews with Mike Goldman, Zac, Camilla, Travis, Aleisha, Billy and Alice for a start.
And probably a bit more. So stick around. And for all of you who come over from OHBROTHER.com.au thanks so much for your support. We really couldn’t have done it without you. But from the Gold Coast for now it’s over and out.