9 June '10

“BB is unashamedly the circus it always was. But…BB lost me last night after only 90 minutes. There are 13 utterly pointless weeks to go.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“The opening show of what will be the final series on C4 brought to mind a more low-brow and contemporary adjective: Cowell-esque….One of the contestants…calls herself Shabby…this feels like a series that will have her name written all over it.”
Mark Lawson, The Guardian

“CDWM is always an exercise in social one-upmanship, but it was given an extra edge here by the fact that being one-up is pretty much a full-time career for these women.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent

“We played the trickier game of deciding which was the most stupid.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“CDWM may be formulaic, and a bit tired, and Dave Lamb’s sarcastic narration can get a little irritating. But it remains a guilty pleasure….I’m not sure if all of it is real, or if they’re hamming it up a bit, because it’s for charity. Whichever, they’re very, very good at it, an absolute joy.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“They were certainly funny but not because they were intending to be. …the same pecking orders and power struggles come out whoever’s cooking and eating…It’s not about food but it is about how people use food and eating to tell each other who’s Top Dog.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“Not a programme I was expecting to enjoy but it was curious how quickly the shock and deformity passed in favour of appreciation of the sweetness  and courage of the children who bore it.”
Andrew Billen, The Times