Natalie Cassidy
It’s not often that you don’t hear rumours about the stars who are joining Celebrity Big Brother, but EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy clearly kept her gob shut when it came to signing up for the 2012 series.
Natalie is most famous for her as Sonia Jackson in EastEnders, winning a British Soap Award for Best Actress in 2001. Since leaving the soap in 2007, Natalie has presented a number of shows, including Natalie Cassidy Goes Wild in Australia. She also fronted a mini-series called Natalie Cassidy's Diet Secrets after she lost a dramatic amount of weight and dropped to a size 8. The brunette also released a fitness DVD that was the fastest-selling workout DVD ever. Natalie has a 16-month-old baby called Eliza (cue tears in the Diary Room), who she had with boyfriend at the time Adam Cottrell in September 2010. Natalie and Adam split in May last year after he admitted beating her with a slipper after a row turned physical. At the time, Natalie said: “If he thinks there's a chance of us getting back together, he can forget about it. He's history as far as I'm concerned." Despite appearing in a few stage shows like The Vagina Monologues, Bedroom Farce, and The Cherry Orchard, Natalie has probably signed up to CBB to raise her profile, having had a break from the limelight to bring up little Eliza.
Nicola McLean
Glamour model and reality star Nicola McLean is married to Kettering FC player Tom Williams and has two kids. She is an outspoken WAG who has been known to have Twitter spats with girls who sell their stories on footballers. Like Natasha Giggs. Should be interesting, then. Nicola McLean became famous after flashing her amazing figure in bikinis during I’m A Celebrity and has since modelled for Ultimo and other brands. Her rival is Jordan (naturally), although Nicola was smug when she beat Katie Price in a poll for Best Page 3 Girl of All Time. Last year, Nicola admitted to having an eating disorder that she wasn’t trying to sort out. She told OK! magazine in an alarming interview: “'I go for long periods without eating. But then I will eat, I'm not afraid of eating, but I don't eat normally. “I don't make myself sick. I wouldn't eat every day. No way. “I'm starving myself and that could be life-threatening. I know I'm not being healthy. My husband is supportive. He says I need to eat more.” So do we – here’s to hoping she makes the most of the food budget in the house.
Frankie Cocozza
Forget The X Factor, Frankie Cocozza has moved onto bigger and better things (sort of), joining the Celebrity Big Brother house this evening. The 18 year old got through to the live finals on the show based on personality alone, with the public developing a love/hate relationship with his tight jeans and womanising ways. Although Frankie didn’t have much of a singing voice, his massive hair and ridiculous tattoos (he has a list of girls who he slept with while on a lads’ holiday inked onto his bum) was enough to keep him in the newspapers. Although the cheeky chap enjoyed being controversial, it all went wrong for Frankie when he was caught bragging about taking cocaine while on The X Factor. In November last year, Frankie was sensationally kicked off the show and left with nothing to do but a grotty tour of university clubs in the UK. Frankie said he “felt free” after getting axed from The X Factor, although he would say that, wouldn’t he? Since rocketing onto the showbiz scene last year, Frankie’s biggest achievement to date is winning ‘worst celebrity hair’. He tweeted about the accolade: “They should have given worst celebrity hair to a celebrity surely haha.” Just wait until you get out of the CBB house, mate. And despite his naughty ways, there’s no doubting the fact that Frankie has a certain charm that is sure to prove popular with the ladies in the house (and at home).
Natasha Giggs
Controversial character Natasha Giggs managed to look sleek and confident as she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house this evening, despite boos from the crowd. Natasha, who was married to Ryan Giggs’s brother Rhodri, was all over the papers last year after she claimed that she had an eight-year affair with married footballer Ryan. Although it’s unlikely that the 29 year old mother of two will have a shot at winning CBB, the stunning brunette wants people to get to know the real her and is “focusing on the future”. Speaking in December, Natasha claimed that she desperately regrets her alleged with Ryan Giggs, telling a newspaper that she was a “fool” to risk her marriage to Rhodri for the thrill of secret sex. Natasha said their sex sessions had become “seedy” and she was increasingly haunted by guilt over her two-timing, it was reported. She said: “At the beginning it was thrilling to know that someone as famous and admired as Ryan wanted to be in bed with me. “But by the end the whole thing had become so seedy. It stopped being fun.”
Michael Madsen
The Celebrity Big Brother gets a bit Hollywood, with the arrival of film star Michael Madsen. Michael has been an actor for 25 years and has starred in 170 films (although we bet Natasha Giggs wont have a clue who he is)… which makes us wonder why he wants to go into the Celebrity Big Brother house, but then we’re not paid to think. Michael’s most famous film role to date was Mr Blonde in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, although he has also been in Die Another Day, Sin City and Kill Bill. But most importantly, Michael was in Free Willy (he wasn’t the whale). One of Michael’s close friends is Vinnie Jones, who has also been on Celebrity Big Brother, so perhaps that’s why he was talked into doing the show. Speaking about his career in the past, Michael said: “I like to diversify. And I am all about longevity. I want to be doing this for as long as I can.” Well, CBB is certainly a little different (although we’re not sure about longevity).
Kristina and Karissa Shannon
Well, well, well, this is going to heat things up somewhat - Playboy twins Kristina and Karissa Shannon have just entered the Celebrity Big Brother house. The girls, who are unsurprisingly glamour models, became incredibly famous in the States after they moved into the Playboy Mansion in 2008 and twins became two of Hugh Hefner’s three new girlfriends. Kristina and Karissa Shannon featured heavily in E! series The Girls Next Door and created a huge fan base for themselves. The first episode of The Girls Next Door that the blonde twins appeared in attracted 2.4 million viewers – the most-watched episode in the successful show’s history. After they stopped sharing boyfriend Hugh Hefner and moved out of the Playboy mansion in 2010, although they continued appearing on the TV show and posing with their boobies out as bunnies.
Kristina and Karissa Shannon attempted to break into film when they had small roles in Somewhere, an award winning film by Sofia Coppola. Yes, actually. They’ve made some other movies as well, but we wont go into that. We wonder which CBB womaniser is going to be able to get the blondes in the hot tub first…
Kirk Norcross
Kirk Norcross confirmed rumours that he has left TOWIE tonight, as he took his Essex swagger into the Celebrity Big Brother house. He is best known as womanising rich boy in The Only Way Is Essex, although insists he isn’t as blunt with the ladies as he comes across on the ITV2 show. We can imagine that the 23 year old is using Celebrity Big Brother to “show people the real me”. Oh, and to become well famous.
Kirk is single at the moment and is sure to be a big fan of the glamour models in this year’s series, given that his exes include Amy Childs and Lauren Pope. Kirk’s dad Mick is the owner of notoriously cheesy club Sugar Hut and the pair are thought to be expanding their empire with a TOWIE-themed hotel and spa.
Although he has come across as pretty stubborn and spoiled, Kirk has a cute and charming side that is probably going to prove popular with the girls and home (and hopefully in the house – we want to see some action in that hot tub).
Georgia Salpa
The undoubtedly hot Georgia Salpa is a glamour model from Ireland who was recently in the headlines for dating Calum Best. The 26-year-old Greek born brunette describes herself as a career woman and is rarely seen out of a bikini, with a body to die for. Georgia’s job as a glamour model started when she became the only Irish finalist in the first “High Street Honeys” competition run by FHM magazine and she has been the face of fake tan, clothing lines and even wrestling ever since. It’s safe to say that Georgia looks a hell of a lot like American reality star Kim Kardashian, with the glamour model joking that she wouldn’t mind getting bum implants to be even more like her. Georgia and Calum dated for three months after meeting on Celebrity Salon and went on holiday together pretty much every weekend. They split last September shortly after he was pictured leaving a club with Byker Grove star Donna Air. Georgia told The Sun afterwards: “Yes, it's all over. I am upset over it as we were a proper couple. “He says nothing happened and wants to stay together but I can't trust him and that's definitely it. I saw the pictures with her and I would like to believe him that nothing happened but I don't want to be one of those girls who takes people back no matter what they do.”
Given that it doesn’t sound like Georgia is one to bite her tongue, this is going to be fun…
Gareth Thomas
Rugby hunk Gareth Thomas is a retired professional rugby player who came out as gay in December 2009.
The Welshman has used his influence to help many others, supporting Childline, winning Stonewall’s Hero of the Year award and being voted top of the Pink List 2010 of the 101 most influential gay people in the UK.
Gareth’s rugby career started at Bridgend, with the 37 year old making his debut for Wales in 1995. During his long sporting career, Gareth created sporting history when he became the first Welshman to win 100 international caps in Rugby Union in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. As well as his sporting achievements, Gareth is also famous for slapping his head when he celebrates scoring tries (this doesn’t mean much to us, but we’ll sure rugby fans will understand). Gareth, who is also known as ‘Alfie’, has spoken openly about his decision to come out and what his life was like keeping it a secret from his family, friends and former wife Jemma. He told the BBC in 2010: “I became the master of playing the straight bat: I would go to bars with the boys, I would always be the one to start a fight, to be outrageous and drink the most. “I even went to the extreme of marrying the perfect woman for me. “I remember I used to go to the church we were due to get married in and I would sit there in the graveyard and look up to the steeple... clench my hands and close my eyes as tight as I could and pray to be straight.” With Gareth keeping away from the showbiz circuit until now, it’s hard to predict how he’ll get on with his fellow housemates. Watch this space…
Denise Welch
Denise Welch, 53, is famous for her partying ways and being extremely outspoken on TV show Loose Women, although she first made her name as an actress in the early ‘90s. Starting out in the role of Marsha Stubbs in the drama series, Soldier Soldier, Denise went on to appear in pretty much every telly show going. She has starred in Where the Heart Is, Holby City, The Bill, Doctors, Down to Earth, Born and Bred, Hollyoaks, Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Byker Grove – with her most famous roles being in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road. Denise appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2010, so it’s no surprise that she’s joined Celebrity Big Brother – it’s pretty much the only TV show in the country that she was yet to feature on. Denise is married to actor Tim Healy and they have two children. In April 2010, Denise released a shocking autobiography, called Pulling Myself Together, which revealed that she battled with a cocaine addiction during her stint on Coronation Street. The actress also wrote about an affair that she’d had with a younger man, with her marriage to Tim coming to a head in 2004, but the pair decided to give it another go and have been “stronger” ever since. We’re a bit excited about the fact that Denise is going into the CBB house, because she’s not going to hold back if someone gets on her nerves and she’s a very funny lady. Not only that, but she’s been on the showbiz circuit for over twenty years, so she’s bound to have some good gossip.
Romeo Dunn
So Solid Crew member (not that we know if they’re still together) Romeo Dunn hasn’t been seen for a while, but he’s sure to get on with the ladies in the new Celebrity Big Brother series. It’s thought the rapper/singer was on standby to join the show and entered after Lee Ryan pulled out after a row about his fee. Romeo Dunn rose to fame in the early noughties after garage group released 21 Seconds in 2001 (we still do it in our head too). After his time in the urban musical collective, Romeo had a solo career with top ten hits "Romeo Dunn" and a collaboration with US artist Christina Milian "It's All Gravy". Soon after, he was chosen to represent the UK on the Murder Inc tour alongside Ja Rule and Ashanti. In the last few years, Romeo hasn’t done much (well he might have done, but we haven’t heard about it), so it’s likely that he’s hoping to boost his profile and get back into the limelight on CBB.
Andrew Stone
Prepare to have a love/hate relationship with Andrew Stone after he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house tonight. The blonde singer/dancer/actor describes himself as a ‘triple threat’ (because of his mad skills) and made his name alongside Louis Spence on Sky 1 reality show Pineapple Studio. Andrew used to be an instructor at the dance school, but has been chasing fame since the show started back in February 2010. The blonde calls himself the lead singer and songwriter for his own group, Starman, although they’re yet to make an impression on the charts (or anything else, for that matter). Andrew started dancing at the age of eight and reckons he’s more talented than Justin Timberlake, having trained at the Central School of Ballet and has featured in five West End musicals. On performing with the stars, Andrew said in the past: “I’ve sung with Tina Turner, I’ve danced with Britney Spears, my CV speaks volumes so I’m not a wannabe.” Of course not, a wannabe would never enter Big Brother. Being a fierce fame hunter, it’s unlikely that Andrew will be in the house to make friends. He said in the past: “I’m not fame hungry and I’m not a wannabe. I can cut it! I’m in it to win it and I will not give up.”
This will be a interesting edition of CBBUK 2012.
