View source for Big Brother: The Boss

{{Unreferenced|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox television season
| bgcolour     = #00008B
| image        = Image:BBARABIA.jpg
| image_alt    =
| caption      = Logo for ''Big Brother: The Boss''
| module1      = {{Infobox reality competition season
| presenter            = Razan Moughrabi
| num_days             = 11
| num_housemates       = 12
| winner               = ''No winner''
| label1               = Participating countries
| data1                = {{hlist|Bahrain|Egypt|Iraq|Jordan|Kuwait|Lebanon|Oman|Saudi Arabia|Somalia|Syria|Tunisia}}
}}
| num_episodes = 
| network      = [[Middle East Broadcasting Center|MBC 1]]
| first_aired  = {{Start date|2004|02|21|df=y}}
| last_aired   = {{End date|2004|03|02|df=y}}
| episode_list =  
}}

'''''Big Brother: The Boss''''' (''Big Brother'': الرئيس) (also known as '''''Big Brother Arabia''''') was a 2004 Arabic-language [[television show]], based on the worldwide hit ''[[Big Brother (franchise)|Big Brother]]'', in which contestants live in a specially built house while competing for a prize. The show was aired on [[MBC 1 (Middle East)|MBC 1]] with a big prize {{US$|100,000|link=yes}}, not won because of the cancellation.

The show was filmed in the [[Amwaj Islands]] in [[Bahrain]]. It was hoped that the show would follow the success of such popular programs as ''[[Star Academy]]'', and the recent dating show ''Al Hawa Sawa,'' but failed to do so, and instead the show gained major controversy in the countries it aired in.

Many were offended by the fact that it featured six men and six women living together in one area ([[Gender segregation and Islam]]), despite staying in separate parts of the house, and the only way of communicating with each other was in open areas such as the kitchen and garden.

The show began airing on 21 February and was discontinued 11 days later on 2 March to avoid more controversy in the Arab World, specifically the [[Arabian Peninsula]]. During the first (and only) nominations, Asjan, Bashara, Najwa and Shaza were nominated; however, an eviction never took place.

==Housemates==
===Abdul===
'''Abdul Hakim''' is a 25-year-old from [[Saudi Arabia]].

===Abdullah===
'''Abdullah Bishara''' is a 24-year-old from [[Somalia]].

===Ala'a===
'''Ala'a Omar''' is a 30-year-old from [[Oman]]. She is best known for being the only female Housemate to wear the traditional [[Hijab]]. She was unpopular with several housemates (namely Abdullah, Amal, Ashghan, Bishara, Faris and Najwa) who labelled her "boring", but, when it came to nominations, only Bishara nominated her.

===Amal===
'''Amal Saleh''' is a 20-year-old beautician from [[Egypt]].

===Ashghan===
'''Ashghan Hadad''' is 26 years old and also from Egypt. She was one of the four Housemates up for Eviction in the first round of Nominations. She, along with Najwa, was the most popular housemate in the outside world.

===Bishara===
'''Bishara''' is a 29-year-old boutique owner from [[Lebanon]]. He was also one of the four Housemates Nominated for Eviction.

===Faris===
'''Faris Ashour''' is a 22-year-old [[Karate]] teacher from [[Kuwait]].

===Kawthar===
'''Kawthar Altareeki''' is 32 years old and from [[Tunisia]]. She was the only housemate to receive no nominations during the first and only round of nominations.

===Mazen===
'''Mazen Jasim''' is a 22-year-old musician from [[Iraq]].

===Michael===
'''Michael Banna''' is a 26-year-old from [[Jordan]].

===Najwa===
'''Najwa Hamoud''' is 31 years old and from [[Syria]]. She was up for Eviction as well in the only round of Nominations. She was the most popular housemate in the outside world.

===Shaza===
'''Shaza Sabt''' is a 29-year-old actress from [[Bahrain]]. She, along with Asjan, Bashara, and Najwa was Nominated for Eviction in the first round of Nominations. She was the least popular housemate in the outside world and would have been evicted had the program continued.

==Nominations table==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width: 30%; font-size:90%; line-height:15px;"
! style="width: 5%;" | 
! colspan="2" style="width: 10%;" | Week 1
! style="width: 20%;" | Nominations<br>Received
|-
! colspan="4" |
|-
! Abdul
| Shaza,<br>Mazen || rowspan="12" style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" | ''Show <br> discontinued'' <br /> {{nowrap|(Day 11)}} || style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |2
|-
! Abdullah
| Najwa,<br>Asjan ||  style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |2
|-
! Ala'a
| Bashara,<br>Michael || style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |1
|-
! Amal
| Shaza,<br>Najwa ||  style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |2
|-
! Asjan
| Amal,<br>Bashara ||  style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |3
|-
! Bashara
| Asjan,<br>Ala'a || style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |3
|-
! Faris
| Abdul,<br>Michael ||  style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |2
|-
! Kauthar
| Shaza,<br>Amal ||  style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |0
|-
! Mazen
| Asjan,<br>Bashara ||style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |1
|-
! Michael
| Najwa,<br>Faris ||  style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |2
|-
! Najwa
| Faris,<br>Abdullah  || style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |3
|-
! Shaza
| Abdul,<br>Abdullah || style="background:#FFE08B; text-align:center" |3
|-
! colspan="4" |
|-
!Notes
| colspan="2" |{{Ref label|note1|1|1}}
| rowspan="3" |
|-
! Against<br>public vote
| Asjan,<br>Bashara,<br>Najwa,<br>Shaza || style="background:#C0C0C0;" |
|-
!Evicted
| style="background:#C0C0C0;" |'''''<s>Shaza</s>'''''<br /><small>{{nowrap|65%}}<br />to evict</small> || style="background:#C0C0C0;" |
|-
|}
{{Note label|note1|1|1}} Due to the cancellation of the program, the eviction was cancelled and all housemates were ejected from the house.

==The House==
The house was mainly segregated for the male and female housemates. Single-sex bedrooms, bathrooms and prayer rooms were provided and the only parts of the house accessible to both sexes were the kitchen and garden areas. Parts of the house (e.g. the women's bedroom) were monitored by female camera operators only. Five times a day, ''Big Brother'' would announce to the housemates the time for prayer.

==Cancellation==
Producers decided to cancel the show, as there were many complaints from viewers, and complaints on Arab radio talk shows. The show's producers actually went into the house in person to inform the housemates that it was to be cancelled. Many of the Housemates were devastated at the news that they had to leave. This season was the first series of ''Big Brother'' in the world to be cancelled and not have a winner. This would later happen in the [[Big Brother (Serbian TV series) season 2|second season]] of ''[[Big Brother (Serbian TV series)|Veliki Brat]]'', the Serbian version of ''Big Brother'', where three contestants from that season died in a car accident, the [[Bigg Boss (Malayalam TV series) season 2|second season]] of the [[Bigg Boss (Malayalam TV series)|Malayalam version of ''Bigg Boss'']] in India, and the [[Big Brother Canada season 8|eighth season]] of ''[[Big Brother Canada]]'', the latter two of which were cancelled due to the ongoing [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in their respective countries.

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060213030457/http://www.vpro.nl/programma/tegenlicht/afleveringen/17863534/ Tegenlicht] - Dutch documentary series which featured a two-part episode about the show. Includes Real Media stream of episode.

{{Big Brother}}

[[Category:2004 television seasons]]
[[Category:Big Brother (franchise) adaptations]]
[[Category:2004 Bahraini television series debuts]]
[[Category:2004 Bahraini television series endings]]
[[Category:Television controversies]]
[[Category:Television shows remade overseas]]
[[Category:Television shows filmed in Bahrain]]