Rylan Clark-Neal and the Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side production team were thrown into a turmoil last night after one of its guests disappeared.
Recent CBB evictee Calum Best had been booked to appear on the panel to discuss the latest to-ings and fro-ings in the UK’s most outrageous house but went AWOL shortly before the show started.
During his intro, a flustered Rylan told viewers that the handsome lothario, who had got kicked out of the house on Monday, had gone missing.
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“We were supposed to have Calum Best in,” Rylan explained.
“But we genuinely don’t know where he is. This ain’t even a joke. So I had a little thought – who can I put in Calum Best’s place. It’s got to be someone quite close to him. I love her and I think she deserves this. Give it up for our very own Barbara.”
Barbara Ladmore, who has been a member of the CBBBOTS audience for four years, then descended the CBBBOTS staircase clutching a blow up doll wearing a Calum mask joined Vicky Pattison and Big Brother star Luke Marsden on the panel.
Can someone get us that doll?
Speaking exclusively to Entertainment Daily, Barbara said she couldn’t believe her luck.
“I felt very honoured to stand in for Calum,” she told us.
“I have been on panel before although just for ten minutes, so I knew what it was going to be like but I have to admit I was bit nervous and I had butterflies but I had such a great time doing it.”
She added that show host Rylan was very supportive and gave her some great pre-show advice.
“I have good relationship with Rylan ‘cos he’s more or less same age as my youngest,” she explained. “He treats me with respect. He just said to me ‘be yourself’ which I try to do on every show. I’m certainly not a wannabe!”
While Calum’s whereabouts were unknown at the time of the show, his shock disappearance came just hours after he and fellow evicted housemate Jamie O’Hara hit the town.
The dashing duo were seen partying with a gaggle of bikini-clad dancers on a boys night out after their shock evictions.
Clearly not missing his time from the house, Danielle Lloyd’s ex posted a video of the pair on Instagram in which he revealed he was going “straight out with my boy”.
He said: “We’re out… With my boy, we are going straight out… on the town.
“We are going to f**king live it up…”
Jamie added in a caption: “Out with my boy @mrcalumbest gutted he didn’t get to final but happy to see him…
“And now we can enjoy ourselves – love to everyone for supporting #cbb #cbbjaime #calmie.”
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But while viewers loved having CBBBOTs favourite Barbara on the panel, fans were miffed that the infamous swordsman had failed to appear on the show.
“So Calum Best didn’t even bother showing up for #CBBBOTS,” said one disgruntled show fan.
Calum also ruffled the feathers of TV favourite Lorraine Kelly who was peeved when he failed to show for an appearance on her morning show, apparently due to illness.
LESSON: Calum – if you’re going to pull a sickie, don’t do it the day after you’ve been spotted out on the town!