Big Brother contestants from Glasgow and where they are now

ITV announced plans for a new series of the programme, which was last aired by Channel 5 in 2018. It will be broadcast on ITV2 in 2023.

An average of 4.2 million viewers tuned in to Big Brother 4, with a peak of 9.5m watching as Orkney’s Cameron Stout, the first and so far the only Scot to win the series, picked up the £70,000 jackpot.

Glasgow has provided Big Brother fans with several memorable contestants over the years – who could forget Shell Jubin’s naked lawnmowing? – so here is a little lookback at some of the best….

FEDERICO MARTONE: Cheeky chappie Federico lasted 29 days in the Big Brother house in series four, in 2003. The former waiter came back to his home city after his time on the show ended, opening Gaia gallery on Bath and then turning it into popular vintage clothing store Ruby Tuesday’s. Federico also ran Qua restaurant on Ingram Street (formerly Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr’s Japanese sushi place, Oko) and made the news in 2018 when he turned down money from the Fast and Furious film franchise to close during the shoot. Had it been Martin Scorses, he said, he might have considered it.

SHELL JUBIN: Shell finished fourth in series five of Big Brother in 2004, and returned to her native city to graduate from Glasgow University later that year. (She has a First Class honours degree in art history.) Shell – who won our vote by supporting the Glasgow Times Magic Millions appeal to raise money for the city’s new paediatric ICU - now goes by her married name Michelle Millar Fisher and works as a museum curator in America.

She has never forgotten her Glasgow roots, though – in an interview for an artists’ collective’s website last year, she said: “During college, my main source of income was as a cook. I’d work all weekend and mornings and nights at the North Star deli in the Maryhill neighbourhood of Glasgow, and go to lectures during the day. I had really great cooking and baking skills by the time I was in my final year of university…” During her time in the BB House, Michelle was dating Scott Hutchison, the Frightened Rabbit singer who died in 2018.

SHAHBAZ CHAUDHRY: Shahbaz got a warm welcome from fans on Buchanan Street when he returned home after walking out of the BB house in series seven in 2006, but his appearance on the show prompted a storm of complaints from viewers worried about his mental health.

DAVID HAMILTON-PARNABY: Before he joined BB series eight on day 59 in 2007 as a “halfway housemate” David Hamilton-Parnaby was a visual merchandise manager for H&M. (He also claimed he practised witchcraft and wanted to join a coven.) Afterwards, fans could find him running the All Saints store on Ingram Street. In 2011, the Glasgow Times caught up with him for a style feature, in which he said: “I’m heading towards 30, so I feel I should dress more for my age.”

MIKEY HUGHES: Popular contestant Mikey, who lost his sight at the age of 23, came second in series nine in 2009, having entertained viewers by dressing-up, shaving his head and eyebrows and memorably eating a whole Scotch Bonnet chilli. Although not Glasgow-born (he lived in Clydebank), he ran as an independent in the 2009 Glasgow North East by-election, receiving 54 votes. He returned to his role as a DJ after Big Brother, and completed a PhD in economic and social history. He fundraised for Deafblind Scotland, abseiling 150 feet down the Titan crane, admitting it was terrifying and added: “If I could have seen it there’s no way I would have gone ahead with it.”

DANIELLE McMAHON: Glasgow lingerie model Danielle McMahon was the eighth person evicted in series 15 in 2014. Before she went into the house she said she was “business-minded” and aspired to have her own wonderbra company. She added she had “old-fashioned” views and believed that “things were better years ago.” Her controversial comments about gay marriage did not win her many fans.

ANDREW CRUICKSHANKS: Hairdresser Andrew made it to the final of series 18 in 2017 and he finished fifth, banking more than £30,000, before returning home to Glasgow and his day job.