Big Brother around the world

Big Brother doesn't just take place in the UK. Check out these facts about the show which is now a global phenomenon. Big Brother began in the Netherlands in 1999. It was an idea developed by John de Mol - Endemol's Chairman and Chief Creative Officer. Big Brother has been shown in 22 countries including Argentina (3 series), Australia (3 series), Belgium (3 series), Brazil (3 series), Denmark (2 series), France (1 series), Germany (4 series), Greece (3 series), Hungary (1 series), Italy (3 series), Mexico, Netherlands (4 series), Norway (3 series), Poland (1 series), Portugal (3 series), Romania (1 series), South Africa (2 series), Spain (4 series), Sweden (3 series), Switzerland (2 series), the United Kingdom (3 series) and the USA (3 series). Big Brother broke one of the most important rules - no contact with the outside world - after September 11th, as one of the housemates in the American BB house had a cousin who worked in the World Trade Center. Monica chose to stay in the house. In seven of the countries that had Big Brother on at the time, broadcasters chose not to tell the housemates. Poland turned Big Brother into a gambling house every Wednesday. During these live shows, there were games like darts, roulette, cards, eating a bottle of ketchup in record time, shaving heads, piercing body parts. Belgium began with 11 men and one woman entering the house. The woman had to nominate three men, one of whom was voted out the next day by viewers. The next morning a new woman entered the house and she had to do the same. This went on until six men and six women were left. In Argentina, Diego Maradona came into the house to play football with the housemates, raising money for charitable projects such as building beds for orphanages. In Brazil, they had a game to decide which two housemates could leave the house to go to the carnival in Rio de Janeiro. The UK version of Big Brother has won 17 industry awards, including a BAFTA for innovation.