Celebrity Big Brother: UK vs USA line up round up
Celebrity Big Brother has returned to Channel 5 for its annual summer outing with stars such as Loose Women personality and former Coronation Street actress Sherrie Hewson and American actor, producer and director Daniel Baldwin who is best known for his role as Detective Beau Felton in NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street.
The sixteenth series of the reality show has a UK vs. USA theme which entails ‘famous’ faces from both sides of the pond taking part in the ‘ultimate CBB battle’.
“Get ready for UK vs. USA and watch the drama unfold. Who will have the stamina to reign victorious? The Housemates will play a game that could deliver huge consequences for the losers and ultimate power to the champions.” – Channel 5
As ever the housemates’ every move will be captured by assorted cameras twenty four hours a day with viewers keeping up with the action via the nightly highlight shows. Spin-off series Bit On The Side is also back with Rylan Clark overseeing nightly editions featuring celebrity panellists and fans debating all the action, exclusive footage and behind the scenes access to the main show.
The newly designed house boasts British and American iconography including a kitchen modelled on an American diner, a silver British Bulldog guarding a very-British study area and a statue of Liberty in the garden, but a press blurb notes that there are surprises in store to ensure the housemates don’t get too comfortable.
Below ATV Today takes a look at who has ventured inside…
AUSTIN ARMACOST
Armacost is apparently famous by association. Being associated to someone who is a celebrity now makes them a celebrity too. How fabulous is that? If you have no talent just hook up with a star and boom you’ll be on CBB quicker than you can say ‘schedule full of benefit programmes.’
So our Austin is “famous” because he was at one time the boyfriend of fashion designer Mark Jacobs. This association saw Armacost thrust into the limelight in America when he appeared on The A List, a reality show which showcased LGBT role models. And that is a good thing of course.
Armacost is also far from a fan of former Celebrity Big Brother contestant and American somebody Perez Hilton. The Mirror describe Armacost as a ‘relatively unknown’. A tabloid prints the truth for once. This is also a good thing.
“I don’t want to be known as Marc Jacobs’ ex-boyfriend. I want to be known as someone who stands on their own independently from that.”
CHLOE JASMINE & STEVI RITCHIE
Former The X Factor contestants who have become a couple. Appearing on a talent show makes them the loosest of ‘celebrities’. We’d love to write a little more about this seemingly lovely couple but as they’re about as famous as that bloke who lives four doors down from us who once appeared on Catchphrase and didn’t even win we can’t really.
So anyway, they’re called Chloe and Stevi and they have featured on an ITV talent show. Apparently even Simon Cowell has lost their phone numbers and doesn’t keep in touch anymore.
“I think that is the worst part about going into the CBB house, that we will miss The X Factor.” – Chloe
CHRIS ELLISON
Ellison is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in the Thames Television produced, ITV police drama series, The Bill and its spin off Burnside, which he took the title role. Having first appeared as Burnside in 1984, he became a permanent member of The Bill cast between 1988 and 2000. He’s also appeared as the ‘baddie’ on game show Fort Boyard, which aired on Challenge. In 2005, he featured in the Doctor Who audio adventure The Game. In 2007 he guest starred in EastEnders as Len Harker.
He worked in the merchant navy, trained as a graphic designer and worked as a minicab driver. His first drama job was assistant stage manager at the Richmond Theatre. I guess you could say he was drawn and driven into acting.
“I don’t want to be an enforcer. I’m not at all like people think I am. I’m quite camp, really. I like that kind of humour. I’m not serious. I like people who have got good banter.”
DANIEL BALDWIN
Baldwin is known for his role as Detective Beau Felton in the popular NBC TV series Homicide: Life on the Street. He is the second eldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Baldwin was born in Massapequa, New York, in the U-S of A. Baldwin’s acting debut was in the TV movie Too Good to Be True in 1988. In 1993, he was cast in the Baltimore-based cop show Homicide: Life on the Street.
In 1998, Baldwin was found running naked through the halls of New York’s Plaza Hotel shouting “Baldwin!” and was arrested for possession of cocaine. An actor who isn’t to be sniffed at.
“I don’t care if someone likes chicken or steak. It has zero effect on me.”
FARRAH ABRAHAM
Here we have a modern ‘celebrity’ as in someone who is famous for appearing on reality television. Yes Channel 5 describe this Omaha, Nebraska born ‘star’ a “reality television personality”. Of course to be a reality television personality you don’t need talent – and in many cases neither do you need a personality, so we’ll have to see how Abraham comes across in the CBB house, after all she might be a multi-talented performer just waiting for her own primetime entertainment series.
And then some reality hits us… anyway… In 2012, Abraham gained worldwide notoriety after the release of the ‘sex tape’ Farrah Superstar: Backdoor Teen Mom, in which she appeared with adult-film star James Deen; its sequel Farrah 2: Backdoor and More included unused footage from the first shoot and was released the following year. Ah she’s a porn star, why didn’t Channel 5 just say that, after all this is the network that survived in its early years by lobbing boobs out after 11pm in third rate smut flicks.
“I really wish I could have Clint Eastwood in there with me.”
FATMAN SCOOP
Actually is called Isaac Freeman III, but that sounds a bit too posh when you’re a hip hop promoter, DJ and all round wiv-it hype man. He is known for the nightclub favourite “Be Faithful”. The song went to number one in the UK and Ireland in late 2003 and top 5 in Australia.
Fatman Scoop also has his own sex and relationship show/podcast. All episodes can also be seen on the Man and Wife channel on internet TV network, ONLOQ.com, as well as MTV. Fatman was born in New York and is one of the American contestants in this years summer CBB outing. He got his Fatman part of his nickname, and indeed ‘stage name’ after appearing in the Fugees ‘Killing Me Softly‘ video as a cinema worker serving popcorn and ice-cream. The Scoop part came much earlier thanks to his love of ice creams.
“There are people who are skinny, there are people who are fat.”
GAIL PORTER
Television personality and all round nice lass Gail is venturing into the CBB house after years of televisual experience. As well as presenting Porter has also spent time as a model and actress.
Born in Edinburgh she first came to prominence via modelling for men’s magazines aka the lad mags in the 1990s. She is a vice-president of The Children’s Trust, a UK charity for children with brain injury. Television presenting roles have been much more family friendly including working for ITV’s children’s strand CITV, Children BBC’s Saturday morning series Live & Kicking, as co-host of long running BBC One chart show Top of the Pops and Channel 4’s morning magazine show The Big Breakfast.
Porter is also no stranger to Channel 5 having been a regular panelist on Matthew Wright’s daily debate series The Wright Stuff.
“It would be great if I win. I know it’s UK vs USA but I would like to win for Scotland!”
JAMES HILL
Hill is another reality television ‘star’ having featured on BBC One’s business battle, The Apprentice. James was fired in week eight after failing to impress with a ‘Country Show’ challenge. Star of the show Lord Alan Sugar said he saw “sparks of entrepreneurialism” in James and found it “very hard to demoralise someone with such fighting spirit.” Ultimately, Lord Sugar decided he was a “little immature” to continue in the process.
When on the beeb show he noted his nickname was ‘Del Boy’ in reference to the wheeler dealer portrayed by Sir David Jason in sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He’s now starring in CBB or as we call it Only Fools and a Few Famous People.
“I’ve never watched Big Brother to be honest with you.”
JENNA JAMESON
Another ex-porn star. Say no more.
“I’m right wing, a Republican. I know that is a bit of a dichotomy, but yes, I am an ex-porn star.”
NATASHA HAMILTON
English singer-songwriter, dancer and stage actress Hamilton is best known as being part of the pop sensation that is girl group turned woman band Atomic Kitten. Hamilton has so far released 19 singles and three studio albums with the band including three number one singles, their biggest being the 2001 single “Whole Again“.
Hamilton was born in Kensington, Liverpool, and started singing and performing from the age of 12. In 2003, Hamilton was winner of the annual Rear of the Year award. Hamilton says she was inspired by Marvin Gaye, Barry White and Quincy Jones. Fellow ‘kitten’ Kerry Katona has also appeared in CBB. But there isn’t many shows Kerry hasn’t popped up on at one time or another in between that spell of flogging frozen food.
“I’ll just say I’m from a band who were very successful many years ago! We sold ten million records! …I’ll miss the telly because I do like a Jeremy Kyle.”
SHERRIE HEWSON
Possibly the biggest star in the series this year as Sherrie has been entertaining the public for over forty years.
Hewson in more recent times is best known as a soap star and talk show panellist, having had stints in ITV serials Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Crossroads as well as one of the regular debaters on ITV’s daily daytime series Loose Women. Before she lathered up in the world of soap opera Hewson starred in many popular television shows flitting from drama to comedy with appearances in cop shows Z Cars and Juliet Bravo for BBC One to sketch shows The Russ Abbott Madhouse and The Les Dennis Laughter Show. Long running parts have also popped up in sitcoms Benidorm and Barbara. Sherrie has been asked to reprise her role as Virginia Raven in a special one-off return of Crossroads for ATV, a character she said she based on comedian Paul O’Grady!
Born in Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire, Hewson began performing at the age of six and is currently the longest serving regular on Loose Women. In 2008 her crime fiction novel The Tannery was published. Movie appearances include in The Slipper and the Rose, Hanover Street and Carry On Behind which lead to appearances in the television version of the ‘Carry On…’ franchise in ATV’s Carry On Laughing.
“I have been really lucky. I’ve had 45 years as an actress since I left drama school and I thank my lucky stars all the time. I went into a film with Richard Chamberlain, then Harrison Ford, then met Steve McQueen. I have been so lucky. My mother used to say, ‘You’ve done everything!’ “
TILA TEQUILA
Tequila is best known stateside as an American model, television personality, singer, songwriter, actress, writer and blogger. Born in Singapore and raised in Houston, Texas, she first moved to California in 2001 to pursue her modeling career. Nguyen’s career began at the age of 19 when she was discovered at the Sharpstown Mall by a Playboy scout and was offered a chance to model nude for the magazine
She has appeared in those titillating lad mags and has hosted her own television dating series and been the subject of a reality show, both on MTV. Her debut music album, Sex was released in 2007. She followed up with the singles, “I Love U”, “Stripper Friends” and “Paralyze”. In 2010, she released her second EP Welcome to the Dark Side.
“I don’t have a filter with what is on my mind. But I don’t mean harm by it!”
Later today the housemates will be joined by…
BOBBY DAVRO and JANICE DICKINSON
Janice Dickinson and Bobby Davro will enter the Celebrity Big Brother House as official Housemates. The two new Powerhouses, one from the UK and one from the USA will be charging into the House to represent their country and fight it out in a live head to head showdown. Whoever reigns victorious will be crowned President or Prime Minister of their nation and rule the entire House.
Bobby is best known as a comedian, impressionist and actor. Born in Middlesex, Davro made his television debut in 1981, becoming a regular on telly screens from 1983 onwards. He’s appeared as a funnyman on such shows as Who Do You Do?, Noel’s House Party and Copy Cats. He’s fronted his own ITV comedy series’ including Bobby Davro on the Box and Bobby Davro’s TV Annual.
In recent times he turned to serious acting when BBC One soap opera EastEnders cast him as Vinnie Monks. In the late 1990s he stepped into Jimmy Tarbuck’s shoes as the new host of long running game show Winner Takes All, this time the Yorkshire Television production aired on Challenge TV rather than its original home of ITV.
“Les Dennis is probably my best friend in show business.”
Janice is a renowned American model, photographer, author and talent agent. Dickinson is one of the most successful models from the 1970s and 1980s, she expanded her profession to reality television in 2003 by judging for four cycles on America’s Next Top Model. Dickinson was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 2011, she guest-starred in an episode of 90210.
“You’re not going to see me naked even though I am a nudist at home.”
Celebrity Big Brother nightly on Channel 5.