Earlier this week, it was announced that Big Brother will return to screens next year following a five-year hiatus.
The reality show started first started back in 2000 on Channel 4 and sees housemates live together in a custom-built home for weeks without access to the outside world in a bid to win a cash prize. Channel 5 took over Big Brother in 2011, but it was axed by the broadcaster in 2018 amid a ratings slump.
The world’s most successful reality television franchise, the concept first hit screens in the Netherlands in 1999 and since over 500 series of the show have aired around the world in over 64 countries and regions. And in 2023, it will make a comeback to the the UK on ITV2 and new streaming platform ITVX, with its famous house featuring a 'contemporary new look'.
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The news was confirmed by a promotional video that aired during the Love Island series finale on ITV2. From Nadia Almada to Pete Bennett and Josie Gibson, there's been lots of winners the British public took to their hearts and who have become household names, the Liverpool ECHO previously reported.
With the return of the hit show now in the pipeline, we take a look back at all the winners from the show and what they've been up to since their victory. From property development to modelling and other reality TV cameos, here are all 19 winners and where they are now.
Big Brother 1: Craig Phillips
Liverpool's own Craig Phillips was the first winner of Big Brother. After leaving the house, Craig donated his £70,000 prize money to his friend Joanne Harris, who had Down's Syndrome, to pay for her lung and heart transplant. Joanne passed away in 2008.
In 2005, Craig opened the largest independent construction training academy in the North West, a training centre built to simulate a real life construction site which takes on hundreds of pupils a year. He's since become a property developer, found happiness with wife Laura and daughter Nelly.
Speaking about his time on the show and the aftermath, Craig said it was "boring and hard" in the house and when he came out it "kind of exploded." Craig said: "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."
In recent years, he has appeared on multiple DIY-style TV shows as well as on This Morning and creates DIY YouTube videos with wife Laura. In a recent video, Craig said he believes the housemates for the revived 2023 series should be "normal people" and not hungry for "social media fame".
Big Brother 2: Brian Dowling
Brian, from County Kildare, Ireland was the winner of Big Brother's second series. Brian is now a television presenter and pantomime actor. A long with presenting a number of television programmes such as 'Sitting on a fortune', Brian has also gone on to win other reality TV shows such as 'Come Dine With Me' and even 'Ultimate Big Brother' in 2010.
From 2011 to 2013, he stuck to his Big Brother roots, presenting the show and its celebrity spin-off, Celebrity Big Brother. He was later replaced by Emma Willis.
Brian currently presents The Real Housewives of Cheshire and The Real Housewives of Jersey. In 2020, he also competed in the Irish edition of Dancing With The Stars as one half of the show's first male same-sex couple, finishing in fourth place.
Big Brother 3: Kate Lawler
Kate was the first female winner of the TV show in 2002. Since winning Big Brother, Kate, from London, has gone on to appear in numerous magazines and Ann Summers campaigns. She went onto Love Island in 2006, finishing third. She then appeared on several other reality shows.
Kate went onto work in radio, presenting shows on Kerrang! and Virgin Radio, among other stations. Earlier this week, she also appeared on This Morning following the news of the show's reboot and explains what producers look for to become a contestant.
Big Brother 4: Cameron Stout
Cameron worked as a fish trader in Orkney, Scotland, before winning Big Brother four. After his win Cameron went onto star in pantomimes and regularly writes for both local and national newspapers such as The Sunday Post.
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Big Brother 5: Nadia Almada
Nadia Almada has regularly topped polls as the public’s favourite BB winner with Davina McCall admitting that Nadia is her favourite winner. The first transgender winner of the show, since Big Brother Nadia has appeared as a contestant on a number of reality TV programmes such as, 'Come Dine With Me' and channel 4's 'Fool Around With...'
She was also a contestant on Ultimate Big Brother but never made it to the top spot that series. Nadia tried to start a music career and also had a cameo in Hollyoaks.
Big Brother 6: Anthony Hutton
Anthony, a dancer from Newcastle, won the show with 57.2% of the vote. Afterwards, Anthony had a short burst of fame, appearing on reality TV shows such as SKY One's The Match and a workout video based on his 70's dance abilities.
He returned to screens in 2010 for the ultimate series and went on a cheeky date with former fling Makosi. Anthony has gone on to become a hair stylist as well as dabbling in modelling.
He married his solicitor girlfriend Sophie in 2018. The Big Brother star recently appeared on ITV's This Morning to discuss the show's return and looked "unrecognisable," The Mirror reports.
Big Brother 7: Pete Bennett
Pete was really a fan favourite, known for his personality and fling in the house with Nikki Grahame, who sadly passed away last year. But in 2010 he admitted on The Jeremy Kyle Show he had wasted all his winnings on an addiction to ketamine and was forced to return to his day job and get clean.
He later set up a cleaning business, charging £100 an hour reportedly. Pete has since turned to acting and appeared in some low-budget films, including horrors Female Zombie Riot and Crispy's Curse, but also appeared in Catherine Tate's Nan Movie which was released this year.
Big Brother 8: Brian Belo
Brian also attempted to start a career in music, with 2008 single 'Essex Boy' but it failed to chart. In 2013, Brian attempted to take legal action against the creators of TOWIE, accusing them of stealing the idea he had been working on with Sassy films and Massive TV, but later reached a settlement with ITV.
On Big Brother 16, Brian appeared on the show as part of a time warp twist. Today, he has no social media accounts.
Big Brother 9: Rachel Rice
Rachel won the show in 2008 but shunned the limelight to become a teacher. Rachel used her winnings to pay off her student loans and gave the rest to charity.
She has two sons called Lachlan and Caleb and is happily married. She now works at a school in Wales.
Big Brother 10: Sophie Reade
On the show, Sophie famously changed her middle name to "dogface" as part of a challenge back in 2009. Since Big Brother, Sophie, originally from nearby Cheshire, has gone on to have a modelling career.
Sophie has appeared in Playboy and in many calendar shoots. She gave birth to a son and became an Insta-mum, sharing all the details of what she and her son are up to, before performing in indie film Barracuda in 2017.
Big Brother 11: Josie Gibson
Josie won with the highest percentage of votes in any BB series, charting 77.5% of the public vote. Josie has been hugely successful since her win, appearing on Celebrity Wedding Planner, The Wright Stuff, Celebrity Juice and Loose Women.
Josie became a qualified personal trainer, with a number of books and DVD's dedicated to health and nutrition. She also appears on This Morning regularly, jetting across the world to present the latest competition and even hosting.
Big Brother 12: Aaron Allard Morgan
Aaron has appeared on a number of television programmes since Big Brother such as The Wright Stuff and Big Brothers Bit on the Side. Aaron set up a bar with his winnings, in his native Weston-Super-Mare.
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Big Brother 13: Luke Anderson
Luke became the first trans man to win the show, and has since been an LGBT rights ambassador while shunning the limelight to became a chef. In 2010 he was crowned chef of the year and welcomed twins with husband Jamie.
Who was your favourite Big Brother contestant through the years? Let us know in the comments section below.
Big Brother 14: Sam Evans
Little is known about Sam Evans post BB, but it was reported that he wanted to return to his day job in Debenhams whilst looking for TV work. Being born with hearing difficulties, Sam wanted to help charities who give children with hearing disabilities a better quality of life.
In 2014, he took part in a Welsh TV programme on S4C. He learned to speak the Welsh language with a number of other celebrities.
Big Brother 15: Helen Wood
Former escort Helen claimed she slept with Wayne Rooney and stayed in the spotlight after her win by entering the BB house again as a 'time warp housemate' the following year. She forced former winner Brian Below to leave after an explosive argument and Channel 5 boss Ben Frow banned her from appearing on the series or its sister show, Bit On The Side, ever again.
Helen wrote a column for the Daily Star and wrote a tell-all autobiography about her life before the show. Helen has now ditched social media and in her tell all book, 2019's A Man's World, Helen said she’s left sex work and was caring for her mother who suffers from dementia, The Mirror reports.
Big Brother 16: Chloe Woodburn
Like many other housemates, Chloe returned to her day job after winning the show, working as medical cannabis activist and CBD seller. She later got engaged and gave birth to a child.
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Big Brother 17: Jason Burrill
When Jason entered the Big Brother house, he was later reunited with ex-girlfriend Charlie. The previous stunt double on Guardian of the Galaxy went on to star in various films after his BB win in 2016.
He has appeared in The Serpent, The Dark Return of Time, Strange in the Worlde and Essex Vendetta. Jason has also appeared in Pantomime in London.
Big Brother 18: Isabelle Warburton
The tan-obsessed Isabelle donated some of her prize money to charity after winning. Isabelle set up beauty salon Summer bunny Studio & Training since her win.
She regularly shares updates of her glamorous life on Instagram. In 2021, the Daily Star reported how Isabelle had a huge transformation after show becoming a mum to son Eric.
Big Brother 19: Cameron Cole
The last winner of the show was Cameron Cole. The 19-year-old became the youngest person ever to take the prize after he won over the hearts of his housemates and viewers. The vlogger came out on the show, which host Emma Willis said was one of "the loveliest things" she'd seen on TV.
Cameron was a super fan and had been watching BB since the start, so it was suitably apt he won as it was the last ever show after Channel 5 decided to drop it from schedules and no other buyers stepped forward for the franchise thanks to falling ratings. According to his Instagram, Cameron seems to have gone back to living a normal life.
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