Since the original series of Big Brother in 1999 in the Netherlands, over 40 different countries have adapted the series with varying rules, all over the globe. The concept of the British series was similiar to the original series, as a group of people who've never met before were locked into a house, sealed off from the outside world and were recorded by dozens of cameras all day long. These Housemates were controlled by "Big Brother", an all-seeing entity whom we never saw but frequently heard. Each week, after the other housemates had nominated the people they want out of the house and after the public decided who they want out, a nominee is evicted. After approximately three months, the public then voted for the winner, who won a cash prize.

The show was represented in the media by a eye, what changed for each series, trying to incorporate a theme for the individual series. They were often released before the show actually began and were also used in the opening titles of the show. The theme tune by Paul Oakenfold and Andy Gray is released under 'Big Brother Theme' by Element Four - tweaks were made to the theme used throughout each series.

Davina McCall presented the series since it's beginning in 2000 and until it's end in 2010. Marcus Bentley was also present in the presenting team since 2000, narrating the daily show which showcased highlights from the previous day in a daily hour long show. However it should be noted that the show has only aired for seven nights a week throughout certain series, in series 8 for example the highlights of Friday and Saturday were shown on Sunday. The airtimes of shows often differed from series to series as well, for example during the ninth series the shows aired on Monday & Tuesday at 10pm, whilst Wednesday-Sunday highlights aired at 9pm (sometimes a little later on the weekend).

Before each series of the show began, a teaser show aired, Dermot O'Leary hosted the majority of the shows, before his departure to ITV1 in January 2008.

The Big Brother house was located in Elstree Studios, Elstree, Borehamwood. The house linked directly to a staircase (adapted for each series), which lead down into a walkway, which was barriered off to hold the audience. The walkway lead into the tv studio, which from series one to nine consisted of a seat for Davina, a seat for the interviewee and screens behind them. In series 10 the format of this show was changed, Davina sat behind a desk, on her left hand side two celebrity guests or psychologists sat and on her right the evicted housemate, all three interviewed the housemate. The screen, introduced in the ninth series, was used when Davina talks to the house. Previously, she would of stood on the walkway and of talked to the house.

Eviction shows aired in two parts on Friday nights, incoporating Thursday's highlights within the first hour long show. These shows were broadcast as live, however their was always a slight 5-10 minute delay as the following Saturday night highlights would show housemates leaving 5-10 minutes before we saw the housemate leave on the eviction show. The announcement of the evicted housemate was either made at the end of the first show and then in the second show we would see highlights of the previous half an hour. Davina would then meet the housemate at the bottom of the stairs and lead them through the audience into the studio, she would then interview them about their time in the house. The Finale show went on for up to three hours previously and is broadcast as live, it never featured highlights of the final day in the house, but often featured the return of the previous housemates, seated in a area away from the rest of the audience.

In series 2-8, Dermot O'Leary and from series 9 to 11, George Lamb (who co-hosted with Zezi Ifore and Michael Barrymore) had hosted Big Brother's Little Brother, the show what brought viewers up to date with the latest from the house, featured housemates friends and family and revealed exclusive upcoming twists.

After the nightly shows had broadcast, E4 broadcast Big Brother's Big Mouth, Russell Brand hosted the show when it began at the start of series 5 and left at the end of series 7, since then the series had contineud with one week stints of guest presenters. This format changed from series 10, as Davina took the helm and hosted one show a week on Friday nights for a hour.

Throughout series two, on Saturday nights viewers could watch Big Brother Reveals More..., which showed a round-up of the weeks action from the house. This format returned in series 7 in the E4 only show Diary Room Uncut, which showed extended highlights from the week, mostly from the Diary Room's point of view, this show was axed after series 9. Beforehand in series 4-6, on Fridays in place of Big Brother's Little Brother at 7.30pm, that weeks nominations would air in full in Nominations Uncut.

Throughout series 3 to halfway through series 5, the normal highlights show on a Saturday was replaced by Saturday Night Live, were we saw the housemates compete in live tasks to gain access to rewards for their time in the house. The show quickly became unpopular and stopped airing on the 26th June 2004. In series 7, Dermot O'Leary hosted Big Brother's Big Brain, which featured psychologists analysis of the housemates and events that had taken place in the house during the previous week, resembling the Sunday night highlight shows in earlier series. This was replaced by Davina hosting Big Brother: On The Couch in series 8, in a new timeslot.

The show was heavily edited for daytime repeats to air on Channel 4 Breakfast in the morning and early afternoon on E4. The shows were also in later series shown on the HD output of the stations and the +1 channels. On a weekend the shows from the night before were also broadcast on teen strand T4. T4 was often first to air the follow up episodes, after the series has finished, which normally aired under the title What Happened Next, which took on many forms since it first aired, following the housemates from the past series around to see what impact the show had, had on their life.

The show spouted many spin-offs, the most famous of which Celebrity Big Brother, was the most successful and although making two breaks due to other spin-offs Big Brother Panto and Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack, aired from 2001 onwards.

A official announcement was made on August 26th 2009 regarding a renewal of the shows contract which was due to end in September 2010. It was announced that the show would be axed after airing it's last series in 2010 due to a large decline in viewing figures.