Human zoo Big Brother will soon be entertaining the masses in Second Life, Reuters reports.

BB production company Endemol has confirmed it will confine "15 international Second Life contestants" for a month in a "specially constructed glass-walled house", where their avatars will presumably indulge in the usual mindless bickering and fondling each others' virtual naughty bits under the duvet.

The winner will be selected by the traditional voting process and will receive a Second Life island worth "about US$1,675".

Endemol Netherlands managing director Paul Romer enthused: "Big Brother Second Life represents a fantastic opportunity to amass knowledge of the virtual world. In the future, we will use this experience to develop specific content for online communities." ®