Big Brother 12 move in

Thumbs up: Jonny greets the press

The 12 contestants in this year's Big Brother competition have entered the surveillance game show's camera-filled house.

The new Big Brother house is at Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire and boasts more double beds and a swimming pool, instead of the hot tub which featured in the previous series.

The six male contestants entered the house at 2120 BST, followed by the women 25 minutes later.

The twelve contestants include a fireman, a male model and two trainee lawyers. The oldest is 43 and the youngest is 20.

Sandy is the house's oldest member

The contestants are:

• Alex, a 23-year-old model from Essex

• Johnny, a 29-year-old fireman from County Durham

• Lee, a 21-year-old gym manager from Leicester

• PJ, a 22-year-old trainee solicitor from Birmingham

• Sandy, a 43-year-old personal shopper from London

• Spencer, a 22-year-old ski shop assistant from Cambridge

• Adele, a 23-year-old DJ and PA from Southport

  

  Sunita prepares to go into the house
  

• Alison, a 27-year-old cinema manager from Birmingham

• Jade, a 20-year-old dental nurse from London

• Kate, a 22-year-old IT desk administrator from Kent

• Lynne, a 36-year-old mature student from Aberdeen,

• Sunita, a 25-year-old trainee barrister from London

Davina McCall will host the Channel 4 series for the third year, but there will be changes to the inmates' regime - including more contestants, tougher rules and new challenges.

Fingers crossed: Kate

No books or musical instruments will be allowed in the house, in a bid to produce more interaction between housemates.

They will be set tough tasks, which will be followed on a live show on Saturdays.

There will also be no World Cup coverage inside the house.

Bets

The show, which has been a huge ratings success in the past, puts the housemates under constant camera surveillance and they are not allowed to leave the house.

Each week they must nominate people for eviction, with the viewing public having the final say.

The last person left in the house will win £70,000, and of course will find their face in many national newspapers.

Programme makers are hoping the new restrictions will force the inmates to get to know each other better - and there has been heightened speculation about whether any of the housemates might finally sleep together.

The house boasts a swimming pool

Bookmakers have already slashed their odds on the chances of contestants having sex, after signs that punters might have inside information.

Coral reduced its odds from 20-1 to 7-1 to 2-1 in one day after it was inundated by bets.

Some 150,000 people contacted Channel 4 for the chance to be part of the team for Big Brother 3.

Programme makers watched more than 10,000 video entries over eight weeks, auditioning some 2,500 applicants.