Big Brother's Little Brother (C4); The Test (ITV1): IT seemed redundant for BBLB, the daily round-up of Big Brother happenings, to consider what the housemates' clothes reveal. For the latest bunch of insiders have shown themselves, literally, willing to strip off at the drop of a towel.

Topless mud wrestling, jam-licking from exposed breasts, nude lawn-mowing (be careful, grass cuttings get everywhere) and just plain flashing have all demonstrated their lack of inhibitions.

The five who weren't evicted even carried out a promise to strip off in the diary room, Michelle joined in, although she hadn't even been nominated. The clinging Georgie probably didn't trust the others to keep their hands off boyfriend Stuart's exposed bits.

Fashion expert Hannah Sandling noted on BBLB that Michelle "gets the old bazookas out". She also marvelled at how many different outfits she'd managed to pack in a single suitcase.

Hannah noted that Michelle feels she has to be glammed up, a sure sign that she "dresses up to get the attention of people". Disrobing commands a similar reaction.

Then there's Jason, the body beautiful, who spends hours every day honing his physique. The other night coverage ended with him rubbing cream into his thighs and standing stark naked contemplating his navel (and other body parts) in the bathroom. Hannah described him as a David Beckham wannabe and "like a big outsize gorilla preening himself".

Marie Kelly wouldn't welcome being locked in the Big Brother House as she suffers from claustrophobia, an irrational fear of enclosed spaces. Even taking a ferry cross the Mersey from her home in Warrington was out of the question at the start of The Test.

The idea was to show 49-year-old Marie trying to overcome her problem. Her fear has made her give up work and affected her children. She wanted to conquer it so she didn't pass it on to her youngest daughter, 11-year-old Karina.

Helpfully, the programme arranged for her to see a psychologist. Unfortunately, he was in London, which entailed a nightmare six-hour car journey south with partner Bill at the wheel.

Paul Salkovskis used cognitive behavioural therapy to help Marie. For the untechnical, this was explained as plunging in at the deep end by making her confront her fears. He talked her through as she went on the London Underground and travelled in a taxi with door locks operated by the driver. The final test was a cross-Channel ferry.

There were tears and hot sweats, but she got through it. Her cure seemed to happen very quickly. But a half-hour programme could hardly show all the pain and distress she suffered coming to terms with her fear.

Watching her suffer made for very odd television. Finding people dates and houses seems okay, but treating an illness isn't usually the prerogative of TV producers. I wondered why, as she'd been suffering from claustrophobia for 30 years, the professionals hadn't tried to cure her condition before rather than leave it to a daytime TV series.

The Rat Pack, Darlington Civic Theatre

THE Rat Pack, Live from Las Vegas" says the programme. But of course it isn't really them. It's three exceptionally talented performers doing a "Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be... " and pretending to be Sinatra, Davis and Martin at the Sands Hotel, Las Vegas, in the early 60s.

The Rat Pack Big Band produces a big, fat brassy sound which is exactly right for the bouncy arrangements by Nelson Riddle and the like, and they also manage to find time to do a bit of clowning around, which is good fun.

Chris Mann as Frank Sinatra walks off with the show in typical relaxed style. He's not unlike Sinatra in appearance, and has the Guv'nor's mannerisms off to a T. He's also blessed with an extraordinary singing voice, and even manages to capture that smoky rasp Sinatra had in later years.

Sammy Davis Junior was an incredibly versatile artist and reproducing his talent is an enormous task. E Clayton Cornelious does a good job, throwing in a little tap dancing, at which Sammy was a master, but although he has an excellent, mellow voice he doesn't have the soaring power that Sammy had.

Timothy Sell as Dean Martin plays the 'alcoholic' alter ego to the hilt, although Martin's gentle, jokey personality comes through too. He does Dino's relaxed singing style comfortably, and takes time to flirt with the ladies in the front row.

For lovers of great songs, beautifully sung, this evening is a must.

l Runs until Saturday. Booking office (01325) 486555

Sue Heath

Published: ??/??/2004