This is one reason I don't like Big Brother. People who go on that show think that because they've had a bit of air-time on TV, they automatically gain celebrity status and that people will pay for their time (sadly, there are numpties who fuel such egos by indeed paying to see/hire them).
It was nice of Robot Wars to pay accommodation, travel and food costs etc but they could afford to and it was a nice luxury. It's not financially viable for event organisers these days to cover such costs. Anyone who is looking to gain fame and fortune from this hobby is in it for the wrong reasons. It's nice to be asked for an autograph, or to have our picture taken, or to be filmed by a camera crew for an interview, but everyone I know in this game is in it for the fun of pitting their wits against like-minded souls from across the country.

I think saying that there hasn't been much development in the robots in the seven years since RW was last on television is pretty disrespectful to anyone who has built and competed with a robot in that time. I agree that a lot of machines (maybe a bit too many) are just a wedge with a powerful flipper but it is a design that has proven itself to be highly successful and is also very entertaining on the live event circuit. But if you look past those robots you come across some marvellous machines such as Saint Hammer (simple but wacky) and Big Nipper (a sublime piece of engineering). And as has already been mentioned, there are only a few basic platforms on which to base your robot. I think one aspect is that most major developments that have taken place over the past seven years have not been visible on the outside. In the early series' of Robot Wars, you could see the evolution of the robots, from the shape to the armour to the weapons. Nowadays, it is the internal components that are evolving in the form of more reliable speed controllers (some specifically designed for robot combat), better battery technology and things such as completely custom-made pneumatics setups. It's difficult to see these developments on the outside but it has led to much more reliable, effective and - most importantly - safe robots (well, as safe as you can get for a machine designed to destroy another machine).

In the 'Your Opinions Please' thread, I state that I would love the idea of a fixed-location arena hosting a few large events a year, but I have to admit that at this moment, the touring live event setup is what's needed to keep interest alive. It draws in a far larger audience over different locations in the country than any fixed-location arena, once-a-year event could.