Big Brother returns to our screens this Sunday, proudly sponsored by BoyleSports Games, and we caught up with Big Brother season 1 winner Craig Phillips who shared his excitement with us for the show's revival under ITV.
Craig tells us why he thinks that the 5-year break from 2018 to 2023 was exactly what the hit reality show needed and what makes ITV the perfect broadcaster to revitalise the Big Brother experience for a new generation.
The BB UK season 1 winner also heaps praise on legendary show host Davina McCall, chats about Big Brother hosts who have taken over the role since Davina left, offers advice to prospective Big Brother contestants and reflects on his post-Big Brother journey.
I’m Excited Again About Big Brother
I’ll certainly watch this season. I’ve been following it each year and get excited when it comes back again, sometimes I’ve tailed off halfway or towards the end. I watched it last year, it was quite exciting to have it back after a few years away.
When it ended the first time on Channel 4, I was kind of glad it ended as I felt it needed to end. I felt it came back a bit too quickly on Channel 5, I think it needed two or 3 years to come back with a fresh start.
It came back too quickly and obviously wasn’t that successful as it didn’t last that long. Coming back onto the air after five years on ITV, I got excited again for it, it was great.
Show In Great Hands With ITV
Yes, ITV have got the pedigree for it, they’ve done many reality TV programmes such as I’m A Celebrity and Love Island, so they’ve got the know-how and the right producers and budget. I’m sure they’ll do a great job of it again this year.
Fresh Audience Key To Big Brother Success This Time Around
I do think it’s quite exciting and it’s getting a new generation excited by it. From when I went on it 24 years ago, it had that peak after a few years and gradually sloped off, but you had a whole generation who watched it and then were sort of fed up with it by the time it came back onto Channel 5.
Now, you’ve got this fresh audience of people who want to watch Love Island and things like that, the younger generation, who are keeping it alive.
Did Davina McCall Give You Advice and Stay in Contact?
Yeah absolutely, she gave me her number and I did call her a few times when I was in trouble.
I asked her for advice and guidance and she’d put me in touch with the right people. She was extremely helpful, kind and caring, and she’s a great lady!
Thoughts On Current Hosts AJ Odudu & Will Best?
I thought they [AJ and Will] held the last series quite well. AJ is brilliant. I didn’t know much about her, having seen her on one or two other shows. She’s also a northerner! She brought a really nice energy to the programme, and I thought she was good at inert acting on both shows, I think Will is a really nice lad. I think the first few days, it felt like it was very big boots for him to wear but I think after a bit of time, he really settled in and did a great job.
‘Brilliant’ Emma Willis
I loved it when Emma Willis hosted, she was brilliant. I like Emma and she’d interviewed me many times. Rylan, he always has great energy, he’s a friend of mine and I think the way he’s adapted coming from The X Factor, he’s a multi talented individual. He’s a great presenter but also a brilliant entertainer. He’s all-round brilliant. He’s a lovely person and has time for everyone.
The Advice I Would Give To People Who Want To Go On Big Brother
When people ask me about what advice I would give, I always say, good luck to you, go for it, but do have a back-up plan. If you’re not headstrong enough to be able to accept you might fail, because everyone who applied after the first series was pretty much hoping for fame and fortune.
If you’re not ready to have that 15 minutes and then go back to your normal job, don’t do it because it’s a dangerous game to play. Not everyone knows how they’ll react and deal with that much attention and fame. All of a sudden you can hit a very big high and then quite a painful low can come if you don’t have much to offer in the media world.
If you haven’t got a skillset, whether it’s presenting, signing, dancing, or acting, if you’re using the show as a springboard to try and build up your profile, because you have a secondary skill set, it can be great. But if you don’t have that backup plan, I’d say don’t do it, or be very cautious.
Do You Think the Fact You Had Your Background in Building Gave You an Edge Over Some Others?
Most definitely, I think my shelf life wouldn’t have been as long. I don’t think I’m the best presenter, and I wouldn’t have been able to hold out just doing TV appearances. The moment the next series came out, then the jungle, X Factor, they’re the new kids on the block.
I slipped off the treadmill of it all because I didn’t have much more to offer. I appeared in all the chat shows that you could and game shows you could, but there’s only a certain amount you can do of those. Once you’ve done the rounds, if you’re not continuously generating news, finding things to talk about, it will dry up, and it did for hundreds of housemates. The key for me was that I had DIY and building skills.
I worked very hard at it. I drove 40-50k miles a year, stayed in 250 hotels a year doing my work. I wasn’t married and didn’t have any kids, I’d become a landlord and still had some financial backing. It was okay, I could ride it out even when things dropped.
If I had one series that ended after 16 weeks, and the next one didn’t start for 2 months, that wasn’t a problem for me. I would go to the auctions and buy a run-down house and do it up, and then mortgage it or sell it out. I kept up to date with how to do this work, it’s an ever-changing industry. You’re always having to update your skills and your mindset, which probably helped.
I didn’t have to work for any customers, I just had my own jobs. I was able to keep a hand on it there, and built a bit of a property empire, and was then able to jump back to the media work – both worked hand in hand. For example, if you’re say an actor and the work then dries up, you do end up having to get an everyday sort of regular job.
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