Radio Times

It's Bea v Marcus-Halfwit this week, and I know whose side I'm on…

Biggest showdown

At some point during his formative years, someone must have told Halfwit that he was intelligent, and instead he heard "you're an omniscient, infallible genius". Now, in Bea, Halfwit has met someone cleverer than him, someone who is not willing to put up with his emotional self-indulgence, and he doesn't like it. I love seeing Bea take him apart in an argument, and point out what a subtle drama queen he is.

Marcus is similarly threatened by Bea and is trying to engineer her downfall. It's easy to demonise someone who says what they think and upsets the status quo, especially if it's an intelligent, attractive woman - a combination, sadly, that many people seem to have a problem with.

Some people think Bea is nasty just because she's out in the open, but they can't see that Marcus and Halfwit are involved in a more insidious form of manipulation. I'm not sure Freddie is even conscious of what he's doing 50 per cent of the time - "Halfwit" is about right - but Marcus certainly is.

Marcus calls Bea negative to engender paranoia and get her to behave. He knows that if she's labelled as such, people will start looking for signs of negativity, and if they're looking of course they'll find them, as they would in anyone in the house.

Threatening her with the wrath of four million viewers is not only extremely hopeful (only about 2.5 million are watching each evening), but really below the belt. He's being an incredible bully and she has every right to defend herself. Unfortunately for Bea, Marcus is very good at turning it against her.

Biggest gamble

I don't buy Marcus's claims that he wants to leave (I think it's reverse psychology) and despite this current debacle, I don't want him to. Meanwhile, Halfwit is tempting fate - and BB viewers - in going around boasting about his record of surviving evictions. I would love it if the public put him in his place. I think it would blow his mind to hear his name read out on Friday.

Biggest girl

Macho Marcus has weathered rejection, nomination, jail and swimming through soup, so it was a surprise that what really got to him was a supposedly unflattering photo of himself.

"This picture makes me properly sad," he grumbled. "Makes me wish I'd never come on the show."

But what exactly is wrong with it, Marcus? "For a start I'm not smiling." Er, that has been known… "I've got no chin, too big a forehead… It's unfathomable how that picture of me even exists." But it looks exactly like you…

It makes you wonder what Marcus's image of himself is. Maybe he thinks he looks like Cary Grant. If so, it might explain why his first attempt at rebellion involved removing a mirror from the wall - if he catches sight of his reflection he might not be able to sustain the fantasy.

**

So, tell me - am I the only one on Bea's side? Post a comment below and let me know.

I understand fully, that people want to stick up for her. but however she hasn't been the most truthful housemate in the house. she's quite two-faced to david and lisa, her treatment of freddie was disgusting, you don't treat anyone in that kind of manner. I dont support her in any way whatsoever, she always has the same phrase to attract people's attention within an arguement, and eventually people are going to turn round and not stick up for her. I do think that freddie should had the right to stay not bea! the public aren't kean on her, and some of the housemates arent ethier.

Marcus to win! he deserves it!

Boy Wonder, you need to take up your question with the Government, not people chatting about a TV show.

Happy to help.

How many dead in Afghanistan? Nice to know people have a sense of what matters...

I hate the two faced cow get her out now!!!

A vile creature who I long to see evicted. I say that but she does create good telly viewing. For someone that beleives she is intelligent she has an amazing abillity to over-look her pwn shortfalls. She is so self unaware it beggers belief! My jaw has dropped on several occassions when she has acted in a manner that not Two seconds previously she has condemmed. Two-faced, self opinionated little person!

Looks like you're on your own on this one Paul.

Totally agree wth the comments so far posted. I hate the way she makes every argument an attack on her. In tonight's programme when David was called to the diary room and asked about the tea, she even managed to turn that around to be about her, 'why didn't big brother call the little s**t in to ask why he was sniggering when I was upset??' I think David's had his eyes opened a little by that diary room experience and is now noticing how many nasty conversations about Freddie Bea is starting. DAvid seems to have made some positive moves towards Freddie, not sure whether it's guilt, he thinks he might be leaving, tactical or that he's genuine though. Hope Bea leaves soon, and I hope David sees the nasty things Bea said about him in recent weeks.

thank god, someone at last has got it bang on the money. everyone else obviously related to f***wit and therefore too inbred to form a cogent thought.

the most annoying thing about Bea for me is that she never allows whoever she is arguing with to get a word in edgeways.She talks over them and when she has finished her rant she just walks away.Very frustrating and demeaning to the other person involved

Bea seems completely two-faced and projects her own faults on to others in the house (she seems completely lacking in self-awareness despite her psychology degree).

For example, earlier she was constantly accusing Halfwit of being negative and is now complaining if anyone suggests she's the same...which she self-evidently is.

Her psychological defences are beginning to crumble though as at some (possibly partially unconscious) level she's aware that she might not be behaving rationally or reasonably towards Halfwit and Marcus.

But I can't excuse her opportunism, two-facedness and downright nastiness so I can't wait to see her kicked out.

She is a nasty piece of work without even reading the blog! Nasty Nasty Nasty, I almost stopped watching BB just because of the sick feeling I get from looking at her nasty face!

Bea is repulsive.

Charlotte has it absolutely right. It is the treachery of the woman that has set everyone against her. Must pay more attention in class Paul.

I think all the above comments say it all...

Bit of a rubbish blog really who's sole intention was to get some 'debate' started... none of them are pleasant people but Bea is the worse of the lot

I cannot disagree more. Bea is an interfering self opinionated loser. Psychology graduate thats rich...she seems to have acquired every form of neurosis and psychosis imagineable.

I totally agree with comments posted about your article. Your article is unfounded and based on distorted or fabricated facts. Are you related to Bea?, come on man watch the same show as the rest of us!!

What are you talking about Paul? I think your idea that Bea's 'intelligence' is threatening to others is off the point. Regardless of who has the greater intellect, Bea-related conflicts are rooted in her inflexibility, stubbornness in her argumentation and her inability to view herself as being at fault. Despite her crocodile tears, I do believe she is upset when conflict arrises, alas she brings it on herself. Take last night when >she< starts up a conversation with Marcus along the lines of 'Freddie is a t**t [her aggression in the house seems to have advanced from using "numpty"]'. Now if this had been Lisa or Charlie a typical bustop bitching session would've ensued. Marcus however did what I see as the honourable thing and stood up for his friend, saying that the public might view it differently to Bea. Minutes later we hear Bea's familiar cries of victimisation. Marcus did not start this conversation, merely disagreed and Bea turned it on him with accusations of bullying. It was certainly no attempt to 'instill paranoia' in the bohemian.

Bea constantly raise issues people had chosen to forget, then when they respond she picks at what they have said, reporting it back to housemates and Big Brother with a negative slant that implies they attacked her and are nasty pieces of work. She has done this from her very first encounter, with David. Noticeably, she never deems herself to have been wrong. Does Bea recognise she is involved in these sort of mind games? I do not know.

Bea is now allies with David, and of course Lisa, two she has criticized in depth. This change of friends I can accept but one issue Bea has made a big part of her policy whilst in the house has been to condemn 'duplicitious' characters. Is it not however Bea herself who has displayed this the most not just in her social mobility but in her actions. The classic example is when she brought Freddie to tears about what she called his 'negative aura she had to get herself as far away from as she could'. When >she< brought this up later and Freddie quoted it back, quite accurately I must say, Bea denied not just the wording but ever mentioning anything of the sort. This really aggravated me in a way Big Brother has ever done.

I do agree that Marcus and Freddie [this week with his nominations escapes] are arrogant and at times obnoxious. However they have entertained with their challenge to the show, Freddie has been a good spirit, and I get the feeling Marcus knows he is in their to entertain rather than win. It just goes to show how flawed the evictions process is when you have the two most entertaining [and also to the public very popular] up for the vote while Lisa's fag and cuppa time durates and Charlie and Rodrigo slowly evolve into Ant and Dec had they been created by Brian Dowling. As for Bea, I suppose whether you hate her or you love her, Davina would be justified in stamping 'was a great housemate' on her forehead. Only not 'great' in a good way. Oh, do I sound a little negative? Sorry about that Bea.

I also totally disagree with you I'm afraid. I disliked Bea since she showed her true colours whilst arguing with Noirin at the beginning. She has a fantastic ability to turn an argument around and always denies all the horrible stuff she says to make herself look good. Does she not realise that this is all actually on tape and can be confirmed. Did anyone else's jaw drop when she mocked the why Halfwit was talking slowly? Shocking! Also what got to me was her saying to David that nobody is going to vote for him and then seconds later she votes for him herself. I am not defending Halfwit who is far too sure of himself at this stage or the hideous Marcus who, well I wouldn't know where to start. Get them all out I say, but then again I am enjoying it. The good, the bad and the Marcus!

I think you're rather missing the point. The specifics of Marcus and Halwit's personalities are irrelevant. Whatever their faults, they are the same as when Bea entered the house. She chose to be friends with them because she thought they were part of a strong and more importantly, larger group. Her attacks on David "he's just a big tasteless Yorkshire pudding' and Lisa 'she's a cockroach' were designed to seal her place within that group and make her safe. However, when she and Marcus were nominated she realised she had put her eggs in the wrong basket and swiftly changed 'teams'. What has appalled the BB viewers is the vigour with which she is prepared to attack people with whom, 3 or 4 days ago, she claimed to share a stong 'connection'. It has nothing whatsoever to do with her being a 'strong' woman. In fact, I would argue that a man behaving like this towards women would probably be removed from the house for aggressive and bullying behaviour. Did you see her leaning over Halfwit's bed and hissing at him that she was going to deal with him the way she deals with all negative people? She looked the picture of hatred and ugliness. If you still think she's an attractive woman after this display then frankly I fear you may have masochistic tendencies and should seek professional help immediately!

I absolutely disagree with you. Bea is a vile, cunning, two-faced manipulator with crocodile tears - just watch those sneaky little glances to her fellow housemates between sobs…

Her constant bullying of Halfwit is simply unacceptable. Halfwit is a decent man who will not stoop to her level when defending himself. It will be a disgrace if he leaves tonight and Bea is in for the biggest shock of her life when she leaves. Is it any surprise she can't hold down a job…?

Even some of Paul's work colleagues think he's lost the plot… Get Bea out!

Yes you are.

Couldn't disagree more, what baffles me is if bea achieved a 2:1 in psychology you would have thought she was able to use it in a way that prevented her coming across as a scheming manipulative hypocrite.

Its clear from your blog that you have a certain dislike of marcus and halfwit, if thats your opinion fair enough, but it seems to me that you'll go to any lengths to condemn the two of thyem, even if it means skating over and twisting the facts of beas atrocious behavior to aid your point. However bad anyone else is, it is no excuse to let off bea, remember, most of the interested public strongly disagree with you and unless you have beas arrogance of i'm right and everyone else is wrong i fail to see the substance of your argument...

Do not support Bea at all.

She is clever and cunning how she makes herself into the victim. She constantly emphasizes malicious words and uses the phrase "YOU ARE UPSETTING ME" notice how she directs the phrase with YOU ARE and creates sympathy by using UPSETTING She is a melodramatic bully, a spoilt "upper class (hardly believable) twit, prima donna and a malicious negative, nasty little girl.

It was a good day in Hell when Bea crawled out of the pit to slither into the house.

Totally disagree with you. She is a vile manipulative woman who, with her knowledge of psychology is manipulating others housemates against Halfwit knowing him to be popular with the public. She will learn when the thunder of boos greet her longed-for exit