Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother unveiled its line-up of housemates for this year last night, and to save your blushes when you truly have no idea who they are, we’ve taken a look at each of them to give you the low down on the stars going into the house this time around.
Claire Richards
The Steps singer has been having somewhat of a reality TV revival over the last few years, appearing on Popstar To Operastar, Celebrity Masterchef and, of course The Steps Reunion documentary.
After she and H left the cheesily fun band back in 2001 at the height of their power (the group sold over 20 million records in their brief time together), it’s not all been plain sailing for Claire, with trials and tribulations in both the public and personal life over the last few years.
Claire has also been very public about her troubles, going on record as saying “From the age of 17 to 25, I was in the music industry and had someone to organise my life. Then it stopped. I ended up sitting around wasting time and getting fat.”
To us though, she’ll always be at the heart of some of the guiltiest musical pleasures of the 1990s.
Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock
Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock’s almost had two careers. The first was on the football pitch, where he craved out a successful career with clubs like Liverpool, Millwall and Southampton, even earning an England call-up in 1994.
Since his retirement though, the man once known as one of Liverpool’s ‘Spice Boys’ has carved himself out a TV career, appearing on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here and starring in drama Fat Friends as well as sports related shows like A Question Of Sport and Football Saved My Life.
Heidi Montag & Spencer Pratt
Reality TV is no new thing for these two, as they got their fame from appearing on the MTV show The Hills.
While the show may not have been anything approaching reality, it delighted in chronicling the romance of the couple before having their wedding take place on the show.
Heidi then became the centre of attention for undergoing a highly controversial ten plastic surgery procedures in one day, only for her to still claim she is against the concept of it.
Pratt’s not wanting to run away from reality TV anytime soon though saying; ‘I would do reality TV forever. It’s so much cooler to have people come up to me and be like “Spencer Pratt!” and know my name, than to be Orlando Bloom who’s famous for being some pirate.’
Good thing for him that they’re on the show together then.
Lacey Banghard
The glamour model became The Sun’s Page 3 Idol winner back in 2011 after being spotted in Ayia Napa and has since gone on to model for all the usual ‘lads mags’ as well as appearing on a Lynx ad or two in her time.
Oddly enough the 20 year old’s move in glamour modelling was actually the idea of her mother, but it’s something she definitely doesn’t regret having said “Modelling for Page 3 Idol has made me feel sexy and confident. I’ve never really felt like that before. I’ve never loved myself!”
With the girl unoriginally nicknamed ‘Bangers’ currently single, expect her to be a centre of attention from the very start of her stint in the house, where she claims she’s going to struggle with the early mornings and shortage of Nandos.
Frankie Dettori
One of the most famous jockeys out there, the diminutive Italian is hoping to carry the charisma and winning mentality that made him beloved on the race course into the Celebrity Big Brother house.
The winner of over 3000 horse races, including an incredible seven in one day at Ascot that cost bookies £25million, the 41 year old was a warded an MBE in 2000 for his sporting prowess and also owns a chain of restaurants (despite claiming a burger at McDonalds as a guilty pleasure).
Gillian Taylforth
A household fixture on EastEnders, Gillian’s been living the life of Kathy Beale on the show for 15 years, as well as spreading her wings and appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, Loose Women and The Bill.
A mother of two, Gillian is referred to as a cougar by her daughters, after in 2009 she spilt from her husband after 23 years together in matrimony.
A self-confessed fan of Celebrity Big Brother, she was convinced to take part last year, telling her agent to “Get me in there!” after seeing Julie Goodyear’s bitchy behaviour inside the house.
Paula Hamilton
The star of the famous VW ‘Changes’ advert and one of the most famous models on the 1980s, Paula Hamilton became famous for posing in campaigns for companies such as Gap and Revlon during the period.
She’s also well known for being a teenage sweetheart of music mogul Simon Cowell, although isn’t close to him anymore having said that “I haven’t been invited onto his yacht and I don’t want to go anyway.”
In an effort to be remembered, she’s also bringing a coconut named Boris to have conversations with inside the house. Hopefully it’ll be decked out in a blonde wig and give amazing Olympic speeches.
Tricia Penrose
A longstanding cast member for nostalgia fuelled ITV drama Heartbeat, Tricia Penrose has also appeared on celebrity editions of both Masterchef and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
It’s not just in front of the camera that Tricia has talents though, as she only just missed out on representing the UK at the Eurovision Song Context back in 2002 as a part of singing duo Second Image.
The actress and singer is also planning hoping that getting a few some tips from last year’s victor Denise Welch will fair her well inside the house.
Rylan Clark
Over that last few months, we’ve all gotten familiar with Rylan after his stint on the X Factor and briefly becoming Daybreak’s entertainment editor for a week, now the divisive contestant is entering the house in the same flamboyant style.
After finishing second on the reality show Signed by Katie Price, Rylan became part of a Spanish boy band called 4bidden before entering X Factor, as well as ironically covering regular sparring partner Gary Barlow as part of a Take That tribute band.
Rylan might just find the hardest bit of the whole experience keeping himself looking his usual dapper self, something that’s of rather critical importance to him. It even goes to the point of ogoing other things, with him having said ‘All my money goes on what I look like, if I can’t eat, I can’t eat. At least I’ve got my colour match right.’
Ryan Maloney
Perhaps better known by the name ‘Toadfish’, Ryan became a staple of British daytime TV viewing as a longstanding cast member on Aussie soap Neighbours.
He was a key player in Ramsay Street, with plotline ranging from being jilted at the alter to being held hostage and having his famous ponytail unceremoniously cut off by Lou Carpenter during his mammoth seventeen year stint on the show.
A keen charity worker off screen, Ryan is hoping he has a better time in the Celebrity Big Brother house than Toadfish did on Neighbours.
Sam Robertson
The Scottish actor has been a regular sight on British TV for quite some time, after being a part of soap opera Coronation Street before leaving to star in E4’s comedy series Beaver Falls.
Speaking of moving from modelling to being a part on arguably the UK’s biggest soap, Sam said “I was 18 and I’d not done any acting whatsoever. I went along to the audition and after a couple of call-backs I got it. So that was me, going from being a student with no acting experience to suddenly being on the set within six weeks.”