Former BigBrother Canadacontestant Gary “Glitter” Levy describes the exterior of the new Big Brother House as “scary.”

His colleague Peter Brown, also a former contestant on Season 1, says the dark brown exterior is “ominous. I think it feels a lot more intimidating.”

The two were sitting on a secret Toronto sound stage — at least until fans figure out where it is — while the Star got an exclusive print media tour of the new Big Brother Canada Season 2 set.

For those not familiar with Big Brother, the Canadian show is based on the original Dutch TV series where “house guests” are shuttered in a sound studio for three months and tracked by cameras. The last remaining guest gets $100,000 and other prizes. It is voyeurism gone amok. And it is also a testament to the age of celebrity and the diminishing line between public and private lives.

“I love the way it looks and the feel is much more grand,” says host Arisa Cox.

It also feels much more urban, as befitting a move from the former Mississauga sound stage to Toronto.

It wasn’t a choice that producers wanted to make, but the Mississauga building where the original set stood was recently sold, which meant completely redesigning the Big Brother House to fit a smaller sound stage.

The most immediate impact is the exterior, which looks like a New York brownstone. But designer Peter Faragher, who is up for a Canadian Screen Award for his work on Season 1, says his inspiration was not New York but “a modern home at Dufferin St. and St. Clair Ave.”

The interior is awash in patriotic reds and whites, and furniture that looks like it belongs in the home of George Jetson rather than, say, Timothy Eaton.

A modern lime green couch is the centrepiece. And the Star Trek kitchen is replete with stainless steel and walnut veneer. There are also pictures in the outdoor area from Faragher’s personal collection, featuring the Empress Hotel in Victoria or a Via Rail station in a nod to Canadiana.

The home is more of a traditional two-storey in an effort to maximize space. Square footage as a result has gone up to 18,000 instead of the previous 16,500 square feet.

There is also a cohesiveness to the home that didn’t exist in the first one, which had more of a mid-century modern vibe.

And there are more cameras in the house, up to 85 from the previous 78, so house guests “can’t hide,” says supervising producer Sue Brophey.

Brophey was taking media on a backstage tour of the dark, mazelike labyrinth that surrounds the Big Brother House. There are one-way mirrors everywhere and positions for cameras to film when needed. Seven of the cameras are manned while the rest are robotic. And yes, even the toilet has a camera nearby. But it is only for “security” reasons, we are told.

On this Monday, the upstairs bedroom was populated by TV interns and production staff wearing numbers on their chests to simulate house guests. They were doing a production run to make sure the cameras and microphones were working properly.

The first season of Big Brother Canada was a hit for Slice. Jillian MacLaughlin won the first edition over the popular Levy in a surprise ending that stunned fans, after contestant Topaz Brady voted for MacLaughlin instead of Levy by mistake. It was one of the most talked about reality finales ever and earned Cox a Canadian Screen Award nomination for hosting.

“It was really an incredible moment,” says Cox. “I knew immediately when she did that she had made a mistake and there was no going back.”

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Season 2 of Big Brother Canada begins March 5 on Slice and Global at 9 p.m.. House guests for Season 2 will be announced Wednesday.

Brophey says the new cast is “incredible and diverse,” although it will be a challenge to produce the same kind of magic that gave fans the flamboyant Gary Glitter. Glitter and Brown will co-host the Big Brother Canada Side Show, which will air Thursdays at 10 p.m. after each eviction episode.

“There are some really great characters this season, I don’t think viewers will be disappointed,” says Brophey.