WITH over 500 seasons in 60 countries, Big Brother is no stranger to mind-blowing scandals.
TV star and model Aleska Génesis, 33, sparked the latest controversy this week after she was arrested by Mexican authorities for theft just moments after leaving the Celebrity Big Brother house.
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Aleska starred in the American-Spanish version of Celebrity Big Brother, La Casa de los Famosos All Stars, and was accused of stealing luxury watches worth £380,500 from the house of casino tycoon Francisco Javier Rodríguez Borgio in the Mexican capital in October 2022.
But she’s not the first Big Brother housemate to find herself in the eye of a scandal.
From Italian Mafia controversies to live sex on screen, we look back at insane moments that shocked viewers around the world.
Pandemic shock
Big Brother became an “ethical nightmare” in 2020 when coronavirus took over the world.
When that year’s contestants entered the German Big Brother house there were no cases of the virus and housemates who joined later were strictly forbidden from mentioning the growing pandemic.
After criticism on social media, the 14 contestants inside the Big Brother house in Cologne were told about the raging virus happening all over the world.
The housemates could be seen crying as they watched a video that showed them the reality of the spread of virus.
It wasn’t just in Germany. Contestants in Canada couldn’t work out they were not able hear a live-audience booing them during evictions.
In Brazil, producers also refused to tell residents about the pandemic after they entered the house on 21 January.
Yet UK producers were no stranger to “viral outbreaks” after faking one in 2013 – and making housemates decide which of them got the only six gas masks or go into quarantine.
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‘Excessive sex’
In 2001, Portugal’s television watchdog planned to prosecute two channels for obscenity after Big Brother showed live sex on TV.
Two contestants, Sergio and Veronica, let their passions run wild on camera and were both swiftly ejected from the Big Brother house.
The show received complaints from Portuguese bishops and MPs who claimed the show was spiralling out of control.
This is not the first time the show has been called out for showing raunchy scenes that crossed the lines.
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Sex show for housemates
Contestants, Minna and Esa climbed on top of each other in full view of their fellow housemates while on season five of Big Brother Finland.
The series shocked viewers when the couple’s saucy romps were aired on live TV.
They joined the long list of international contestants who had no inhibitions in the house, including contestants from season eight Big Brother Africa.
One contestant, Nando, even complained that he was given a sexual transmitted infection during a sexual liaison in the house.
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Big Brother baby
Season five of the Dutch show ranks as one of the craziest moments in Big Brother history after Tanja Slangenberg gave birth in the house.
Tanja came on the show seven months pregnant and a baby girl named Joscelyn Savanna arrived on October 18th, 2005.
She gave birth in a special room, according to strict rules set by the Dutch Social Affairs Ministry and there were restrictions in place when filming the baby.
It was reported Tanja then left the house after the other housemates criticised her for her heavy smoking and poor parenting skills.
Talpa, the TV station that produced the show, was accused of using the birth to boost its ratings.
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Celebrity Big Brother winners
THE first Celebrity Big Brother aired in March 2001 on Channel 4 and there have now been 23 seasons in total.
Here’s who has won the coveted title so far:
Season 1 (2001): Comedian Jack Dee beat actress Claire Sweeney despite walking out of the house and evading security for about an hour. The series was also more memorable for Vanessa Feltz telling Big Brother to “f*** off” after chalking “incarcerated”, “ambushed” and “restricted” on the table.
Season 2 (2002): Take That favourite Mark Owen triumphed over TV host Les Dennis. The latter won over the sympathy of the audience after his marriage breakdown with his wife Amanda Holden.
Season 3 (2005): Maraca shaking Bez walked out the winner ahead of Blazin’ Squad‘s Kenzie. The Happy Mondays star scooped the £50,000 and went on a 10-hour bender, blowing the cash.
Season 4 (2006): This was the season when Big Brother mixed things up – by sending in a non-celebrity from the fictional band Kandy Floss. However, Chantelle Houghton won over viewers and housemates alike and was crowned the winner. During her time in the house she found love with Ordinary Boys singer Preston. There was also added drama when George Galloway pretended to be Rula Lenska‘s pet cat.
Season 5 (2007): Actress Shilpa Shetty won after being caught up in a racism bullying row with former BB contestant Jade Goody, model Danielle Lloyd, and S Club‘s Jo O’Meara.
Season 6 (2009): Ulrika Jonsson beat Terry Christian, but controversy came in the form of rapper Coolio who was slammed by viewers as misogynistic, however, he finished in third spot.
Season 7 (2010): Alex Reid beat Dane Bowers and Vinnie Jones with a huge 65% of the vote. Alex married Katie Price one month later.
Season 8 (2011): In the first series to air on Channel 5, Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty was the unexpected winner, beating singer Kerry Katona.
Season 9 (2012): Loose Women star Denise Welch triumphed over X Factor contestant Frankie Cocozza, after stripping off while drunk and jumping into the hot tub topless.
Season 10 (2012): Comedian Julian Clary got the nod in the vote over Coleen Nolan.
Season 11 (2013): The X Factor’s Rylan Clark beat couple Heidi Montag
& Spencer Pratt, who was competing as “one entity” and known as Speidi.
Season 12 (2013): Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby beat 5ive singer Abz Love
Season 13 (2014): Jim Davidson won after a blazing row with Linda Nolan. N-dubz Dappy took the second spot.
Season 14 (2014): Gary Busey – who chose to roam around the CBB house naked – beatboxer Audley Harrison.
Season 15 (2015): Katie Price won the battle of the Katies as she saw off controversial Katie Hopkins in the final. The biggest talking point was American blogger Perez Hilton‘s raging row with Calum Best, but the series also saw two early ejections of Jeremy Jackson and Ken Morley.
Season 16 (2015): Apprentice star James Hill beat model Austin Armacost. Tila Tequila was evicted on just the second day after she was found to have posted support for Adolf Hitler on social media.
Season 17 (2016): Geordie Shore’s Scotty T won after sharing a kiss with fellow housemate Tiffany Pollard. Stephanie Davis was runner-up.
Season 18 (2016): Stephen Bear won the show despite a huge row with radio star James Whale. Ricky Norwood placed second but this season saw Christopher Biggins ejected from the house after making an anti-Semitic joke.
Season 19 (2017): Coleen Nolan entered the CBB house for a second time – and this time came out the winner beating Jedward. During her second stint, she had a massive showdown with horse star John McCririck.
Season 20 (2017): It was the battle of the reality show singers in the final, with Popstars: The Rivals winner and Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding beating The X Factor’s Amelia Lily.
Season 21 (2018): Courtney Act, otherwise known as Shane Jenek, won with politician Ann Widdecombe as runner-up.
Season 22 (2018): Winning Dancing On Ice in 2024, was not Ryan Thomas‘s first reality show title. He won the CBB title in 2018, after a shocking “run-in” with Emmerdale actress Roxanne Pallet, who falsely accused him of punching her. Actress Kirstie Alley came second
Season 23 (2024): The return of the show after a six year hiatus saw reality star David Potts take the prize, with Strictly Come Dancing pro Nikita Kuzmin as runner up.
‘The Turkey Slap’
The Australian show saw a horrific scandal where a female housemate was subjected to a ‘turkey slap’.
In 2006, Michael “John” Bric and Michael “Ashley” Cox held fellow housemate Camilla Severi down while laughing and hitting her in the face with their genitals.
The incident rocked reality TV and even the Australian Prime Minister urged the cancellation of the show.
The two men were removed from the house hours later and the event was reported to the police.
Talking to host Gretel Kileen, Cox said: “It was just a practical joke and Camilla knew this. We were mucking around, having a good time, and obviously we didn’t intend on hurting Camilla in any way.”
Bric added: “We are good blokes and we really do treat women with respect.”
Cox later told Zoo Weekly that the scandal “ruined his life” and he felt he’d been “branded a rapist”.
Camila spoke out later saying she understood, “the boys didn’t mean any harm to me.”
The incident went down in history and led to the show getting axed in Australia two years later as viewer levels plummeted.
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Spinning around
In 2018 Big Brother Brazil set the alleged world record for the longest endurance challenge on reality TV.
Contestants were strapped into a spinning device while traveling on a track, similar to sickness-inducing theme park rides.
The competition lasted nearly 43 hours before being stopped after producers started fearing for the contestants’ health.
The longest standing housemates, Kaysar and Ana Clara won a car for their nauseating efforts.
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Mafia scandal
Ferdinando Giordano, the son of convicted Neapolitan mafia mobster Matteo Giordano, featured on Italian Big Brother in 2010, also known as Grande Fratello in Italian.
The relatives of mafia victims in Italy were outraged and The National Association for the Families of Mafia Victims accused the show of using mafia ties to boost ratings.
Viewers felt Ferdinando’s presence was a slap in the face for anyone who had lost friends or family to organised crime.
The show defended their decision as the Mafia-linked contestant had no legal criminal record and 6million viewers tuned in for the first week of the popular program.
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Pool sex protests
The French show sparked controversy after stripper Loana has sex with DJ Jean-Edouard in the swimming pool, even though the actual romp wasn’t aired.
The broadcaster received warnings from the French TV watchdog and protestors from the Activists Against Trash TV attacked the Big Brother house by throwing eggs and tomatoes at the house where the contestants were living.
Around 250 individuals contributed to the protest and held up a banner that said “we will not be mice in a cage”, potentially alluding to the surveillance aspects of the TV show.
Security guards also had to use tear gas to prevent protesters breaking into the Paris channel M6 offices.
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Sibling shock
During season five of USA Big Brother, producers introduced a brutal twist called Project DNA – where Michael “Cowboy” Ellis and Nakomis Dedmon found out they shared the same biological dad.
The pair were swapping questions and stories before a shocking moment where they realised they were half-siblings for the first time on the live show.
The producers later gave the pair two letters from home explaining the situation.
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