Just when you were lamenting the end of the summer series of Love Island on ITV2, Big Brother has announced it's back and coming to ITV2 and ITVX later this year, with rumours we're set to see an overhaul of the show on our screens this October.
We're expecting a whole host of new faces from every walk of life as they step foot in the famous Big Brother house and cameras capture their every move.
The iconic reality series was last seen in 2018 on Channel 5 having first started in 2000 on Channel 4. The show was game-changing in the world of television, creating an entirely new concept of ‘reality TV stars’, ones who were plucked from ordinary lives who consequently went on to influence pop culture. Of course, some of the housemates were more memorable than others.
Here's our pick of Big Brother's most iconic contestants ever and what they're up to now.
Nick (aka Nasty Nick): Series 1Forever known as ‘Nasty Nick’ - season one's villain, Nick Bateman caused quite the commotion back in the year 2000 when he started pining housemates against each other. After 34 days he was finally exposed by fellow housemate Craig for passing notes and trying to manipulate fellow housemates' votes in the weekly eviction process, in violation of Big Brother rules. He was asked to leave by the show's producers. Post show, he wrote a book, How To Be A Complete Bastard and is now a travel writer living in Sydney, Australia.
You can't think of Big Brother and not think of the iconic Jade Goody, who won the nation's hearts with her hilarious one-liners ("Rio de Janeiro - that's a person" or "Where is East Angular, is it abroad?") and is the reason season three was one of the best Big Brother series (in my personal opinion). After appearing in 2007's Celebrity Big Brother, she became embroiled in a racism row that made her a figure of hate but she was working on her public reconciliation up until her tragic death in 2009 from cervical cancer, aged 27. Since her death, there's been a greater awareness and testing of cervical cancer among young women.
She's a household name today, fronting ITV's This Morning but Alison Hammond actually only lasted 15 days in the Big Brother house. She was always hilarious and loud (her jumping on the table with fellow contestant Kate Lawler to spot security and then breaking said table goes down as one of the funniest moments in series three), proving herself to be a great presenter from day one. She recently presented at the BAFTAs and has been announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off, replacing Matt Lucas.
"I am now accepted by the public as a woman," said Nadia Almada after emerging from the Big Brother house as 2004's winner. “There are no words that could show my heart that is inside me,” she told host Davina McCall. Nadia, born Jorge Leodoro, was the first transgender winner of Big Brother. She went on to record a single 'A Little Bit of Action', which reached Number 27 in the charts and later trained as Sassoon hairdresser, now working as a stylist.
Nikki Grahame - Series 7Nikki Grahame probably goes down as one of the most dramatic housemates to have ever stepped foot inside the Big Brother doors. Tantrums! Crying! Screaming! She won herself a National Television award for her skills in 2006 and even starred in ads for Domino's. Grahame suffered from anorexia throughout her life and spoke publicly about battling the condition including writing two books Dying to Be Thin (2009) and Fragile (2012) on her experiences. She sadly died from anorexia complications in 2021, aged 38.
Michelle Bass - Series 5Big Brother fans will remember the wedding scene in series five when Michelle Bass didn't quite know the tune ‘Pie Jesu’ but sang it anyway. She became part of the self-named ‘Lip Gloss Bitches’ - and loved nothing better than a good ol' gossip. Best of all, however, she gave the masses what they wanted - some romance in the form of her fling with fellow housemate, the long-haired, pretty surfer Stuart Wilson.
Ziggy Lichman - Series 8Blond mopped-haired preppy boy Ziggy was best known for hooking up with Chanelle Hayes in season 8 of BB. The couple were lovingly referred to by the press at the time as the ‘Posh and Becks of the Big Brother house.' Since leaving Big Brother, Ziggy, whose real name is Zachary Lichman, has appeared in the Channel 4 series Dead Set. According to reports he previously ran a pan-Asian inspired restaurant in London's Kensal Rise and now works as a talent manager.
Craig Phillips was the first winner of Big Brother and famously donated his entire £70,000 prize money to his friend Joanne Harris, who had Down's Syndrome, to pay for her lung and heart transplant. Craig recently opened up about his experience of coming out of the show. "It was really, really crazy I don’t think I went home for 97 days, I changed hotel every night, I had bodyguards chaperoning me around. It was life-changing overnight, instantly overnight, and I was the last person to know about it." Today, he's a property developer and has appeared on multiple DIY-style TV shows, This Morning and his own DIY YouTube videos with wife Laura.
Everyone loved Kate Lawler, the first ever female winner of Big Brother in 2002. She was fun, sporty and always in trouble (she got hit by ‘strikes’ for discussing nominations with Alison and for writing a birthday message to her sister using make-up). After her days on reality TV, Kate made a name for herself as an accomplished radio DJ on Capital FM, later moving on to Kerrang and Virgin radio.
Pete, who suffers from Tourette's, was a fan favourite, known for his fun personality and relationship in the house with Nikki Grahame, who sadly passed away in 2021. Many Tourette's sufferers praised his appearance on the show for bringing the condition into public light. In 2010 he admitted on The Jeremy Kyle Show that he had an addiction to ketamine and was forced to return to his day job and get clean. He later set up a cleaning business and also acts, most recently appearing in Catherine Tate's 2022 Nan Movie.
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