As mentioned in previous blogs, I have recently moved flat. And in the process, unsubscribed to SKY Digital TV (2010 is all about saving…) which means for about two weeks I have been surviving on terrestrial televion. Which consequently means (and you’ll note it’s taken me a good five days to own up to this) that I found myself watching the beginning of Celebrity Big Brother on Sunday.

Let me say this clearly. I detest Big Brother. And, in almost equal measure, Celebrity Big Brother because it usually reminds me we’ve lost all concept of what the word ‘celebrity’ should mean. However, I can bear the latter since it’s all in the name of charity. (But is it? Is it really? No teeny tiny little percentage going to Mr. D-Celeb and his agent? Surely we all know it’s really a publicity stunt with philantrophy sprinkled on top.)

Let me say this too. I did not mean to watch it. I was flicking through my grand total of five channels when I saw Stephen Baldwin walk into a room. I quickly realised (from the Geordie voiceover carefully explaining that Steven Baldwin is walking into a room) that this was Celebrity Big Brother. And then, in the same way you feel sickeningly compelled to look at a car crash, I stopped channel-hopping.

What in the name of all that is holy is Stephen Baldwin doing on Big Brother? I mean, I get it  – what’s he got to lose? His pride for one, and approximately thirty days of his life if he lasts the stretch…but atleast he’s somewhat back in the limelight, right? I can hear his PR manager giving him the whole spiel: ‘Let’s milk this Born-again Christian thing, man’. But I can’t help feeling it’s a public demostration of how far down the Hollywood-acting ladder he’s come.

I was cringing for him – especially when he had to introduce himself to Page 3 Girl (who had no idea who he was) and was forced into the awkward position of naming a movie he’d been in that she might have seen. Yes, The Usual Suspects. 15 years ago. He may as well have put up a sign saying: Ex-known Hollywood actor. Brother to Alec Baldwin. Career not going too well.

Atleast Heidi Fleiss seemed to know exactly who he was. But not sure he’d be too happy about either…

Chiara Priorelli, Publicity Manager

P.S. Yesterday I went out and bought myself a Freeview box.