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Celebrity Big Brother: a wise move?
  • The 2002 winner had a couple of years back in the sun as a result of his CBB antics, taking to the stage with Robbie Williams, signing a new recording contract as a solo artist, and releasing a new album.

    His star faded a little between 2003 and 2005 - but then Take That decided to get back together, and the rest is history. Owen continues to write and perform as a solo artist, alongside his band duties.

  • Shetty was a huge Bollywood star long before entering the house, but her popularity was arguably on the wane in 2007.

    After winning the series, and weathering some astonishing racist attacks, she was showered with offers, including modelling (becoming the first cover star of OK! in India), more acting, and presenting an Indian version of Big Brother - Big Boss. She now devises, produces, and presents her own TV programmes and films.

  • The former promotions girl was picked to be a ‘fake’ celebrity in the 2006 house, and went on to win the show.

    Her subsequent media career has seen her star in her own reality show and present a dating programme, take acting roles, write magazine columns and an autobiography, star in her own fitness DVD, and (especially after plastic surgery) take on numerous modelling jobs.

  • After years of being the punchline of jokes, Davidson became the surprise winner of the show last year, and on the back if it had his own documentary.

    He also embarked on a money-spinning stand-up tour and made his debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. So far the rumours of a return to prime time television have come to nothing, but CBB remains the most positive thing to have happened to his career for decades.

  • Jade appeared in Big Brother in 2002, kick-starting a media career. However, when she went onto the celebrity version in 2007, her bullying of Shilpa Shetty led to a huge public backlash, and a blow to her media work.

    Her work in raising awareness of cervical cancer the following year, in the year before her death, left a vital legacy, but Goody always described herself as ‘A bit like Marmite”.

  • Galloway was already a controversial politician when he went on the show in 2006. However, images of him during the programme - including the famous one of him pretending to be a cat, lapping milk out of Rula Lenska’s hands - did nothing to further his reputation as a serious politician.

    He recovered sufficiently to be elected as a Respect Party MP in Bradford in 2012, but has had to endure years as a laughing stock.

  • Dennis appeared on the show in the midst of the breakdown of his marriage to Amanda Holden, and describes his depressed time in the house as not being one of the wisest decisions he had ever made.

    It coincided with the end of his stint presenting Family Fortunes, and had dramatically changed his image in the public eye, so that he was unlikely to get many light-entertainment jobs at the time. He said his role in Extras in 2005 turned everything around, and started a hugely successful acting career.

  • The racing pundit was controversial from day one, and revealed some jaw-droppingly sexist views. His decision to spend so much time on screen in his underpants did nothing to endear him to the CBB audience in 2005 either.

    In  2012, when Channel 4 decided to drop him from its racing coverage, he tried to sue them for age discrimination, and the statement from the tribunal revealed that CBB had not been a wise choice. It said: “All the evidence is that Mr McCririck's pantomime persona, as demonstrated on the celebrity television appearances, and his persona when appearing on Channel 4 Racing, together with his self-described bigoted and male chauvinist views were clearly unpalatable to a wider potential audience.”

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