In a twist (not the last twist of the series we can assume) all 81 hopefuls were left standing outside the house, staring at their route into 15 minutes of fame.
The live open air auditions were an attempt for something different but the audience were merely left with watching the surprise on the wannabes faces (and the jealousy on those around them) rather than a completely new process of picking housemates.
One by one Big Brother called out the names of the lucky (some would say unlucky) 13 who were to enter the circus for the summer. These included bubbly country girl Josie who I was happy to see enter the house just so the ear piercing screams would stop and trainee doctor Sunshine (who is the first and only person I know to enter the house, and by know I mean sat in the same university class as me - my small and sad claim to fame this summer).
They were joined by Beyonce lookalike Rachael and the British version of a celebrity lookalike Corin, who looks like Jordan.
The men include New Age monk David, Australian John James and former Soldier Steve who lost his legs and an eye in a bomb blast. They were joined by Ben, the token posh guy who got such a bad reaction from the crowd outside the house that I am surprised he didn't run away screaming.
With 13 inside the house (a house where if the people inside it don't give you a headache, the decor sure will) an over-excited Davina announced that one of the 68 who was deemed not crazy, weird or attractive enough to be chosen to enter automatically would get the luck of being picked by a lottery draw.
That honour fell to Mario, who got to celebrate by putting on a unflattering mole outfit and being told to sabotage the housemates' tasks without being found out. How long will that last? Not long I suspect.
In an effort to prolong the inevitable it was announced that this series of Big Brother will be followed by Ultimate Big Brother, a 2-week show where the best housemates from former series re-enter the house to compete against this series' winner.
Big Brother's final twist could serve as a trip down memory lane for the hardcore fans but it is more likely a precautionary measure from the producers to make sure that the Big Brother brand ends on a high, whatever happens over the next 13 weeks.
Picture from The Guardian