Racist fuss fades fast as 'Big Brother' wannabes get in line

A queue of drag queens, French maids and pimps must mean only one thing. The Big Brotherauditions are back in town.

Last Sunday, the Sinn Féin Ardfheis made history at the RDS, but yesterday Big Brotherwannabes were only interested in their future when they queued at the Dublin venue.

Channel 4 is holding open auditions for the eighth series of the reality show and will be calling back a select few from yesterday's auditions for a second audition today.

John "no surname, just John" from Belfast had auditioned five times but was hoping to get a call back this time. Wearing a Batman mask and black furry wings, he said his ensemble was more comfortable than last year's Nazi uniform with thigh-high boots. "Standing in a queue with six-inch heels is not the right thing to do," he advised.

He would like to be in Big Brotherbecause "it's one of the biggest things to ever hit television. I'd like to say when I get older: 'I was part of that'. Everything has got a life-span so I'll like to get in there before it collapses."

Barman James McCarthy from Belfast was probably the most photographed person queuing as he stood in his vivid pink flared suit with dotty lapels, all topped with a flamboyant pink hat. "Everyone thinks I'm a cowboy but I'm a pimp," he said in an offended voice as he stood in the queue for the fourth year in a row. "I'm hopeful," he said. "I want to bring something new to the house. Other housemates have been a bit dull."

Lesley Barrett from Tallaght was also optimistic, telling her mother not to include her in the summer holiday plans just yet, in case she ended up in the Big Brother house.

The audition, which sounded like an improvised acting course, involved dancing through hoops and pretending to be running on a beach, according to Victoria Truman from Banbridge. She had queued from 3am but Liverpudlian Tony Schumann was first in line having arrived at 10pm on Tuesday.

Keith Connery from Limerick was confident of his chances. "I'm 19 years of age and I'm very talentless - I mean very talented," he said to guffaws from his friends. "If Big Brotherdoesn't snatch me up now, then X Factorwill next year, definitely."

Also at the RDS was Ray Shah, runner-up in Big Brother 4 who said: "I got everything I ever wanted out of the experience plus more."