Former Celebrity Big Brother winner Rylan Clark has offered some very honest pearls of wisdom for new housemates on the rebooted reality TV show.
Clark, 35, won the eleventh series of CBB back in 2013 and months later he began presenting Big Brother’s Bit on the Side on Channel 5 – a position he kept until the show came to an end in 2018.
ITV2, who revived the civilian version of Big Brother last year, are set to launch the celebrity installment on Monday, March 4.
Former This Morning host Fern Britton, music manager Louis Walsh and Love Island’s Ekin-Su CülcüloÄlu are some of the famous faces touted to enter the famous house.
Now, as someone who has been there and got the t-shirt, Clark told The Standard he has some simple advice for those looking to take part.
He said: "Make as much money as you can and don't be an a***hole."
Clark has made no secret of the fact he was disappointed that he was not invited back to present on the latest incarnation of the show, with TV bosses instead opting for new hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best.
While clearly still a sore point, he maintains that Big Brother is "one of the best reality shows out there".He added: "I wish them all the best and I hope it goes well for them. I'm sure it will."
The Essex native is certainly not short on job offers anyway.
He is currently on screens presenting Prime reality TV series Hot Mess Summer, which he describes as "a show you want to binge," and Paramount+ show Dating Naked, likened to "a naked Love Island".
Clark will also be teaming up with Rob Rinder for BBC travelogue Grand Tour, which will see the unlikely duo travel across Italy as they follow the path of the poet Lord Byron ahead of the 200th anniversary of his death.Another milestone not to be scoffed at, he recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of hosting his BBC Radio 2 show, Rylan on Saturday, which includes the popular film and TV Quiz Couch Potatoes.
"I'm lucky that people listen to the show first and foremost, I'm even luckier that people want to be on it," he says rather humbly.
"I'll be out and about in the street and people will be like 'can I come on Couch Potatoes?' I can't believe how many people love it."
The self-confessed pop fan has been fortunate enough to meet and interview some of his biggest idols, including music icon Cher last year.
"She was amazing!" he enthuses, his eyes lighting up. "You can tell a nice talent by their team and her team were just so warm, so friendly, so lovely. I've interviewed a lot of people and met a lot of people and sometimes they're lovely, but their team ain't. [Cher] has some good people around her."
Drawn on who he still has to tick off his dream interviewee list, there aren't many remaining.
"I'd love to have all five Spice Girls in one room," he muses. "And obviously Girls Aloud are getting back together..."
He seems insulted when asked if he's planning to go to their Greatest Hits Tour later this year, which includes five dates at the London O2 Arena.
"Shut up! Are you kidding? [I'll be] front row!" he declares, flashing his trademark white teeth.
