Celebrity Big Brother is back on our screens, and a new crowd of famous faces is getting ready to spend the next few weeks living under constant scrutiny, with their every move, meltdown and ill-advised remark broadcast to the nation.
Singer Chesney Hawkes, best known for his track “The One and Only” was the first star to enter the CBB house, followed by US reality star and singer JoJo Siwa and talk show host Trisha Goddard.
They were joined by former Love Island star Chris Hughes, ex EastEnders actor Patsy Palmer and former Tory MP Sir Michael Fabricant, who was tasked with greeting new housemates with a high five as part of the “super secret hush hush game show” challenge.
Retired Olympic athlete Daley Thompson, TOWIE star Ella Rae Wise and TV presenter Angellica Bell were later arrivals, along with RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Danny Beard and Coronation Street’s Jack P Shepherd.
And perhaps the biggest name to sign up was actor and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke, the 72-year-old star of The Wrestler and 9 ½ Weeks, who is reportedly the highest-paid of this year’s contestants, securing a rumoured £500,000 fee.
Celebrity Big Brother 2025 launch night
- Celebrity Big Brother 2025: Full list of names set to enter the house
- Mickey Rourke has made a number of horrific career decisions – Celebrity Big Brother is the worst yet
- Celebrity Big Brother: All the former winners as show makes a return to ITV
- Celebrity Big Brother 2025: Dates, times and how to watch
Who's on the line-up of Celebrity Big Brother 2025?
16:01 , Katie RosseinskyFirst things first, who is rumoured to be taking part this time around? As ever, we won’t know for certain until the launch show kicks off tonight, but the rumour mill is already in overdrive. Here are some of the names who are thought to have signed up...
Celebrity Big Brother 2025: Full list of names set to enter the house
The best Celebrity Big Brother moments of all time
16:11 , Katie RosseinskyWhich Celebrity Big Brother moments live on in your head rent free?
For me, there can only be one winner, and that’s “David’s dead”, the chaotic, extremely quotable farce that played out in the CBB house in 2016. When Angie Bowie was informed by producers that her husband, iconic musician David, had just died, she was understandably distraught, and shared the news with housemate Tiffany Pollard.
Pollard, however, got the wrong end of the stick entirely, and assumed that Angie was in fact mourning the death of fellow contestant David Gest. Pandemonium ensued.
Arguably, CBB has been trying to live up to those dizzy heights ever since, but there are plenty of other nuggets of TV gold in the show’s back catalogue.
From ‘Kandy Floss with a K’ to Gemma Collins’ meme-worthy time in the house, here are some of the best moments from series past...
The best Celebrity Big Brother moments: from ‘David’s dead’ to Kandy Floss
Inside the Celebrity Big Brother house
16:25 , Katie RosseinskyBefore this year’s cohort of celebrities make their CBB debut this evening, here’s a sneaky look inside the new Big Brother house. As ever, it’s been decorated with all the extravagant zeal of an over-excited kid decorating on Sims 2. Minimalism? The CBB interior designers haven’t heard of it. 2025’s aesthetic seems to be all about dripping blobs of paint in pink and blue.
And there’s a swirl-patterned dining table that, more than anything, reminds me of the opening moments of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
The colourful new Diary Room chair
16:32 , Katie RosseinskyOf course, a Big Brother redesign wouldn’t be complete without a weird new Diary Room chair. This one continues the explosion in a Dulux factory theme: it’s covered in big, bold paint drips and decorated in a frankly migraine-inducing array of colours.
Mickey Rourke has made a number of horrific career decisions – Celebrity Big Brother is the worst yet
16:48 , Katie RosseinskyThe strangest thing about Mickey Rourke’s much-rumoured appearance onCelebrity Big Brother is that it hasn’t happened already, writes Adam White.
Few legitimately famous people feel more appropriate for a series that has spent 24 years rounding up the odd ducks of pop culture and throwing them into a house together.
The show has long platformed a particular strain of US celebrity, of which Rourke is a card-carrying member.
It’s best embodied by figures such as Tara Reid, Gary Busey, Kirstie Alley and Stephen Baldwin – individuals whose early recognition as actors had long migrated by the time they entered the house, their celebrity ultimately defined by tabloid scandal and odd prurience.
Read Adam’s take on Rourke’s strange career move below
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Mickey Rourke has made many horrific career moves – Big Brother is the worst yet
This isn't Mickey Rourke's first brush with reality TV...
17:08 , Katie RosseinskyYou might have missed it when it aired back in 2020 because, let’s be honest, there was quite a lot going on. But Mickey Rourke appeared in the fourth season of The Masked Singer, dressed up in a fuzzy costume to perform as his alter ego “Gremlin”.
In a move that slightly defeated the object of the show, Rourke ripped off his mask ahead of time. In fairness, it probably gets very claustrophobic under there.
You can watch the strange moment below...
Go behind the scenes at the Celebrity Big Brother house
17:25 , Katie RosseinskyAnd if you fancy a closer look at some of the, ahem, bold interiors choices inside the CBB house, allow The Independent’s Jacob Stolworthy to take you on a quick tour
The Hollywood star who 'turned down £1 million' to appear on Celebrity Big Brother
17:45 , Katie RosseinskyIf the rumours are true, Celebrity Big Brother bosses apparently had their eye on another major Hollywood name for this year’s series – but the star ended up turning down their offer.
Who was it? Here’s a clue: she’s an Oscar nominee, just like Mickey Rourke... and her daughter’s pretty famous too.
Hollywood star ‘turns down £1m offer’ to appear on Celebrity Big Brother
Who has won Celebrity Big Brother previously?
18:08 , Katie RosseinskyNeed a refresher on which stars have already been crowned the winners of CBB? Here’s your guide to the celebrities who’ve emerged victorious from recent series.
Celebrity Big Brother: All the former winners as show makes a return to ITV
The most controversial moments from Celebrity Big Brother
18:33 , Katie RosseinskyLike so many reality TV shows, Celebrity Big Brother has faced its fair share of scandals.
From the racism row that engulfed the CBB house back in 2005 to the handful of stars who’ve been removed from the show due to bad behaviour or offensive remarks, these are some of the biggest controversies to date.
Watch the Celebrity Big Brother house getting built
18:47 , Katie RosseinskyPretty impressive, right? It’s also somehow mind-boggling that the whole thing gets built from scratch on a random sound stage...
Watch the House go from plywood and paint to something truly great 🤩
— Celebrity Big Brother UK (@bbuk) April 7, 2025
Watch Celebrity Big Brother: Live Launch TONIGHT at 9pm on ITV1 and STV #CBBUK pic.twitter.com/AxPwWVOwkN
Co-host AJ Odudu is already making herself at home
19:05 , Katie RosseinskyYesterday, AJ Odudu shared some behind the scenes photos on Instagram, showing her and co-host Will Best enjoying a ‘housewarming’ ahead of launch night.
What time is Celebrity Big Brother on TV?
19:21 , Katie RosseinskyOver the next few weeks, Celebrity Big Brother will be taking over the primetime slot on weeknights, airing at 9pm on ITV.
After a break on Saturday nights, it’ll then return at the slightly later time of 10pm on Sunday, to make space for police drama Grace (because nothing, and I mean nothing, stops ITV from airing a dad-friendly detective show on a Sunday evening – I wouldn’t have it any other way...)
Is there a Celebrity Big Brother live stream?
19:40 , Katie RosseinskyAh, the Big Brother live stream. If you’re a TV viewer of a certain age (ie. a millennial like me) then those words probably summon up glorious memories of tuning into E4 when you should have been revising for exams, watching grainy, minute by minute dispatches from the BB house, hastily censored with the sound of artificial bird song whenever the contestants starting swearing (most of the time, then).
Things have, of course, moved on since then. Now, you can keep tabs on this year’s celebs by tuning in to the live stream on ITVX (or STV Player if you’re in Scotland) or heading to YouTube. Ah, modernity.
A peek inside the CBB garden
19:57 , Katie RosseinskyIn the words of Davina McCall, formerly of the Big Brother parish, fancy another one?
What could be more relaxing than lying back on a sun lounger surveying the gorgeous Astroturf around you, with a giant eye symbol lurking in the background to remind you that you’re being watched?
Who's rumoured to be entering the Celebrity Big Brother house?
20:15 , Katie RosseinskyHere’s a quick reminder of the stars who have reportedly signed up for the show. I’ve listed them alphabetically, because there’s no favouritism here (although by pure coincidence, this means that my personal favourite, CBBC icon Angellica Bell, is top of the list anyway...)
Angellica Bell – broadcaster and former CBBC host
Chesney Hawkes – singer, of ‘The One and Only’ fame
Chris Hughes – Love Island star, of “want me to rap, anyone, to lift the mood a bit?” fame
Daley Thompson –two-time Olympic decathlon gold medallist and world record breaker
Danny Beard – Scouse drag queen and winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season four
Donna Preston – comedian and actor
Ella Rae Wise – The Only Way is Essex star
Jack P Shepherd – Coronation Street actor and on-screen son of Gail Platt
JoJo Siwa – Dance Moms star turned singer
Michael Fabricant – former Tory MP, the one with the hair
Mickey Rourke – Oscar nominated actor and former boxer
Patsy Palmer – EastEnders star
Trisha Goddard – chat show legend, of Trisha fame
A classic Celebrity Big Brother moment from the archives
20:28 , Katie RosseinskyAnd as the launch show draws ever nearer, here’s a classic Celebrity Big Brother moment for your viewing pleasure: when Ann Widdecombe systematically failed to use a pair of hair straighteners.
It remains possibly the only time that the ex Tory MP has been a bit relatable.
Let's look back at Chris Hughes' rap career
20:42 , Katie RosseinskyAnd while we’re reminiscing... had you somehow forgotten all about rumoured housemate Chris Hughes’ brief foray into the world of rap, alongside his Love Island co-star Kem Cetinay?
‘Little Bit Leave It’ was the biggest ITV reality show musical crossover since, checks notes, Joey Essex released ‘Reem’ off the back of a mildly successful catchphrase in 2011.
Sadly, Chris & Kem weren’t fated for musical greatness; after dropping this track, they never troubled the industry again. But the video remains a time capsule to a simpler time, when two likeable Love Islanders could generate enough public goodwill to merit a budget music video.
The launch show kicks off at 9pm
20:50 , Katie RosseinskySo consider this your 10 minute warning...
And we're off!
21:03 , Katie RosseinskyCan we have a moment for AJ’s glittery, feathered catsuit please?
And the first contestant is... Chesney Hawkes!
21:09 , Katie RosseinskyI for one really did not need to know that Chesney Hawkes is “a bit of a nudist”. After imparting that haunting nugget of information, Hawkes was given a special mission by Big Brother: to introduce himself to his fellow housemates as “the one and only, Chesney Hawkes”. Inevitable, really...
Contestant number two is.. JoJo Siwa!
21:13 , Katie RosseinskyGosh, she’s very enthusiastic, isn’t she?
In case you’re not familiar with JoJo’s oeuvre, the 21-year-old became famous as a youngster on US reality show Dance Moms (so she has plenty of experience living life in front of the cameras) and has since branched out into music.
Trisha Goddard enters the Big Brother house
21:22 , Katie Rosseinsky“If you need a mummy figure, get therapy!” Glad to see that TV legend Trisha is as blunt as ever... and she’s had a great reception from the live audience, who are chanting her name.
The presenter, who has stage 4 breast cancer, says she’s appearing on the show because “we cannot be so scared of dying that we become scared of living”.
Chris Hughes and Patsy Palmer are housemates number four and five
21:32 , Katie RosseinskyAnd so, after we’ve learned that Tricia and Chesney coincidentally went to the same school, we hear from Love Island’s Chris Hughes, who uses his CBB intro to talk about his love of horses and... how much he needs to go to the loo...
This Housemate isn’t horsing around... Chris is next to gallop into the Celebrity Big Brother House 🏇 #CBBUK pic.twitter.com/HZsjVidE5N
— Celebrity Big Brother UK (@bbuk) April 7, 2025
Once he’s safely ensconced in the house, and presumably close to the toilets, it’s time for ex-EastEnder Patsy Palmer to make her arrival, heralded by plenty of excitement from the crowd.
She’s switching her new L.A. lifestyle for life as a Housemate and bringing her love for meditation with her, it's Patsy! 🔥 #CBBUK pic.twitter.com/bwBZIlRkvO
— Celebrity Big Brother UK (@bbuk) April 7, 2025
A frosty reception for Michael Fabricant
21:39 , Katie RosseinskyLet’s just say the crowd isn’t actually going wild for Michael Fabricant, who appears to have swapped wardrobes with fellow ex Tory MP Michael Portillo.
Corrie's Jack P Shepherd swaps the cobbles for the Celebrity Big Brother house
21:42 , Katie Rosseinsky“I almost guarantee I’ll be up for eviction in the first week!” Well, there’s nothing like managing expectations, is there Jack?
The hair! The tan! The jacket!
21:45 , Katie RosseinskyThis is going to haunt my nightmares tonight, and now it can haunt yours too!
Ella Rae Wise makes her Celebrity Big Brother entrance
21:47 , Katie RosseinskyThe TOWIE star promises that she’ll be “diffusing the drama” in the house. Let’s see, shall we?
Eight housemates and counting
21:52 , Katie RosseinskyFair play to ITV, at least they’re rattling through these celebrity introductions
Olympian Daley Thompson is contestant number nine
21:55 , Katie RosseinskyAh yes, the inevitable “Gold” by Spandau Ballet music cue for the gold medallist!
Donna Preston is ready to 'spice up' the Celebrity Big Brother house
22:01 , Katie RosseinskyAll this “super secret very hush hush game show” schtick is getting a bit wearing,
Anyway, it’s time for housemate number 10: actor Donna Preston, who wants to win some money for her car. Extra marks for honesty, Donna, and for the Chappell Roan walk-on music! She’s clearly not well versed in her CBB lore, though, given that she just took offence at Will Best’s reference to “old maiden type of shoes”, a classic Tiffany Pollard insult from a series gone by.
From CBBC to CBB, it's Angellica Bell!
22:04 , Katie Rosseinsky“I began my career 25 years ago on CBBC,” says Angellica in her entrance video. Way to make a millennial feel utterly ancient, Angellica. Doesn’t she look radiant in yellow and green, though?
And the penultimate housemate is... Danny Beard
22:14 , Katie RosseinskyEarly reports had claimed that Danny would be a late arrival, but that’s been firmly debunked now that the RuPaul’s Drag Race winner has turned up, wearing some truly fabulous shoulder pads (that are potentially in danger of knocking out the other housemates).
Mickey Rourke is the final Celebrity Big Brother housemate
22:19 , Katie RosseinskySo the rumours were true, then. Actor Mickey Rourke is the thirteenth and final star to turn up, decked out in a cowboy hat and a red leather jacket.
According to his introductory video, he has no idea what Big Brother is, but Ray Winstone told him he should sign up. Oh, to be a fly on the wall during that conversation.
“I had nothing to do tonight,” he quipped before lingering a bit too long with AJ Odudu and seemingly stopping to greet just about every fan gathered outside.
Social media responds to Mickey Rourke's entrance
22:29 , Katie RosseinskySo Mickey Rourke’s entrance was a bit uncomfortable, wasn’t it? AJ Odudu is being praised on Twitter/X for the way she managed to handle the situation
AJ handled Mickey like true professional - was so awkward!!! #CBB
— JC (@JamesConlon_) April 7, 2025
AJ handled that really well. Well done to her. She didn't make herself look uncomfortable. I think we can all agree that was uncomfortable to watch and imagine how she felt. Hats off to her!!!!!! #CBB #CelebrityBigBrother #CBBUK
— SeanZz (@SeanZz97) April 7, 2025
AJ dealt with Mickey situation really well! #cbb #cbbuk
— Kevsie (@Kevsie) April 7, 2025
And that's the launch episode done and dusted!
22:33 , Katie RosseinskySo Mickey has been nominated to take part in the first task. We’ll see how that pans out tomorrow, but I can’t imagine it going particularly well, given his, erm, lack of general awareness about how the show works.
The verdict is in and it's... not great
23:47 , Katie RosseinskyLet’s just say I wasn’t hugely impressed by tonight’s launch show, which felt alternately bleak and beige...
Celebrity Big Brother review: It’s time to put this bleak show out of its misery
That's all from me!
23:49 , Katie RosseinskySee you again tomorrow for episode two...
