They came in their hundreds to queue in the winter air for a chance to become one of the last ever members of the Big Brother household.
The doors of the eponymous property will shut for good this summer, and with it will go the chance of fleeting fame for the confined celebrity wannabes.
But before Davina ushers the winner of BB11 out of the house and through the crowds, a select band of housemates will have a final chance to impress their qualities on a TV-watching nation.
For some, it could even be the springboard to becoming a bona fide celeb, following in the footsteps of the late Jade Goody, Kate Lawler and "Nasty" Nick Bateman.
But for most of those gathered outside Wembley Arena for today's auditions simply getting a place in the house would be good enough, for the time being anyhow.
And most were convinced they had what it takes to cut it as a BB housemate.
Jamie Potter, 17, said he thought he stood a good chance, and that programme-makers would be missing out if he was not selected.
He explained: "I'm original, just myself. I'm eccentric, a bit strange. I dress very differently - lots of neon.
"Everyone is different but I just stand out."
He had travelled from Brighton to take part in the auditions.
His friend Matty Bell accompanied him on his trip, hoping to stand a chance herself.
The 20-year-old said: "I've got as good a chance as everyone else. I'm an emo, and they haven't had an emo in the house yet."
Natasha Reid was similarly convinced that she has what it takes to gain entrance to the house.
"I reckon they need me basically. I'm funny, I am who I am - what you see is what you get. I think it will be a right laugh with me in there," she said.
© Press Association