Davina lashes out at BB critics

Davina McCall has hit out at those who dared to criticise the latest series of Big Brother, calling them "pseudo-intellectuals".

11:34 16 August 2005

Davina McCall has hit out at those who dared to criticise the latest series of Big Brother, calling them "pseudo-intellectuals".

McCall, who will front a seventh series of the show next summer, defended it against claims that producers just turn it into a freakshow with their choice of contestants.

"The people who go into that house are a cross section of British culture. They're not freaks," the Channel 4 presenter told the Radio Times.

"Most of the people who put Big Brother down are pseudo-intellectuals who have never really watched it. If you do, it's a fascinating insight into life."

However, with some of the goings on thanks to this year's collection of housemates, including Craig's relentless and frightening pursuit of heterosexual BB winner, Anthony, and Kinga's raunchy antics with a wine bottle, it seems a pretty worrying society we live in.

And let's not forget Scary Mary - the witch. Her primary function was to stare a lot and be, well, scary.

But while the critics of the series may never be convinced of its worth, it seems the show still retains its appeal to the British public, with the finale of BB6 pulling in 7.7 million viewers.

Channel 4 has confirmed that two more series have been commissioned, while Celebrity Big Brother is also set to make a return, probably early in 2006.