Well, that’s one way to quarantine. The 14 men and women who are competing on Big Brother in Germany have not yet been informed about the coronavirus pandemic.
The contestants moved in on February 10, are living in a secluded house in Cologne, Germany, and are continuing to have very close encounters. They are seemingly participating in the opposite of social distancing.
The cast of season 13 is set to find out the news on the live episode on Tuesday, March 17, after a social media uproar. The rules of the show, which airs on Sat.1 network, forbid contact with the outside world and crew have not been allowed to speak about the virus.
Originally, Sat.1 claimed they were taking “special hygienic measures” to protect the cast, according to The Hollywood Reporter, but nothing further was explained.
Now, after 17 deaths in Germany and more than 7,000 confirmed cases, they’ve decided to air a special episode on Tuesday night where they will inform the cast, who will also be able to ask questions and receive messages from their families — something that’s never happened on Big Brother.
“The health and well-being of Big Brother Housemates is our priority,” production company Endemol Shine said in a statement on Tuesday. “All current productions were informed last week that the usual format rules regarding outside news do not apply in this instance, and it was requested that they inform their respective housemates of the evolving situation regarding COVID-19. The majority of Housemates have already been briefed, and this process will be complete today [March 17].”
Big Brother Australia is also continuing production but the contestants have been informed of the outbreak.
Many social media users can’t help but point out the similarities to the 2008’s Dead Set, a series created by Black Mirror boss Charlie Booker. The miniseries follows a fictional cast of Big Brother U.K., who are stranded inside the house during a zombie apocalypse and are the last to find out. It was shot inside the U.K. Big Brother house.
