It's the final countdown - after weeks of waiting television viewers will decide which Big Brother housemate is the winner. With just hours of voting time left, homes and work places around the country are busy debating who should win the £70,000 cash prize? Should it be skateboarding former nun Anna Nolan? Chirpy Scouser Craig Phillips? Or father-of-three charmer Darren Ramsey.

We know it's only a game show but the Channel 4 spy-on-the-wall programme has gripped the nation since it started nine weeks ago.

Viewers have learned to love, and loathe, the ten residents as they have risen to Big Brother's challenges of an assault course, cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats on a cycling machine and mastering circus skills.

Although some critics originally thought the programme might find it hard to replicate the success of its continental counterparts, it was not long before viewers were hooked.

No sooner had New Age yoga loving Sada, from London, been evicted that it was revealed that she was actually called Alison, and originally from Wakefield.

But this revelation was nothing compared to the whole Nasty Nick Bateman saga. A nation looked on in horror as he lied, manipulated and deceived his fellow housemates into thinking he was a genuine, nice guy.

Newspapers ran front page stories on the show, television programmes debated its worth and an independent PR company had to be brought in to handle the avalanche of media inquiries.

Big Brother fever reached a peak last week when more than three million viewers cast votes, the largest ever recorded in UK television history, to evict the flirty Mel. Let's take a look at the final three and see what the future holds for them when they have to pack their bags

And we should not forget...

Marjorie the chicken

Age: Unknown

Occupation: Egg producer and Big Brother's surprise star

Home: Pen at the bottom of the garden

Love life: Not too sure but that rooster has had a bit of a twinkle in his eye lately.

Before Big Brother she was a complete unknown and now she is the most famous chicken on British television.

Her feathered charms helped Darren to overcome his chicken phobia although she was a little disturbed when he became

besotted with her.

But it has not been a smooth ride for Marjorie as she has had to fight off being taken ill on set and Craig's death threat when he got a little hungry.

Now the show is coming to its climax it appears the world is her oyster. She could find gainful employment as part of a pet therapy programme, land a role in Chicken Run II or maybe just end up in a casserole.