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 1
Forever 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.
Channel 4
Jade Goody: Series 3
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.