It’s been over 24 years since Craig Phillips was crowned the first ever winner of Big Brother and as the latest series comes to an end, Craig says he will never forget the day his life changed forever.
Speaking to BoyleSports Games , Craig, 53, says he still thinks about the final and the excitement and nerves he felt before Davina McCall announced he was the winner and has sympathy for the six housemates battling it for tonight’s grand prize.
And while he loves his life now away from the public eye, Craig admits there is part of him that yearns for his old showbiz life and all the opportunities it gave him.
‘The day of the final kind of felt like a funeral’
Thinking about that final makes my hairs stand up and thinking about what they’re going through. For me, it was a really weird day and I can remember it so well - 15th September 2000. It was quite a bit of a wet and miserable morning, and it was just very weird - it almost felt as if you were going to a funeral. It's something you go into that you don't really want to go to and you've been kind of forced into.
We all felt a little bit sad because it was coming to an end and the house was dirty and smelly and we were trying to have a clear up but knew it was all ending. For me, I was feeling quite confident I was going to win, and that sounds a bit cocky and comfortable. I just got to this stage a couple of weeks before the end thinking, you know what I'm going to do this. I’d come this far and I wasn’t going to fall right at the end.
The house itself felt claustrophobic and we were ready to get out of there. And we could see and hear things being set up for the final and there were men putting cables up and that was the first time we’d seen other people for so long. And after Davina announced me as the winner, I just sat there on my own and it felt like a big weight had been lifted. But I was in that house by myself for about an hour and it was the longest hour of my life.
I spent half of it tidying up, mopping, cleaning, wiping, talking to myself like I was going crazy. So it was a strange, strange time. And then of course, I was let out and it was such a nice feeling to be met by my friends and family. I’ll never forget it - it was a real spectacular high of my life.
*Ali Bromley is the favourite to follow in Craig’s footsteps and win Big Brother ahead of the final tonight at odds of 1/3 per the latest entertainment odds at BoyleSports.
‘The housemates need to embrace it all’
I didn’t know how big [the show] had become and I wasn't expecting that much attention from everybody but it’ll be different knowing they’ll be all over social media. So I think it's just gotta be really a mindset of being cautious and not to have any immediate reactions, certainly not to respond to anything.
If there's anything negative about them just don’t get drawn into it and just enjoy the moments and get time with your friends and family. The friends and family will be able to give them a realistic analysis of how they did and have been perceived.
It’s hard going back to reality and not believing your own hype so make sure they’ve got good people around them. I think they even have agents on hand before they go in these days - we had nothing like that.
‘My days of reality TV are over’
I mean, I enjoyed doing all the makeover shows and things like that but I personally won't want to do that again. I have turned down a few other bits and pieces like that. In the last five or six years and that's only because I've been busy building our house. And I’m married with a family, so for me, shows like that just aren’t appealing any more - the lifestyle doesn’t fit in my family life.
The only show I think I could do is the Ant Middleton one. I feel as if I'd be cut out for doing that type of stuff and I do enjoy watching the programme and I feel that will be a great challenge. It's a nice insight to the type of training they do. And it's also a really good insight to see a different side to celebrities.
‘I would still like to get the odd showbiz invite’
It’s just a very different life to the one I’ve got now and I couldn’t compare the two. I have my moments where I miss that glamour and getting invited to nice events. I’m not famous enough to get those invites now.
But I had my fair share of all those things and I’ve had so many weird, wonderful experiences along the way and meeting weird, wonderful people as well. I think I did a real good 10 years of it and took all the opportunities that came my way.
‘I feel proud of playing such a big role in Big Brother’s history’
I believe so yes, I think there will always be an audience for that type of show and by bringing it back, they have attracted a newer and younger audience. It’s had some time off our screens and original BB fans will still be loyal to it and the new ones will grow with it.
It’ll be 25 years old next year and the fact that it’s still going is quite an achievement. I’m proud to have played a part in TV history and I’ll always be the first winner of it. I still get people recognising me and it is nice.
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