Big Brother (British series 1)  Big Brother, also retrospectively known as Big Brother 1, was the first series of the British reality television series "Big Brother". The show followed eleven contestants, known as housemates, who were isolated from the outside world for an extended period of time in a custom built House. Each week, one or more of the housemates were evicted by a public vote. The last remaining housemate, Craig Phillips, was declared the winner, winning a cash prize of £70,000. The series lasted 64 days and was presented by Davina McCall. It launched on Channel 4 on 18 July 2000 and ended on 15 September 2000. Ten housemates entered on the first day, with one additional housemate being introduced in the sixth week. The series was watched by an average of 4.5 million viewers. It became the subject of intense press attention throughout its broadcast, and gained particular notoriety after one housemate, Nick Bateman, was ejected from the House for breaking the rules. The series first launched in Netherlands, with editions in countries such as Germany proving to be hits with the public. Following the success of the show, it was confirmed that editions for the United States and the United Kingdom were in the works. Andre Anten, who was one of the directors for the original show, said the show was "like live soap... you don't know what is going to happen and that is amazing." In March 2000, it was confirmed that the show had been picked up by Channel 4, and would air in July. Casting for the series began that same month, with applications being available on the official website. Applicants who were shortlisted during the casting process underwent psychological analysis and received a nominal fee for the process. It was reported that the show received over 40,000 applications, and the housemates selected to compete in the series were kept secret until they entered the House. The series featured a live feed, which provided 24-hour coverage of the housemates. To comply with broadcasting standards, the live feed was under an estimated ten-minute delay. Commissioning editor Liz Warner said of the feeds "There's a delay on the web feed, so there's an over-ride [...] We will observe the family viewing policy before the watershed, and make sure we stick to ITC guidelines all the time." Davina McCall was announced as the host of the show in April 2000. When asked on her feelings when joining the show, McCall stated "It's a lottery whether you take a show on or not, but you have to ask yourself, 'Would I be interested in seeing the show?'