Movies

Big Brother’s first ever champion Craig Phillips issues stark warning to anyone hoping to join the show – as he reflects on the ‘terrifying’ aftermath of winning the series

BBG News

In 2000, he shot to prominence after winning the inaugural season of Big Brother UK, pocketing a £70,000 award and earning the title of “Britain’s most renowned individual.

Although he enjoys widespread recognition and wealth, Craig Phillips has delivered a serious caution to those considering participating in the show based on his experience.

In a recent chat with The Telegraph, the 53-year-old from Liverpool, openly suggests avoiding a well-known place, stating that while he holds no regrets, he wouldn’t repeat the experience.

He shared with the media outlet: “For years, folks would approach me on the street to ask, ‘I’ve submitted an application for Big Brother, any suggestions from you?’ To which I would respond, ‘Stay away from it!’

During his time inside the house, Craig gained immense popularity after he stood up to ‘Nasty’ Nick Bateman for secretly passing notes to fellow housemates to sway their votes. One memorable television instance occurred when Craig ultimately won the show for the very first time as a result of this incident.

Instead, the joy of winning Big Brother didn’t turn out to be as delightful as he had anticipated. Looking back, he remembered the ‘frightening’ consequences of his triumph, which made him feel as if he had been ‘abducted’.

After the live final concluded, I was hurriedly escorted by a police convoy to a hotel, as reporters swarmed around me. However, nobody was providing any information about the situation. It was as if I were being secreted away against my will.

The situation was overwhelming; my legs trembled uncontrollably. I felt exposed and anxious. It wasn’t as I had anticipated. Brett Carr’s [the show’s psychiatrist] words didn’t seem to register with me. Suddenly, my cousin Steven appeared, and we spent hours drinking together until 8 in the morning. Immediately after that, it was off to a press conference. Every time I shifted, a flurry of flashbulbs would go off.

Twenty-five years back, when Craig and the other competitors stepped into the iconic Big Brother house, they couldn’t imagine how massive the show would eventually become. Over time, it grew to set the standard for reality television, leaving an indelible mark on the genre.

After his victory, Craig experienced an overwhelming surge of interest. He was constantly bothered by enthusiastic agents and made many public appearances. Remarkably, he didn’t get a break to go back home for an extended period of 97 days.

Ever since his rise to fame on the show, Craig has persistently pursued a thriving TV career, featuring in multiple television programs such as 60 Minute Makeover, Builders, Sweat and Tears.

Lately, his fame has waned, with Craig mentioning that he’s rejected numerous opportunities during the last seven to eight years because the compensation didn’t seem worth the effort required.

Now residing in Majorca, Craig, accompanied by his spouse Laura and their kids Nelly (age 6) and Lennon (4), primarily earns income from real estate, public appearances, and his successful YouTube platform known as Mr & Mrs DIY.

Reflecting on his time in Big Brother, Craig remarks that he and his co-contestants were quite unaware or green regarding the competition’s expectations. They had initially entered the house without significant anticipation.

He noted that during his time on Big Brother, there wasn’t any social media. Now, participants must be resilient enough to handle potential criticisms from the public, stating that it can be a precarious situation they find themselves in.

Reflecting on my time in the Big Brother house, I came to realize that fame and wealth often don’t walk side by side. Instead, they seem to travel separate paths.

In December, Craig openly stated that he had no aspiration to work on television or seek fame.

Speaking about his initial motivation, Craig mentioned that he was compelled to participate because he was raising funds for Joanne Harris, who urgently required a heart and lung transplant. Unfortunately, we couldn’t cover the costs of taking her to America for treatment.

After watching a documentary in Holland about Big Brother possibly coming to the UK with a prize of £70,000 for the winner, I realized this could be an excellent beginning to raise £250,000 for Joanne’s appeal.

The sole motivation behind it was financial support for Joanne. I’ve never harbored dreams of working on TV or seeking fame in any manner; my goal was simply to earn money.

In 2000, Craig was the first cast member on a popular reality TV series, and recently, he admitted that he hasn’t seen any episodes from his run on the show so far. However, he’s promised to take some time in the future to catch up and watch it.

He mentioned that he hasn’t yet watched his series. He has a stack of VHS tapes, each labeled with a specific date, and he’s promised himself that someday he’ll take the time to sit down and go through them all.

As the victor of Big Brother, my life transformed dramatically. For 97 uninterrupted days, I found myself away from home, moving from one hotel to another each night. The initial excitement didn’t subside as quickly as I had anticipated, and I kept hoping that in a few months, I could finally take a break and watch the aftermath unfold.

‘(But) before I knew a year had gone by and I still hadn’t watched it.’ 

Read More

2025-07-17 13:48

Previous post Bangboo Manual | Miss Esme
Next post Perfect returning Netflix series branded “a feel-good cosy watch” gets exciting cast update