Designer Markus Blee, who also created Gordon Ramsay's newest restaurant for the ITV1 reality show 'Hell's Kitchen', was given a brief to create an "evil" house with low ceilings, little space and plenty of glass, making it impossible to hide from fellow housemates.
A spokesman for Channel 4 said: "Nastiness is the catchword of the show. I wouldn't say the design is ugly, but we have made the ceilings lower and the floor higher so it feels more claustrophobic. We have also included a lot more mirrors, not all with cameras behind them, to confuse the contestants."
The radical rethink of the Big Brother house came after last year's ratings bore as viewers switched off the show, which was universally decried by critics and the public.
The new house is far less comfortable than previous years, with the comfy couch replaced by a round one to provoke confrontation. Gone are the stylish look of past houses and in comes rough Hessian rugs and beige carpeting. The walls have been painted an uninviting mix of green, grey and white and stark lighting adds to the chilly atmosphere.
As well as harsher living conditions, Channel 4 is also promising tougher challenges for contestants who are understood to include a witch, a male stripper, a former prostitute and at least two couples, which will be a first for the show.
Executive producer Shirley Jones said: "This year we want to challenge the housemates' preconceptions. The house is smaller. It's a lot more oppressive. We especially designed the house to make it difficult for people."
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