BB08 is finished

BB08 finished on Monday night with Terri, a 52 year old grandmother from NSW, the winner this time around. In the end I couldn't decide whether Terri or Rory should win so I was glad it came down to a choice between the two of them. Both had financially strapped backgrounds, and I liked the idea of Rory being able to create a better world for himself and his family, or Terri retiring earlier and looking after her family.

My enthusiasm for the show has waned over the eight years, to the extent that I:

• wait until the show is a few weeks in before I start watching it. By that time the show offs and really aggressive people have been voted out
• don't watch anything but the regular 30 minute daily program. The rest are full of fillers, and this year we had the dreadful additional Kyle and Jackie to put up with (ugh!) and life is too short to waste hours of ads and fillers to (supposedly) keep my attention.

I read an interesting article by Jim Schembri (The Age Green Guide) who suggested there was still a role for BB, and I agree with his proposal. My interest and involvement in BB has always been driven by what I saw and learnt from the interaction between the housemates. This year was no exception and I especially admired the integrity and principles of 18-year old Bianca who turned down a $20,000 plus request for a bikini layout in Zoo magazine because she wants to pursue a public career (perhaps in politics) and didn't want any scandals to follow her. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future, and it gives me faith that the world is not full of BB and soap opera stereotyes like airheads and studs. (Note: This is a dig at a Channel Ten concept developed solely to sell advertising time, and not at any of the participants on BB).

Channel Ten seems to have shelved, rather than cancelled, the show for now and perhaps it'll be back. At this stage I don't really care as I'm 'BBed' out for now. I just hope that if they do bring it back they move away from the aggressive attempts at winning the ratings game, and develop a new angle and freshness for the program.

Oh yeah, and pigs will fly!