Big Brother’s live launch was one of the biggest in the show’s history. There are 12 housemates including a reality TV star from The Valleys and the son of a famous chef.
But they are not alone.
For the first time in the show’s history, there are two houses. A group of six called The Others are taking up residency in the second house, but they are not housemates. Instead, they must create havoc in order to steal a place from the real contestants. Meet the people who will be entertaining you this summer.
Laura Carter
Laura Carter (Channel 5)
Booed as she hit the stage for her introductory interview with Emma Willis, the 30-year-old has admitted to cosmetic surgery to enlarge her breasts. She said she could have any man she wanted.
Lateysha Grace
Lateysha Grace (Channel 5)
No stranger to reality TV, the brash 23-year-old was an original cast member of The Valleys. The mother-of-one has branded herself as “the Welsh Beyoncé” and told Emma during her interview that the only person she is scared of is her mother.
Marco Pierre White jr
Marco Pierre White jr (Channel 5)
The son of celebrity chef Marco Pierre White got the launch off to a controversial start by swearing live on air. Marco jr, 20, dropped the f-bomb during his interview with Emma.
The model, who sports a series of eye-catching tattoos, continued to swear inside the Elstree house.
Emma and Victoria Jensen
Emma and Victoria Jensen (Channel 5)
The second contestants to enter the house, the twins will count as one housemate.
Andy West
Andy West (Channel 5)
A former BBC reporter, the 34-year-old gay journalist left the corporation over homophobic comments made by boxer Tyson Fury.
Alex Cannon
Alex Cannon (Channel 5)
The fifth person to enter the house is a close friend of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2015 winner Vicky Pattison. The co-host of MTV’s Judge Geordie, he has been modelling for 10 years.
Evelyn Ellis
Evelyn Ellis (Channel 5)
The 20-year-old is from Sydney but now lives in London. The Australian club hostess admitted to being “very demanding”.
Sam Giffen
Sam Giffen (Isabel Infantes/PA)
Gay hairstylist Sam Giffen is 23 and from Blackpool. He said: ”Straight lads come on to me.”
Georgina Leigh Cantwell
Georgina Leigh Cantwell (Channel 5)
Unemployed and from Kent, the 26-year-old attended the Parsons School of Design in New York City. She prides herself on her brutal honesty.
Jason Burrill
Jason Burrill (Channel 5)
The 45-year-old property developer has dabbled in the movie business. The 10th person to enter the house, Jason acted as a body double in films including Spectre and Guardians Of The Galaxy.
Jackson Blyton
Jackson Blyton (Channel 5)
The 24-year-old model is from Nottingham. “I’m cocky and confident and I’ve managed to get every bird I’ve wanted,” he said during the launch.
Chelsea Singh
Chelsea Singh (Channel 5)
The London entrepreneur was the 12th and final housemate to enter Big Brother. The self-made millionaire, 48, lives a lavish lifestyle.
Ryan Ruckledge – The Others
Ryan Ruckledge (Channel 5)
Ryan, 24, was dismayed by the news that he is not a Big Brother housemate. The self-proclaimed tanning fan, described by Simon Cowell as a “horror of a human being” after his appearance on The X Factor in 2015, expected a fanfare of an entrance.
Instead, The Others were masked, given drab uniforms to wear and treated to a low-key reception. But we’ll bet everything we’ve got that Ryan will make it into the big house. He’s too watchable to waste.
Andrew Tate – The Others
Andrew Tate (Channel 5)
Four-time world kickboxing champion Andrew is 29 and a member of Mensa.
Charlie Doherty – The Others
Charlie Doherty (Channel 5)
A stripper who attended a strict Catholic school? Sounds like something out of a movie. The 31-year-old says she has been unfaithful in a number of her relationships.
Hughie Maughan – The Others
Hughie Maughan (Channel 5)
The 21-year-old from Dublin is bisexual and recently came out to members of his family. He calls himself “the complete opposite of the stereotype of a traveller”.
Jayne Connery – The Others
Jayne Connery (Channel 5)
The ex-glamour model worked as a journalist and interviewed celebrities including Dustin Hoffman, Joan Collins and Dolly Parton. Jayne, 49, is now a private investigator.
Natalie Rowe – The Others
Natalie Rowe (Channel 5)
The former dominatrix, 53, worked under the moniker of “Miss Whiplash” or “Mistress Pain”. She said her clients included “high-flying Tory politicians, City bankers, judges and A-listers”.
Big Brother screens nightly on Channel 5
