Big Brother bosses have been forced to cut back on plans for the show this year due to the credit crunch.

The Daily Star has reported that house designers have had a strict budget imposed on them and have been informed to keep the house “basic and bog-standard.”

An insider told the newspaper: “In these hard times we haven’t wasted money on expensive fixtures and fittings. If the housemates think they will be in luxury they’ll get a shock.”

Potential housemates won’t be hidden in foreign exotic locations either, instead they will be staying in cold Devon in Wales.

The source added: “It’s just another way of cutting costs.”