Two weeks into this year’s resurrected series of Celebrity Big Brother, and another two have dropped as both of the American housemates are evicted just days apart. Pamela Bach-Hasslehoff lost out to Darryn Lyons, whilst Tara Reid lost out to Lyons, Bobby Sabel and Lucien Laviscount only three days later following an unexpected twist in the nomination process that saw Pamela being allowed to decide who to give immunity to and who to put up for the chop. With just a week to go, it’s undeniably been an interesting series to say the least.

I have to admit, despite my initial reaction of being overjoyed at Channel 5 re-mastering the voting from being to evict to voting to save, it doesn’t quite appear to be working it’s charm as I’d hoped it would. Despite being out-shone by the house furniture over the past few weeks in the personality department, Lucien’s survival was reasonably obvious on the basis that he’s flung himself onto Kerry Katona and is reasonably good looking. I was holding out for a Bobby and Darryn double eviction, on the basis that any votes Bobby’s looks would get him would automatically transfer to Lucien and that no one in their right mind would want to keep Darryn in. Wrong I was, as bizarrely it was poor old Tara who got the boot. Admittedly Tara had gone a bit quiet in the last few days, but I was adamant she’d stay. I’m quickly coming to think Channel 5 viewers may not be the most intelligent lot, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise when you think about it. The torrent of boo’s was a bit surprising though, was she that bad? There was a fair bit of game-playing and bitching on her part I admit, but no more so than Darryn or a fair few of the others. It’s a shame really that despite Channel 5 getting everything else neatly in place, and the series going reasonably well so far, the public still seem incapable of getting it right when it ends up being their turn to decide anything.

Pamela didn’t help things a great matter admittedly by saving the four housemates who are more than likely to end up being the top four of the series (Jedward, Kerry, Amy, Paddy) when asked to save four of them following her own eviction. As a twist, I liked it, but imagine how much more exciting it would have been had those four been up for the chop instead. Like Tara, I thought Pamela’s eviction was a bit of a shame too, if notsomewhat to a lesser extent. She was clearly not fully from this planet, and the thought of her driving a car, let alone whilst over the limit, was a bit terrifying. I’d quite like to keep Pamela as a pet really, or at the very least insert her as part of my family so that at gatherings she can become my very own ‘crazy aunt’. So that her memory lives on (because technically she’s died now, I mean, when are any of us ever going to watch anything she’s in again?), I’m determined to use the phrase ‘hey buttercup’ in everyday conversation. God bless you Pamela Bach-Hasslehoff.

Not very good evictions aside, it’s been a good week. Channel 5 have realised the benfits of constant tasks and over the past few days we’ve been treated to housemates pretending to be identical twins – which gave us Kerry giving an uncanny impression of Paddy and Bobby’s own version of Pamela being even more fabulous than the original, and the Marco Pierre-White giving them a cooking lesson, resulting in Jedward being forced to clean up afterwards. The result of this was as you’d expect. I’m in two minds at the moment about Jedward I have to admit, on the one-hand they’re brilliant viewing but you can’t help but feel that if you actually lived with them then it would take a whole lot of effort to not butcher them alive. I am enjoying seeing Kerry taking over the role of their mum though, and now I demand a spin-off series where Kerry is forced to adopt them as her own, with the series finale ending with her tearfully explaining she’d had enough and now they’re living with Paddy and the gypsies.

In other Kerry news. Her and Lucien. A bit odd if you don’t mind me saying, up until a few days ago I was convinced he was gay and was busy picturing how he and Bobby would look like as a couple but now it appears me dreams are shattered. I want to accuse him of doing it for the publicity of a relationship but on this ground, setting one up with poor old Amy would be easier and more well received. God knows.

With just a week or so to go now before the finale, it’s quickly become clear this is a four horse race at best and even then, some of them need to pick up the pace. Bobby, Darryn and Lucien can all be eliminated as contenders immediately. I’m beginning to question now as to wherever Jedward can actually win this, the reaction to them is still very much so heavily divided which makes me think that a more overall well received housemate could beat them to it. Step forward Kerry, who’s been something of a revelation through this all, having initially thought she could very much so go all Jade Goody on us, Kerry’s proven to be something of a brilliant housemate and I never thought I’d say it, but I’m rather hoping she wins it now. Paddy and Amy have solid fanbases that will easily take them through to third and fourth places but they’ve stuck to the background a bit too much recently, unless of course they come to life a bit more over the dying days of the series.

On the whole, I think Channel 5 did the right thing by opening with a Celebrity series. It’s been a nice little intoduction as to what we can expect over the proper series and despite issues with Brian Dowling as a presenter and the hideous choices made by the public, it’s all going swimmingly so far.