Big Brother 2, also referred to as Big Brother 2001, was the second series of the British reality television series Big Brother. It is based upon the Netherlands series of the same name, which gained notoriety in 1999 and 2000. The series premiered on 25 May 2001, lasting for a total of 64 days. It concluded on 27 July 2001, when Brian Dowling was crowned the winner. The series revolved around a group of strangers living in a custom built house with no contact with the outside world. Each week, the housemates are required to nominate two people for eviction. The two or more people with the most votes were nominated to leave the House. The viewers then decided which of the nominees should leave, with the selected person leaving during a live show.