Well, what a week in the CBB House: the collapse of the love triangle following Jasmine’s eviction; flare-ups between Luisa and nearly everybody; disturbing images of pensioners in bondage gear; nipple sucking live; sparring over a showmance and of course, probably the most Googled topic of the week, “Frank Carson’s Dressing Room."
The deceased Irish comedian probably never dreamt that he would be the rag to the red bull named Linda Nolan, who charged at Jim Davidson upon hearing the utterance of those four unforgettable words: Frank Carson’s Dressing Room.
To say that this season's CBB has been remarkably compelling viewing would be an understatement. Even my 73 year old dad is hooked. Channel 5 are pulling in a record 2.6 million viewers nightly, which has delighted TV execs so much that they have TWICE extended the series. It could become so popular that the remaining housemates could be imprisoned until Christmas. We may never have civilian BBs again. Sod that, when you have contestants like Jim Davidson, Lee Ryan, Luisa Zissman and Lionel Blair.
Forget some of the others though. Ollie Locke and Sam Faiers are quite forgettable in my opinion but judging by the live crowds’ response they are both very popular but they don’t do anything! Nice but non-offensive. Never up for eviction because they are too bland and boring. For entertainment value they are just not up to the calibre of the naughty ones with multiple skeletons rattling in their closets and borderline personality disorders. They are never involved in the major storylines and may as well be door handles.
So last night’s episode saw the exit of a contestant who received the least votes from the viewing public. It was Lionel Blair, and I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. Not because I am a fan, as I think he is a bit of a back-stabbing, hypocritical, contradictory, early-stage Alzheimer suffering showbiz-luvvy old goat but I so wanted Lee out. Go figure, the guy is just appalling. APPALLING! But in his post-eviction interview, Lionel revealed he bought Lee’s pathetic outpourings over Jasmine’s exit, blaming Casey for being a manipulative game player and denying any responsibility for his fickleness, so it is probably the second best result. We know what we see, Lionel, you silly old fool.
So a slightly deflating finish to such a brilliant week that is the televisual highlight of every evening. A week when Liz Jones finally came to life by being allowed to be what she is- a rather good writer; a week when I kind of warmed to Silly Billy but ultimately harmless Dappy and when I truly felt the distress of the maligned Casey. I swear I am getting withdrawal symptoms when I am not watching it or writing or talking about it.
But for me, Jim Davidson, like him or loathe him, is the King of the House. Linda Nolan’s presence in the house- she really, really despises him, may be causing him to hit the red wine a bit too much, but he is one of those people who just can’t help make you laugh. Intentionally and unintentionally. He is what he is. He may be a bit old school, a bit of a grumpy old dinosaur who has awareness but not an adherence to political correctness.
He reminds us of our cantankerous, slightly racist and sexist grandads, dads and uncles (who we also love, despite their anachronistic outlooks on life) who lived in that fascinating era, the 1970s, when Jim’s type of comedy appealed to the working populations before alternative humour sneered it away. When kids could ride on chopper bikes without helmets, could get a clip round the ear without it being termed abuse, middle-class aspirants could drink Liebfraumilch without shame, get a “chinky” and working-class folks could go to the pub and eat chicken in a basket with a Babycham and smoke wherever they bloody well liked.
An unenlightened era maybe and I’m not condoning it, but people like Jim remind us of a time when people could say what they wanted and take the piss out of people without reproach. Because that is how ordinary working-class people in this country behaved, especially in the part of the world he comes from. I just think that nowadays people either have to PC and bland, or forcibly extrovert to get on and Jim is the antithesis of both but is trying his best to adapt. He’s not exactly a breath of fresh air- he exudes a more of a wine-soaked, fag-stenched, Brut smelling aftershave type of aroma that wafts through the airwaves into our homes and I think that is why the public have taken him to their nostalgic hearts.
Lionel, on the other hand, liked to get down with the kids and misguidedly thought that Jim was always jealous of him. But he’s out now and King Jim remains on the throne.
