By Aaliyah Rugg

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Big Brother contestants must abide by strict rules on the show, some of which may come as a surprise to fans.

An official 2025 Big Brother release date has yet to be announced, but anticipation continues to build for the much loved show. The social experiment sees a group of contestants from all walks of life living in one house kitted with cameras and microphones.

The series was picked up by ITV in 2023 which saw Jordan Sangha crowned the winner, with Ali Bromley taking home the crown last year. Will Best and AJ Odudu will return as hosts, but the cast list and release date currently remain under wraps.

As fans eagerly await news for the autumnal instalment, we have taken a look at some of the rules Big Brother contestants must abide by, and some may come as a surprise.

Smoking and vaping

Big Brother has a strict no smoking or vaping rule except in the designated area away from the cameras. However, fans may remember one 2024 revelation when housemate Emma shared their secret vapes they had kept hidden and were using under the duvet, reports the Tab.

She said: “When I was in bed at night, I used to put the covers over my head and vape. Couldn’t tell anyone cause I had a mic on, one night I’m in bed, Sarah’s next to me, and I’ve got the covers over my head. I had a vape, and she’s gone, big trap, ‘Oooh, it smells like vapes in here.’ And I thought, ‘you d******.’”

Outside world

Contestants cannot have contact with the outside world, this includes trying to make gestures in an attempt to contact anyone watching. This also means they cannot have their phones or newspapers or any form of communication.

Contestants entering the Big Brother house are also prohibited from bringing in books, notebooks and pens as well as musical instruments and the only clothing they can take should avoid obvious branding or items that convey messages.

Secret messages

Secret messages between one another is also not allowed. Fans will remember during Celebrity Big Brother that Chris Hughes and JoJo Siwa were accused of doing just this when they wrote on one another’s hands.

And again when Chris attempted to theorise who he thought his fellow housemates were going to vote for during nominations. In 2023, Olivia and Hallie were also punished when Hallie was seen writing messages with her fingers on Olivia’s back about their other housemates.

Napping and furniture

According to Cosmopolitan, housemates are prohibited from napping, if they do so then an alarm will sound waking them up. They are also not allowed to move around furniture unless instructed to do so by Big Brother.

Cameras and filming

Cameras are rolling 24/7 which means contestants must not get up to anything they shouldn’t. There are even cameras in the bathrooms and housemates cannot interfere with their filming equipment, being urged to wear mandatory microphones.

A big rule is that housemates should not use inappropriate language or behaviour. Earlier this year, Mickey Rourke was removed from the house following his behaviour towards Chris Hughes, which came after a previous warning for comments he made to JoJo Siwa.

According to RadioTimes, the welfare of housemates are monitored 24 hours a day and support is available for them on the show. It is also said past housemates have received extensive briefing from the Big Brother officials to “prepare them for living in the House and to set out Big Brother’s expectation for appropriate behaviour and language”.

An official release date for Big Brother’s 2025 series is yet to be announced