Phew! What an action-packed night it’s been. Housemates had some fun with face paints earlier, and it seemed like any regular evening-in with some witty banter back and forth. But after a few drinks, things started to kick off in the garden.

Food (or hunger) is up there with the ‘most argued about’ and ‘most likely to cause dispute’ subjects in Big Brother history. Ashleigh reached boiling point, evidently tired of being hungry, “we’re all hungry, we’re living on rationings in’t we?!” (quote alert!).  Recent evictee Victoria got an honourable mention from Sara, who said that she really felt sorry for her (why?), but she thought she was a nice person and really likes her (contradicting yourself a bit there, love).  In the midst of this, Sara accused Lauren of being two faced, but they’ve since made up – aw! Adam joined Sara and Ashleigh, and (unsuccessfully) brought the ranting down a notch (see gallery for Adam’s ‘bored’ face).

We think a sizeable number of the housemates regard themselves as resident psychologists, but if we could give them some advice it would be to leave it to the experts! As you dedicated fans know, things change in a matter of minutes. It’s safe to assume that the housemates are really beginning to feel the pressures of life under the scrutiny of Big Brother. Nomination time is approaching, could this be the reason for the sparks this evening?

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Sara and Ashleigh expressing their opinions. 

Adam looks positively bored. Yap yap yap!

Lauren getting a bit wound up.

Good old Luke S and Lauren have a hug, looks like all is well in the House. Everybody - aw!

Well, Deana, Lauren and Lydia have formed an alliance! Like all good conspirators, the trio hatched their schemes in the wee hours of the morning. Like only BB plotters, they did so in the pool area, each sporting a hooded item.

The alliance came about after Lydia told the ladies that they were allowed to talk about nominations and that most of the men knew this but had told her to keep it secret. Scandal! Intrigue! What she failed to share with her new bezzas was that just an hour earlier she had tried to firm up an alliance with Luke S and Conor. Madness! Duplicity!

Obviously, Lydia belongs to a school of thought that stresses the importance of moving quickly onwards as, in a stirring display of loyalty the ladies vowed to stick together through thick and thin, through arguments and catfights, through sausage emergencies and bitchfests. Lydia claimed that she didn't mind if someone else won as long as they were from her new crew. Sure Lyds, we believe you.

Next on the agenda was the all-important decision of who to put up for eviction on Monday.  Pretty boy and expert onesie-wearer Arron, was an easy choice for the trio. Nominee two was a trickier prospect. An intense debate followed with the ladies communicating in violent stage whispers. The vibe was British strategy room during World War II.

During this climate of humourlessness, the chilled-out customer that is Adam wandered over. Boyfriend was immediately sucked in. Before any greetings were exchanged he had been formerly admitted to the alliance. However, when it came to the point of spilling his nomination choices, he said, "I don't think that's going to happen." Deana was beside herself. "But that's the whole point!" She then said the word "game" about ten times. Someone's ready to play.

A bemused and unusually conflicted Adam eventually revealed he was cool with nominating Arron. But still that vital second nomination... who was it to be? Time was running out as Big Brother had instructed the housemates to go inside. Adam toddled off. The ladies lingered. "Sara?" "Sara!"

Arron and Sara, beware, your days may well be numbered.

Two more housemates have been taken into the confidence of the House's brand new alliance. While member Lauren chomped her breakfast in the kitchen, members Lydia and Deana, sat – in what is emerging as their HQ – by the pool. Squeaky, tantrum-fan Chris was the first to be lured onto their couch.

The pair deployed intense psychological pressure as they tried to swing Chris round to their point of view without fully clueing him into the bigger picture. Lydia led the charge with emotionally-loaded phrases like, "You need to realise who your friends are" and "I don't care what you've said about me. All we care about is from this day forward." We're wiping away a tear.

With Chris bamboozled into, if not agreement then certainly vulnerability, Lydia quickly pushed her gains, wondering if Chris has the power to sway Shievonne. He seemed to think so and perked up a treat when it came to bitching about Arron. "He's got the biggest game plan in here," he announced proudly informing the ladies that after a seemingly-pleasant chat with the male model last night, he had mouthed a naughty word at the camera. "I wish you could have seen it." We're sure it was beautiful, love.

The pair refused to tell Chris about the change to the rules that allows housemates to talk to each other about their nomination fearing that he would "blow up". They instead alluded mysteriously to the impending House meeting when this fact will be revealed to one and all.

As if this wasn't exciting enough, just as we were about to draw breath, we noticed Lydia sitting Becky down on the poolside couch. Her dropped jaw and the dramatic whispers suggest that she is latest to be ensnared.

Whatever else you think about 'the alliance', you have to admire the tireless dedication to plotting and scheming.

Life in the House is all getting a bit much for Lauren right now. The pixie-faced black-belt has just heard Sara bitching to Deana in the toilets about her mere hours after she had made up with the former and entered an alliance with the latter. No wonder the poor girl doesn't know who to trust and feels insecure about her position in the group. Even the prospect of a hearty carbfest (spaghetti and chips for the win) could not lure her to join her fellow housemates at the table.

Instead she retired to the bedroom in tears to be consoled by Lydia, whose ability never to be lost for words proved a great comfort to the throaty-voiced tractor driver. "Oh Kylie," began Lydia. Lauren responded, "Every time I walk in a room I feel like people stop talking. I don't know what to do, Lyds."

Lydia's advice was to act unbothered. She speculated that one reason for Lauren being the subject of bitching was her size. Lauren agreed she was an "easy target"

Lydia was able to convince Lauren that the REAL reasons why she's stirring up animosity are her excellent credentials as a person and potential BB winner. "You've got one of those infectious personalities that they're all trying to put on," said Lydia with the severity of a newsreader reporting a disaster. This cheered Lauren no end and after a restorative hug, the two bounced back into the kitchen to join the others.

After Adam's lunch announcement and Lauren's tears, you might have thought our housemates would take a bit of time to chill. Not so.  Lunch barely had time to digest when Lydia and a topless Luke S snuck to the bottom of the garden. Not for hanky-panky, that would have been a refreshing gear change, but for yet another of today's intimate chats. Once again, the subject was the news that housemates are allowed to discuss their nominations.

The revelation has caused a hailstorm of paranoia. Luke S is the latest to have fallen prey to such fears. He's worried that other housemates, particularly Adam, will see him as a game-player as a result of him knowing the nomination situation and telling only Arron and Conor. Like Lauren an hour earlier, Luke S found that Lydia was the balm to his woes.

After a convincing crack at reassuring Luke S, Lydia widened the conversation to the general issue of nominations and strategies. It all got knotty and a few names were banded about. Luke S showed a bit of backbone by labelling tactical nomination as "cruel". Sorry, he's not biting, Lyds.

Once they finished chatting, Lydia had a lie down in the bedroom. We should think so. It's been a very busy day.