A grandMA light console and two MA NSPs (Network Signal Processor) were used to control moving and LED lights for all the live shows associated with the latest series of Channel 4's Celebrity Big Brother in the UK - which included the launch, the finale and all the evictions. The system also controlled lighting in the interview studio.

The shows took place in a special outdoor arena beside the Big Brother House in the George Lucas Stage at Elstree Studios, north London, with lighting designed by Darryl Noad. Tim Routledge of grandPA - the UK's first programming house for the grandMA platform - supplied, programmed and operated the console. For the eviction shows, hosted by Davina McCall, most of the action took place on a podium linked via a walkway to the house, surrounded by audience, with a large LED screen at the far end showing VT (video tape) playback highlights from that week, with a stage added for the finale.

The grandMA light was located inside stage one of the George Lucas stage, and the two MA NSPs were in a cabin beside the Big Brother House and on the roof of the studio, networked to give full tracking backup via grandMA onPC. Having this facility available was a major reason for using the console. "grandMA is totally versatile," says Routledge, "I can use it for any type of application - TV, theatre, Rock ‘n' Roll - and it can be whatever I want it to be." This is the 5th series of Big Brother that has had lighting run via grandMA.

In the arena, the grandMA light was controlling 8 x Clay Paky Alpha Beam 300, 34 x Pulsar ChromaFlood 200TCs as well as Martin moving lights. Along with all the other moving and LED lights, these were all supplied by Panalux. In the interview room 12 x Vari*Lite VL2000 washes were controlled amongst others from the grandMA.

Noad's brief was to make the arena look moody and theatrical for the live shows, with a predominantly red colour theme, chosen by director Tony Gregory. It was Noad's 8th Big Brother show - he has now lit all the standard and celebrity versions for the last four years.

Moving light gaffer Simon Baker first used a grandMA about three years ago and whenever he's in a position to specify a console, it is now always grandMA. "The platform is flexible, reliable and lots off lighting designers and directors like it," he adds. "From a technical point of view, it can do lots of complex and powerful processing quickly and very easily, and the support from MA Lighting is also excellent".

Big Brother is produced by Brighter Pictures, an Endemol company for Channel 4. Generic fixtures were supplied by Film & TV Lighting and operated by Adrian Portinari for the live shows, who was also the LD for inside the Big Brother house.

Big Brother 6 was won by Ulrika Jonsson with music journalist Terry Christian coming second.