Yup, that time of year is drawing to a close again; the gradual removal of screeching housemates, the prize money in sight, the reunion barbeque hosted by Dermot.

And in a style identical to the years before, our newspapers and magazines have been flooded with 'exclusive' stories of the 'real' housemates.

There are reality shows everywhere we look now: from Pop Idol to The Contender and The Apprentice to I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of Here! Why has our nation suddenly become obsessed with fact (well, fact simulation) rather than fiction?

Since the first Big Brother, there has been a boom of reality shows in a whole variety of topics, and Britain seems to thrive on its continual love affair with reality TV.

One prime example of our growing adoration of reality shows was shown on a newspaper stand a few weeks ago. Out of 10 newspapers, eight showed devastating pictures of the tragic happenings in Israel, one showed topless women, and another had a front page exclusive on Nikki Graham's death threats. Front page material if ever we saw it. How can the lives of a few nobodies suddenly push the deaths of innocent people off the front pages of some newspapers?

Part of the appeal of reality television is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Shipwrecked, for example, saw contestants are fending for themselves on a desert island.

Reality television also offers contestants the possibility of becoming national celebrities, through talent shows such as Pop Idol and now, more and more common, through less talent inducing shows such as Survivor and Big Brother.

This year has been no different than previous. Thrown into this year's equation is Love Island, the return of X factor and the barrage of celebrity versions of reality shows. But what has to be asked is why are these shows so incredibly popular? Why do they attract such high viewing figures? Are we a nation of reality junkies?

This year's Big Brother launch night, where a select number of semi-naked women/brass/somewhat unorthodox people entered the house, pulled 7.2 million viewers; the highest yet for a Big Brother launch night.

It's appalling to think that this is what Britons have become; reality junkies, desperate for their next fix of real life TV. When one show ends, another begins.

These shows also encourage children to be indoors during their summer holidays: a time when they should thrive in the sunshine and get some much needed exercise. In a country with a growing child obesity problem, airing popular reality shows during the day, particularly on a live feed, doesn't help anything. This sort of scheduling encourages children to stay indoors and watch for the latest gossip, browse the latest news online, and chat about the contestants on forums. Is this the modern day summer holidays?

However, children aren't the only ones drawn in by the magical lure of the reality land. Adults are too. What an example they set their children when they tune into the nightly highlights from the Big Brother House or watch Big Brother's Little Brother or one of the many affiliated shows.

Shouldn't the public be tuning into the news at 9 or 10pm to see what is going on in the world? Instead of obsessing over a bunch of nobodies, we should be caring about the matters that will affect us, our future and our children's future.

The only consolation seems to be Love Island's poor ratings of around 3 million compared to the average 4.5 million for Big Brother. Could this spell the start of a more intelligent public? Who don't thrive on some Z list celebrities yawning all day?

Somehow this notion is unlikely, particularly with the latest series of X Factor approaching. So what is the big thrill that reality TV shows offer? What makes a viewer return to watching random people or minor celebrities in a reality situation?

Many people feel that they can relate to the contestants on such shows, or become entrapped in the lives and personalities, even forming a digital bond with their favourite contestant. Remember how the hearts of the nation melted when Gareth Gates first stuttered his way through his audition for Pop Idol?

And now even the silver screen is being invaded by the ever popular 'reality' genre with films like Jackass: The Movie. Reality TV seems to keep growing, expanding, and undermining the intelligence of the nation. Who really wants to see grown men staple things to themselves? Or wannabe Maria Von Trapp's compete with the help of Graham Norton? And who, just who exactly, could put up with the immature and dim whining of Jessica Simpson? Even Nick Lachley gave up.

Blame can be attributed to the television companies. They produce and air these shows and they dangle them in front of the lazy nation, offering them some brain dead TV to indulge in. And their reality ideas are getting just a tad ridiculous now: remember the House of Obsessive Compulsives?

Some viewers have even complained this year that Endemol have gone too far in their desperation to keep viewers by casting more vulnerable contestants such as anorexic, child in a woman's body, Nikki, Tourette's sufferer Pete, and body dsymorphic Lea.

Reality TV was a great new idea, a unique idea, a profitable idea…but WAS is the key element here. It is now overdone, repetitive and over the top. If those marvellous production people at TV companies could only sit down for a while and think of something new, something that doesn't involve auditions, evictions and people we will forget about after a fortnight, then they would show to the world that they were hired for a reason…for having imaginative and creative minds, for being there to entertain the public, for providing the world with something to enjoy, not something to irritate.

Shipwrecked, Survivor, Newlyweds, Big Brother, X Factor, Date My Mom, Joe Millionaire, I Want A Famous Face, The Swan, My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé…you name it…reality's done it. There's not much left for reality TV shows to cover, except the extreme and obscene.

So all that's left to ask is…what's next?