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Contestants of the German “Big Brother” were informed about the COVID-19 pandemic on camera during the show.
The contestants entered the “Big Brother” house over a month ago, and the first cases of COVID-19 were barely being reported from Wuhan in China when they walked in. They had no idea that the disease had acquired pandemic proportions over the past weeks.
At the last count, over 6,000 cases of coronavirus and 13 deaths have been reported in Germany, reports bbc.com.
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Some housemates broke into tears when they were shown a video that made them aware of the situation outside. They were then allowed to ask questions to the show’s resident doctor. The housemates also watched video messages from their relatives. One contestant started crying and worried about her mother who has a lung condition.
The relatives of the contestants tried to lighten up the atmosphere. Some of them joked that the “Big Brother” contestants were probably in the safest place in Germany right now, and asked if they could bring some toilet rolls back. There has been a shortage of product in many western countries.
The makers decided to inform the contestants about the pandemic after facing severe criticism from viewers for keeping the 14 men and women locked inside the house in Cologne in the dark. Four contestants who joined the show on March 9 had been told not to talk about the coronavirus.