Ivo Dawnay, London director of the National Trust, told Event: "The real point in heritage is different things for different people and for some people it’s going to be about stately homes and glorious lawns, but for other people places that are really important to them are quite different.
"It may be that some people find the house hideous, but the National Trust is for the whole nation and in a way it plays an interesting role in the history of the country. It was the first big reality TV show and to a certain extent it exposed the British public to itself."
As with any National Trust experience, visitors will be able to buy a guidebook and have a guided tour of the property in Elstree, Hertfordshire.
The opening gala event will feature housemates past and present, while in the Bit on The Side studio, Dawnay will host style gurus including Peter York and Camilla Long, in a panel discussing the merits of opening the property to the public "and its standing as a sociological emblem of how we live now."
The Big Brother House is the first of a season of temporary property openings known as 'lates' that will be rolling out over the next few months in locations such as the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley.
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