QUEENSLAND Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson personally advised a Sunshine Coast detective to drop out of Big Brother because it would have reflected poorly on the service.

Brett Jensen was to have been among the 16 contestants introduced in the season opener of Channel Ten's reality TV series on Sunday night.

However, the police service confirmed today that the commissioner had advised Detective Jensen it would be unprofessional and not in the interests of the service for him to appear.

"It could also reasonably be assumed that some viewers could have seen the officer as representing the Queensland Police Force," a two-paragraph statement concluded.

A report in The Courier-Mail newspaper today claimed Big Brother producers knew of Detective Jensen's withdrawal on Sunday night.

The mystery of Detective Jensen's non-appearance was portrayed to the media by publicists as one of the many surprises that would be revealed at a later date.

A brief biography of the policeman was issued to the media along with those of the other 15 contestants.

A statement from the program is expected later today.

A POLICEMAN chosen as a Big Brother contestant was forced out of the show by his own Big Brother – Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson.

Caboolture policeman Brett Jensen pulled out of the reality TV show only 45 minutes before it began its broadcast after the Police Commissioner said it would be "unprofessional" for the detective to appear on the Channel 10 series that sees housemates compete for $250,000.

Even though Ten knew on Sunday evening their 16th housemate had pulled out, they did not inform viewers or the media.

The 30-year-old did not appear during Sunday night's launch while the other 15 housemates were introduced to audiences and six were invited into the compound at Dreamworld.

The Queensland Police Service confirmed yesterday that a serving Queensland police officer had been advised by the Commissioner that it would be unprofessional and not in the interests of the service for him to appear on Big Brother.

The spokesman said it could also reasonably be assumed that some viewers could have seen the officer as representing the Queensland Police Service.

Ten yesterday said they were told on Sunday night of Mr Jensen's intentions while he was on site at Dreamworld and pulled out for "purposes of his own".

The network said they still considered Mr Jensen to be officially the 16th housemate and he would remain "locked up", like the other housemates still not on our screens, until Thursday.

Ten said Mr Jensen was not available for comment.