It may be the eighth series of Big Brother but when the show launches tonight viewers may be greeted with a new vision – a house full of women contestants.

According to today's tabloids, the Channel 4 reality show will be female-only until Friday – when one man will be introduced into the house.

The initial single-sex environment is expected to surprise the contestants and cause friction, especially as the women are thought to have very different backgrounds. One is a former lap dancer while another is a member of the Women’s Institute, it has been reported.

Rumours abound that the first man to enter the house will be Oldham Athletic footballer Chris Hall.

Producers no doubt hope that introducing one handsome sportsmen into a household of 12 women will cause fireworks.

More men are expected to join the the Big Brother house as the season continues.

In promoting the series, Channel 4 has promised the show will be full of surprises, with a new-look house and different twists and turns.

The house design is certainly surprising. It features an appliance-less kitchen, bright red and blue beds and a fridge located in the garden.

The presenting team has also changed. While Davina McCall remains the show’s primary host, and Dermot O’Leary continues as frontman of Big Brother’s Little Brother, Russell Brand is gone from Big Brother’s Big Mouth. His position on the spin-off show will be filled by a raft of guest hosts, beginning with Radio One DJ Chris Moyles. Former Celebrity Big Brother 4 housemate George Galloway MP will also host a Big Mouth show, as will Popworld's Alexa Chung.

The cost of voting has also changed. Channel 4 announced yesterday that is had halved the cost of sending an eviction text. Texts will now cost 25p compared to the 50p charged for voting during the last series.

Channel 4 will no doubt be pleased to have attention focused on the new Big Brother series after last week’s criticism over its handling of the Celebrity Big Brother racism row.

Last Thursday, Ofcom ruled Channel 4 was guilty of "serious editorial misjudgement" for showing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty being picked on by housemates Jade Goody, Jo O’Meara and Danielle Lloyd.

The media watchdog ordered Channel 4 to make a series of on-air apologies during the new Big Brother series.

Ofcom received more than 45,000 complaints after Channel 4 broadcast incidents showing Goody referring to Shetty as "Shilpa Poppadom", Lloyd saying that Shetty should "f*** off home" and an argument over Shetty cooking a chicken, which ended with Lloyd and O’Meara making derogatory comments about Indian eating habits.

Channel 4 has since publicly accepted Ofcom’s ruling. Chief Executive, Andy Duncan, said: “We accept Ofcom’s judgement that on the occasions in question we did not ensure that Big Brother intervened with the necessary promptness or strength. We would like to say sorry once again for the offence caused to viewers as a result

Tonight’s Big Brother launch show is expected to be a ratings-winner after the last season’s opening night drew more than 8 million viewers.

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