Celebrity Big Brother winner Chantelle Houghton has issued a warning to ITV ahead of its reboot of the iconic reality series.
Speaking exclusively to Entertainment Daily, Chantelle – who won the show, despite not being a celeb, back in 2006 – told us she’s excited for the new series. However, she did have a word of warning for ITV ahead of the launch show next month.
Big Brother will air on ITVX and ITV2 in October. And Chantelle “can’t wait”.
Big Brother winner Chantelle’s warning to ITV
She told us: “I can’t wait. I’ve always loved Big Brother even before I went on it, so as a viewer I’m so excited for it to come back. I can’t wait to see what they’re going to do with it. I can’t wait to see the newness of it.”
And we might just see Chantelle – who also appeared on the Ultimate Big Brother all-stars show in 2010 appearing on the series for the third time… “I’d love to be part of it. Both my experiences on the show were amazing, I’ve got a lot to be grateful for. I’d go back in a heartbeat.”
However, the Celebrity Big Brother veteran is naturally protective of the show, and is keen for ITV to get it “right”. Asked if she thinks it could be as big of a success as it was in its heyday, Chantelle said: “As long as they get the contestants right it could be as big or even bigger than it was before. They’ve just got to make sure they get it bang on right and I think it’ll be back with a bang.”
So can new hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best ever replace Davina McCall and Emma Willis?
“Look, Davina, for me, I’ll always associate Big Brother with Davina as it was her show from day one,” Chantelle said. “But I think it’s spent enough time off air to come back as a completely new show, new start and the new presenters can make it their own. It’s got so much potential just as long as they’ve done it the right way.”
Memories
For those who didn’t watch Chantelle’s series of Celebrity Big Brother, you missed a corker. She was the only non-celebrity to enter the house, but the actual assembled stars didn’t know Chantelle wasn’t one of them. When she went in, Chantelle was tasked with fooling them all into thinking she was in a girlband, and even had to perform their biggest ‘hit’.
It made for hilarious TV and endeared Chantelle to the nation – and it’s her favourite memory from the show. “It’s got to be me getting up there singing. I don’t know where I got the guts from. I’d pay a lot of money for that confidence now,” she chuckled. “But you have that when you’re young and innocent and naive. And obviously winning it as well, that was a definite highlight of the show.”
When it comes to her regrets, Chantelle tells us she hasn’t got a single one. “I’ve honestly got no regrets. There’s nothing about the show that I wish I’d done differently. My memories from that time are all lovely. I wouldn’t change anything.”
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Chantelle’s relationships
While in the show, Chantelle fell in love with Ordinary Boys singer Preston and subsequently married him. They split 10 months after the show ended, but are still in touch today.
She was then engaged to Alex Reid, with the pair splitting soon after they welcomed daughter Dolly. Asked what advice she’d give her daughter, now aged 11, about one day finding love, Chantelle told us: “All this stuff should be taught in school – the consequences of getting married and having a child with somebody, rather than algebra. It’s all about believing in yourself, being happy in yourself and being happy with you before looking for someone else to bring you happiness.”
What’s next for the Big Brother star?
Chantelle admits she took “a massive step back” from the public eye after finding herself in an abusive relationship for 10 years. She has never named who the relationship was with, but says she’s “so much happier now” and plotting her showbiz return after a stint working at The Body Shop.
“I did take a massive step back from the public eye because of what I was going through but I’m so much happier now and I’m getting back into the public eye. I’ll be doing a lot of stuff around Big Brother,” she said.
The star also told ED! she want to set up a free support group to help others in abusive relationships. “I’m just taking each day as it comes and just feeling happy, which is the most important thing to me.”
Chantelle’s I’m A Celeb campaign starts here!
There is one other reality TV show she’d love to do, though… So could we see her heading to the I’m A Celebrity jungle come November?
“I’d love to. Reality TV is where it all started so I’d love to. People say oh I could never go in the jungle, I could never eat them kangaroo whatever. But I’d love to be in a situation where you’re actually in that position. Could you do it, like could you actually do it? I’d love to do another reality show,” she concluded.
Chantelle was speaking on behalf of ICE 36. Check out the ICE 36 blog for more from Chantelle.
Read more: The most successful Big Brother stars of all time – and who has the highest net worth!
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