Some of the UK’s biggest TV contestants made their name on Big Brother. While many contestants over the years have long since faded into obscurity, others are still frequent fixtures on our screens – or have found success down other avenues.
Some of the winners have gone on to do impressive things. Meanwhile, others who were evicted early have bounced back to continue their fame.
So, from This Morning hosts to those with impressive property portfolios, here are some of the most successful Big Brother contestants.
Big Brother stars: Josie Gibson
The winner of Big Brother 11 in 2010, Josie then took part in Ultimate Big Brother – the final series to air on Channel 4. In 2011, she appeared in the reality show There’s Something About Josie, and released a perfume. She’s appeared on a range of TV series over the last decade, from Channel 5‘s OK! TV to Celebrity Wedding Planner, Big Brother’s Bit on the Side, and Loose Women.
However, she rose another level in prominence when she joined ITV‘s This Morning as a segment presenter and announcer in 2019. Since 2021, she’s been a relief presenter too. While her exact net worth isn’t known, it’s thought she’s worth at least £1 million. However, some reports suggest she’s worth even more! And we reckon her earning potential is only just getting started.
Alison Hammond
Like Josie, Alison can be seen on This Morning, which she first appeared on in 2002. However, Alison appeared on Big Brother eight years before Josie – the same year she began on This Morning – and was only the second housemate to be evicted.
But after leaving Big Brother, she went from strength to strength. Alongside her This Morning duties, she’s appeared on a range of reality shows from Strictly Come Dancing to Celebrity Masterchef, and acted in Doctors, The Dumping Ground, and Hotel Transylvania 3. She’s now the co-presenter of The Great British Bake-Off alongside Noel Fielding, and Alison is thought to be worth between £1 and £4 million.
Kate Lawler
Kate appeared on the same series of Big Brother as Alison. And, she won the whole thing to become the first female winner. In September 2002, she became a DJ on Capital FM, and has also worked on radio stations including Kerrang!, Manchester’s Key 103, and Virgin Radio.
She’s also appeared on various reality TV shows, modelled for Ann Summers and a number of magazines, and hosted a podcast. Her net worth isn’t known, but she’s certainly done well for herself since winning Big Brother over two decades ago. She’s a This Morning regular now, too, fronting the competitions. Watch your back Andi Peters!
Imogen Thomas
Imogen appeared on Big Brother 7 in 2006, before being evicted on Day 86. Before entering Big Brother, she was crowned Miss Wales in 2003. And since her time on the show, she’s found success as a glamour model.
She’s appeared in a number of Big Brother spin-offs, and has presented on T4 alongside other housemates. Not only that, but she ran a successful swimwear brand, Chasing Summer. However, she decided to step back to spend more time with her family. In 2014, she was estimated to be worth £2.9 million due to her modelling career, endorsement deals, and TV appearances.
Brian Dowling
Favourite Brian won the second series of Big Brother in 2001 and then Ultimate Big Brother in 2010. And when Big Brother moved to Channel 5 the following year, he hosted the show for two years. After winning Big Brother the first time around, he became the first openly gay children’s TV presenter with a role on SMTV Live.
Other TV shows Brian’s been involved in include The Real Housewives of Cheshire and Jersey, both of which he presents and narrates, I’m Famous and Frightened!, and The Mint, both of which he presented. He’s also done some pantomime work, and had a showbiz slot on Vernon Kay‘s BBC Radio 1 Saturday morning show from 2004 to 2006. It’s thought that his net worth is around £3 million.
Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace
Aisleyne shot to fame after appearing on Big Brother 7 in 2006, and subsequently turned to more TV work. From 2017, she became a regular guest on Good Morning Britain. However, she first came into big money after a lad’s magazine paid her the highest-ever fee for a post-Big Brother photoshoot. But the money she earned she invested into property, which has since inflated in price.
She even appeared on the Channel 4 show How Did You Get So Rich?, sharing how she was able to make her fortune. As of 2017, she was thought to have had a net worth of around £4.2 million.
Craig Phillips
Former brickie Craig won the very first UK edition of Big Brother. Since winning, he’s appeared on a range of reality and entertainment shows, perhaps most notably Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Meanwhile, he’s also presented a number of home renovation shows.
However, the majority of his estimated £6.9 million net worth comes from his property empire – Craig has bought and renovated over 40 properties. And, when he joined the BBC as a DIY expert in 2001, his contract was worth £750,000.
Brian Belo
Brian won Big Brother 8 in 2007, becoming the then-youngest winner at just 20. And since then, he’s been an online columnist for Heat, appeared on Big Brother’s Big Mouth and Harry Hill‘s TV Burp, and has even acted on the stage.
In 2013, he reached a settlement with ITV and Lime Pictures after he took legal action against them, claiming the makers of The Only Way is Essex had taken part of a format he came up with. Though his exact net worth isn’t known, the settlement was thought to be around £1 million.
Jade Goody
One of the first Big Brother contestants to become a household name, Jade appeared on Big Brother 3 in 2002. She then released a number of products – including a fragrance – and starred in various TV shows. She then returned to the Big Brother house in 2007 for Celebrity Big Brother 5. Here, she was embroiled in a racism row and accused of bullying Indian actress Shilpa Shetty.
In 2008, she went to India to take part in Bigg Boss, the Indian version. However, she left the show early after finding out she had cervical cancer. She died from cancer in March 2009. She left an estimated £3 million to her young sons after she died.
Big Brother stars: Nikki Grahame
The late Nikki shot to fame on Big Brother 7, where she notably clashed with Aisleyne – though they later became good friends. She had her own reality TV show, Princess Nikki, and appeared in a range of other TV shows too. She returned to the house for Ultimate Big Brother in 2010, and became the runner-up.
Nikki lived with anorexia for much of her life, and died from complications of the condition in April 2021, just a week before she was due to enter a private facility in Devon for specialist treatment. During her lifetime, her net worth had been variously reported as between £1 and £5 million. And, she left behind an estate of over £300,000.
Read more: Everything we know about the return of Big Brother – when will it air and who’s hosting?
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