‘Big Brother’ Housemates Still Blissfully Unaware Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

Contestants in the German edition of the reality TV show “Big Brother” have so far remained blissfully unaware of the coronavirus pandemic that has engulfed the globe.

All that will change during a special live broadcast at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, however, when the 14 housemates will be informed of the crisis that has sickened more than 7,500 people in their home country and killed 17, reported the BBC.

Most participants have been hunkered down inside the TV set/house in Cologne since Feb. 6, when the outbreak was mainly limited to mainland China.

Four contestants who entered on Mar. 9 were instructed not to talk about the spread of the virus, which the World Health Organization has since declared a pandemic. Germany has gone into virtual lockdown, with schools closed and all but essential businesses ordered shut.

TV channel SAT.1, which is producing the 20-year anniversary season of the show, initially held off from telling participants about the crisis unless there were extenuating circumstances, such as if a family member fell ill.

It performed an about-turn, however, after drawing scorn on social media and following consultation with the housemates’ relatives, it said in a statement released Monday. 

The Brazilian edition of the show informed its housemates of the pandemic during a broadcast earlier in the week, which it shared clips of on Instagram:

Housemates on the current Canadian season, meanwhile, were provided with “a thorough update on the domestic and international status of COVID-19 along with an update that all houseguest’s family members remain unaffected by COVID-19 at this time,” according to a statement released online Monday.

The series’ producer, Insight Productions, said it had suspended live tapings of the show and had a resident doctor on hand who had “assessed and determined that no houseguests have exhibited any signs or symptoms.”

“In light of the extremely unique situation regarding COVID-19, the houseguests were each provided a letter from home and remain in the Big Brother house at their own will,” it added.