Big Brother saw its first lesbian winner, the BBC did female-only dating and even the Only Way is Essex branched out. This was the year reality TV proved it’s streaks ahead

The prediction, attributed to Andy Warhol, that everyone will be “famous for 15 minutes” aptly describes the turn of the millennium, when reality TV started transforming people without a traditional “talent” into overnight celebrities. Another accurate prediction would have been that every British TV channel will, at some point, get to broadcast the “social experiment” that started it all: Big Brother.

This year, on the second series to air on ITV, forensic psychologist Ali Bromley became the quintessential underdog. Her fellow housemates nominated her for eviction almost every week, often citing her direct manner, which frequently led to conflict. Despite being labelled the “red witch” inside the house, fans connected with her honesty. She was also praised for sharing her experience of being neurodivergent, her hopes of starting a family via IVF with her girlfriend, and carefully explaining the different terminology for lesbians, such as “femme” and “butch”, to her bewildered co-stars.