Here are some glimpses into the new Celebrity Big Brother house, showing carousel horses in the garden and a glamorous bathroom fit for the stars.

The pictures released by the Channel 4 show reveal the bathroom area decked out with bling including gold statues.

A regal-looking chaise longue in red and gold also adorns the house.

The bedroom has a red and brown theme, with large red stars running through the carpet.

A couple of exercise bikes also feature in the swanky pad, helping the contestants to keep in shape.

The garden, with its walls painted ice blue, features three white carousel horses as well as an enclosed area behind bars.

This year's non-celebrity version of the show had featured a "jail" in the garden, for housemates needing to be punished.

The celebrities entering the house will be officially revealed on Friday - the day the show starts, although unconfirmed rumours of who will take part have already been rife.

Names appearing in reports of those tipped to be poised to enter the house have included presenter Ulrika Jonsson, Liberty X's Michelle Heaton and former Sugababe Mutya Buena.

The Channel 4 reality show is returning for January 2009 after a race row erupted during the show in 2007, attracting the most complaints in regulator Ofcom's history.

The media watchdog has said that around 45,000 complaints were received over the furore surrounding the treatment of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty by Jade Goody and other housemates during the programme.

Earlier this year, Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack, was screened, but the new format, screened on digital channel E4, only attracted an average 600,000 viewers.

Former Celebrity Big Brother housemate Michael Barrymore will turn roving reporter for the new series.

Barrymore will appear on the fanzine show Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother, offering his thoughts on the celebrities, as well as becoming an on-the-street reporter.

He was beaten into second place in the contest in 2006 by "fake" celebrity Chantelle Houghton.

Excited bookies have already started offering odds on the winner, despite the official list not being released yet, in anticipation of a million pound turnover.

William Hill placed Jonsson at 6/1 to win the new series and 12/1 to be the first to be voted off.
The bookmaker is offering 1/2 that one of the celebrities throws a strop and walks out of the house.

William Hill is also offering odds of 10/1 that Channel 4 will take the show off air before the scheduled end to the run, and 5/6 that the producer decides that this series will be the last.

"Celebrity Big Brother has always been a very popular betting event and we missed it last year," said Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.

"If they manage to get a good group we are certain to have a million pound turnover."
:: Celebrity Big Brother launches live at 9pm on Friday, January 2 on Channel 4.