Don't be so mean to poor Aisleyne

So, Big Brother. If you want to know what I think about the whole former housemates coming back twist, just go and read this post from Grace Dent's Big Brother blog. In fact, read the whole thing from Day One onwards, she's amazingly spot-on about most things BB-related. Her only bad point is that she shares a first name with the water-throwing hypocritical bully in the House Next Door.

The Big Brother producers like every series to have a cast of stereotypical characters for us to variously love and loathe: there's the Funny Camp Man (Brian, Marco, Richard); the Person On A "Journey" (Nadia, to acceptance, Glyn, to adulthood); the Thick But Lovable Blonde (Helen, Jade, Nikki); and of course, the Villain (Nick, Stuart, Victor and Jason, Makosi). It is this latter role that has been assigned to Aisleyne. Highlights show edits, the prejudices of the various spin-off show hosts, and the barbed, self-serving comments of former housemates have all demonstrated this. The Digital Spy forum has descended into its usual name-calling state of war on the subject, and I'm not braving the txtspk of the Channel 4 forums to check, but I'm guess there's a whole heap of bile to be found therein.

Unfortunately for them all, the target just isn't evil enough for the label given to her. As far as I can tell, Aisleyne's main crimes seem to be that she looks a bit rough first thing in the morning, that she has had different moods throughout her time in the house, and she expresses her opinions, which she is capable of changing. These last two apparently make her "fake" and "two-faced". Or, as most rational people would call it, having a multi-faceted personality, doubting your own decisions, and showing some vague degree of depth. How awful of her, she must be publicly humiliated a la Makosi last year! Oh, and I almost forgot, some people dislike her choice of underwear. Clearly a case for a lynch mob then...

As for the show presenters, I've been of the opinion that Davina McCall is a liablility since at least BB4 (the Federico interview springs to mind). Gurning for the camera and asking such cutting-edge questions of the evictees as "where did you buy your boots", bizarrely feting some dull-as-ditchwater housemates while displaying open hostility towards others - these are Davina's trademarks, and by golly, do they make for an irritating show. Give the main show to a clearly bored and disillusioned Dermot O'Leary, and send McCall off to do more marvellous hair dye adverts (watermelon red, that's her favourite). And as for Russell Brand, Big Brother's Big Mouth isn't so much about the Endemol encampment as an excuse for his increasingly tired routines. For thsoe who haven't seen the show, here's a condensed version -

such-as-such's opinions are so whatever - pulled down my trousers and pants - cut off guest mid sentence - quick spin - ballbags - sit on someone's knee - little Paul Scholes - bwye luvoo luvoo - nice to condescend the audience, 'citing - the swines!

But never mind, there's not long to go now, and hopefully the Fickle British Public will realise that Aisleyne is a nice person and a damn good BB contestant, Davina will have an extended career break after her latest pregnancy, and Mr Brand will work out some new schtick for next year.