Italy's Big Brother inmates released to vote

ROME - Contestants in the Italian version of reality TV show Big Brother were briefly allowed out of their house on Sunday to let them vote in the general election.

After 80 days of seclusion, the Big Brother inmates were driven to their home towns around Italy accompanied by bodyguards to ensure they had as little contact as possible with the outside world, news agency ANSA reported.

They were returned to the "house", in the confines of Rome's Cinecitta movie studios, immediately after casting their ballot.

Big Brother is broadcast on Canale 5, one of three TV stations owned by Mediaset, controlled by Silvio Berlusconi, the centre-right prime minister who is battling to retain power in the election.

Contestents on Big Brother and two other reality shows, "Music Farm" and "La Fattoria" ("The Farm"), who cannot watch TV or read newspapers, were given information on the parties' manifestos before being let out to vote, Il Giornale daily said.

- REUTERS