‘Nasty’ Nick Bateman’s life as a ‘ghost’ after changing his name and moving overseas – 25 years after Big Brother earned him the title of ‘Britain’s most hated man’

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It’s been 25 years since Nick Bateman changed the course of reality TV forever. 

In simpler terms, during the premiere season of Big Brother, the city broker gained recognition due to his surprising attempts to influence the nomination process by secretly exchanging notes among housemates, leaving viewers stunned.

In my line of work, I’ve encountered many intriguing stories, but few have stirred up as much controversy as when they began referring to Nick as “the most hated man in Britain.” Though it may seem innocuous now, at the time, his actions caused quite a stir and left an indelible mark on British society.

In a single night, he transformed from a little-known figure into a headline maker across major national newspapers. One paper even instigated an aggressive “Evict Nick” campaign and employed a drone to deliver warnings to his cohabitants by dropping leaflets over his house.

Currently, Jack lives his days anonymously, having chosen to use his given name once more, as Nick was the name he adopted during his time at boarding school.

Nevertheless, transitioning from a public persona of national scorn to a secluded overseas resident hasn’t been an easy journey for Nick; marked by socializing with Brad Pitt, a divorce from ‘Lovely’ Lynette – his wife, and ongoing disputes with his past cohabitants from the House.

This year, as Big Brother celebrates its 25-year milestone, the Daily Mail traces the journey of the series’ first major antagonist, infamously known as ‘Mr. Nasty’, Nick.

Nowadays, Nick is as far removed from the celebrity circuit as one could be. 

2013 saw him relocating to Australia, where he divided his days between Brisbane and Sydney, while pursuing a career in marketing.

He was awarded Australian citizenship in 2022.  

Last year, Nick confessed to leading a life that goes unnoticed, sharing with The Telegraph, “There’s a certain charm in being invisible. Occasionally, people seem intrigued by me, but they often assume I’ve been on ‘The Bill.’

While he changed his name, he insisted he was never bothered by the ‘Nasty’ label.

He argued: ‘Having a nickname is preferable to not having one. Can you recall many participants from the initial or second season?’

As a die-hard admirer, I must confess, there’s been little I could do but stand by and watch as baseless accusations swirl around you. But let me set the record straight: Your genuine friends, kin, and anyone with even a hint of wisdom knows that those allegations don’t reflect your true essence. You, my friend, are far from that image painted by such unfounded claims.

His move also came a year after he split from his wife dubbed ‘Lovely’ Lynnette Peck. 

Following his time on Big Brother, he expressed discontent about how the show had negatively impacted his romantic relationships, commenting, ‘Prior to Big Brother, I never faced issues with women, but now they seem eager to leave as quickly as possible.’

Despite the challenges, he succeeded in finding love with a fashion magazine writer named Lynnette, and they got married in 2007.

In the year 2011, he decided to partner with her and venture into her online vintage clothing store called “Lovely’s Vintage Emporium.

I chose to part ways with the business a year after their split, yet, as someone who contributes articles to esteemed publications such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Vogue Australia, and New Woman, I persisted in transforming it into a recognized winner of accolades.

By 2016, their divorce was finalized in a brief 30-second hearing held at Central London Court.

From 2022 through 2023, he published photos featuring an unidentified brunette lady. He chose not to disclose her identity at the time, and since then, he hasn’t posted any additional pictures.

In 2023, when Big Brother was reintroduced, he discussed his life in Australia on ITV’s Lorraine, stating: “I’ve lived here for 12 years now, and it’s just so much more pleasant. The sky is always blue, the weather is wonderful, the food is delicious. It’s a breath of fresh air, and it feels great to be somewhere that makes you happy!

During his reflection, he remarked that he seemed rather restrained compared to current UK reality TV contestants, finding it endearing upon reconsideration.

We assumed we were unobserved. Previously, it seemed to us that the producers were merely orchestrating trickery by playing prerecorded crowd chants from outside.

While in Australia, Nick found it difficult to completely escape his history with Big Brother – as fate brought him together unexpectedly with Craig Phillips.

While traversing the country with my spouse, Laura, we encountered individuals who had initially held disagreements. Yet, they chose to reconcile and meet us, creating a memorable experience along our journey together.

During our recent reunion, Nick seemed to have spun a web of untruths that left me quite disillusioned, causing a bit of a rift between us once more.

He mentioned that the last individual he encountered was Nasty Nick. After that, Laura and he embarked on a journey across Asia, followed by visits to Sydney and Perth in Australia.

I discovered that Nick resides in Sydney, so I invested around four to six hours with him across a few bottles of wine. Occasionally, one might encounter him acting somewhat normally, but since Laura was present, it felt like one deception followed another!

It’s quite ironic that the individuals who stay at your house free of charge and generously spend time with you when they visit another country are the ones being betrayed for a small amount of money.

In 2000, Nick and Craig became part of historical television when they were two of ten ordinary individuals selected for the inaugural season of Big Brother.

Throughout his residence in the house, Nick remained immune from any eviction nominations; an achievement that set him apart among the contestants. However, the media quickly labeled him as ‘Cunning Nick’ due to instances where it appeared he was manipulating other Housemates to work against each other.

The situation became quite intense, leading to a point after 34 days where the producers informed his fellow housemates, who later confronted him, with Craig Phillips eventually emerging as the winner.

Having been caught out and exposed, Nick was ejected from the show. 

Standing before reporters following my dismissal, I couldn’t help but assure everyone that I wasn’t responsible for any heinous crime. Rather, I emphasized, what transpired was nothing more than a minor blunder.

When asked about being labeled as the “most hated man in Britain,” he responded by saying, “I’m simply a regular individual who participated in an extraordinary experiment under observation.

‘I don’t think the label attaches itself to me. I was just taking part in a game show.’

In the face of public criticism, it turned out to be a shrewd financial decision on Nick’s part that his cheating was rewarded with a £75,000 payment from The Sun for an interview, which exceeded the £70,000 prize money he would have received for winning Big Brother.

Moving further into his role as an antagonist, he authored a book called “Nasty Nick: A Guide to Being Unpleasant,” and it garnered over 200,000 pre-orders.

Additionally, he had the opportunity to mingle with A-list celebrities from Hollywood – attending high-profile events alongside stars such as Brad Pitt, Guy Ritchie, and Vinnie Jones during the premiere of Snatch in London.

Nick went on to enjoy gigs on local radio and in many pantomimes – playing the villain of course. 

Over time, Nick’s popularity waned, and as years passed, his public engagements gradually decreased. However, in 2010, he made a comeback on reality TV with the show Ultimate Big Brother.

In simpler terms, the “All-Stars” series brought together famous housemates from previous seasons for one last time on Big Brother, following the announcement that Channel 4 decided to cancel the show.

This time around, Nick ended up in fifth position, which is an improvement, but interestingly enough, prior to entering the house, Nick spoke candidly with Daily Mail and expressed that he wasn’t taken aback by the show’s cancellation. He attributed its downfall to a gradual transformation into an extravagant spectacle.

Instead, he expressed that he belongs to the shrinking group of viewers who, on occasion, tune in, but with an unsettling feeling of discomfort since the program has seemingly abandoned its initial charm and unique presentation style.

‘The influence of Big Brother has significantly diluted our cultural values, transforming everyday human struggles into overly dramatic spectacles, and fostering inappropriate behaviors at their worst.’

Big Brother returns with the series 22 launch on Sunday, September 28 at 9pm on ITVX. 

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2025-08-17 16:19