Rylan Clark celebrated 10 years in the world of showbiz last year after bursting onto our screens on The X Factor in 2012. But we may have seen him much, much sooner.
The 33-year-old and self-confessed Big Brother superfan has previously claimed he was 'booted off' the hit reality show when he was 18 - before even making it into the famous house. Rylan spoke about the moment, which happened back in 2006, to Louis Theroux on his Grounded podcast.
He said: "When I was 18 I was going into the Big Brother house into the civilian version and long story short, I was in hiding, had my suitcases all changed over ready to go in and a story came out [in the press], which meant I couldn't go in and I didn't end up going in then."
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But that was just a setback in Rylan's plans to make it. He looked for other ways to make his name on TV and in 2010 he reached the final of Sky Living modelling series, Signed by Katie Price. But it wasn't until 2012 that he really hit the big time with a memorable turn on The X Factor where he was mentored by Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.
He ended up finishing the ITV singing competition, after THAT memorable crying scenes, in fifth place and soon his Big Brother opportunity came around again and he won Celebrity Big Brother 11 in 2013. Later that year, he presented Big Brother's Bit on the Side, This Morning and The Xtra Factor.
Rylan has also been the host of the revived editions of Supermarket Sweep, Ready Steady Cook and the BBC's You Are What You Wear. Fans are now used to hearing him on his own BBC Radio 2 show every Saturday and he's also the joint host of Strictly Come Dancing spin-off, It Takes Two.
But viewers are currently watching him on Celebrity Gogglebox every Friday night as his mum, Linda, joins him on the sofa to give their opinions on the latest TV show and breaking news. Viewers were delighted to see the mother and son back together on-screen after they were forced to miss a series.
Rylan said back in 2020 that the pair were forced to miss filming for the spin-off of the hit show because of his mum's ill health. However, during a recent interview on This Morning, the BBC Radio 2 host revealed that it was actually because he wasn't in a good place following his split from husband Dan Neal.
The couple, who met via Big Brother, ended their marriage after six years last year, with the news coming out amid Rylan's four-month break from the spotlight. In more recent months fans of the TV star have seen him open up about his struggles in that period, admitting for the first time in his life he felt 'alone'.
Speaking to The Guardian’s Observer in January, Rylan explained: "I’d got to the point where I didn’t know if I wanted to come back. Or whether I would be able to do this job again. I’d got… quite ill.I went down to just over 9st and I’m 6ft 4in. It got bad. Like, very bad. And I didn’t think it would get better. I needed help…
"Everyone feels like I’m their mate. I was probably talking to five million people a night. But last summer for the first time, I literally felt alone." He added: "I didn’t think I’d be here. I didn’t think I could continue. When asked if he meant continue with work or life itself, he admitted: "Both. I didn’t think I’d actually come back. I was very… gone."
The former reality star turned host then revealed he was admitted into hospital "for safety reasons" because he no longer knew himself. But Rylan has since got his life back on track, returning to work and undergoing a major body transformation. At the start of the year he shared before and after photos showcasing his brand new physique after overhauling his physical and mental wellbeing.
And just a few weeks ago, fellow BBC Radio 2 star Sara Cox revealed how Rylan inspired her to complete the March wave of The Six Pack Revolution, the same programme he had followed. The Bolton-born drivetime presenter says Rylan unveiling his ripped abs at the start of the year from taking part in the challenge motivated her.
While Rylan may have said his mum was the reason for taking time away from Celebrity Gogglebox, Linda does actually suffer with her health. He has previously shared how his mum has Crohn's disease, a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the digestive system.
But while he was living the dream on The X Factor, Linda's battle with Crohns meant that she also had to miss her son performing on Simon Cowell's show when her health took a bad turn. In 2019, Rylan discussed his mother's illness with the panel on ITV talk show, Loose Women. He explained: "My mum has suffered all my life from severe Crohn's Disease and I don't think Crohn's gets spoke about as much as it [should]. I nearly lost my mum last year, again. For the third time."
Then, in October 2021, Rylan shocked listeners as he revealed on his popular BBC Radio 2 show that his mum Linda has been diagnosed with skin cancer. The radio host thankfully confirmed that the condition was "not life threatening".
And people may or may not know that to Linda, Rylan is actually Ross. The presenter has undergone various name changes over the years. Before finding fame, the modelling agency who signed him up told him his real name 'Ross' was boring and dubbed him Kielan instead.
But on day, while visiting a branch of WH Smith, the then-budding star flicked through a baby name book to the 'R' section when he happened on the name Rylan - the name that he'd carry through the rest of his career. Not only has his name changed, Rylan has also completely changed his image after being the victim of bullies for being 'fat, ginger and gay.'
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