WHAT fascination is to be found in this cultural experiment.

Contestants are cooped up together under the public gaze so that their every move can be witnessed.

Then they are voted off in a ruthless process of selection.

Big Brother?

Certainly not.

We are talking about the hamsters in the window of Linton's pet shop in Malton.

These furry characters, who are being displayed Big Brother style, have surely got a lot more intelligence and charm than the bunch of wittering egotists Channel 4 has gathered together this year.

Updated: 09:54 Friday, June 04, 2004