Archive August 16, 2025

A former Big Brother contestant has published an explosive book all about life inside – and after – the famous reality house, and reveals the surprising amount she earned for her appearance

Former medical rep Narinder Kaur walked into the Big Brother house back in 2001 as a complete unknown. She walked out 29 days later as one of the biggest – and first – reality TV stars of her generation. Now, almost 25 years on, the mum-of-two has updated her bombshell 2007 book about life inside the famous house, including interviews with more than 30 other contestants (such as Anthony Hutton, Brian Dowling and Nadia Almada), as well as producers and psychologists.

Chatting exclusively, the 52-year-old Good Morning Britain regular says she wants to show why reality stars deserve more “sympathy”, especially when their headline-making antics come back to haunt them years later.

“It’s part exposé, part warning,” she says. “People are still fascinated by the whole process. It’s the idea of overnight fame, how it changes your life and affects everyone around you. I think the reaction to me on the show actually made me stronger. I was written off and had this burning desire to prove everybody wrong – it’s still there. Big Brother has been around for so long now, but the real story is what happens after the house, and that’s the story I wanted to tell.” It comes after one huge TV star looks completely unrecognisable as she reveals latest facelift.

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Hi, Narinder! Did Big Brother change your life in the way you expected it to?

I liken it to throwing a pebble in a pond. It’s the ripple effect you don’t expect. We were just normal, innocent people and yes, I wanted fame, but I had no idea the level of fame it would bring. You became an overnight household name and when you’re just an ordinary person with a normal life before going in, it’s mindblowing.

Is it different for contestants nowadays?

Probably. I think the level of reaction is different, and we’ve learnt some lessons.

TV companies are more careful – as they should be – after the deaths of Love Island contestants. And the housemates are more aware of what they’re getting themselves into. They can also go back to their normal lives now.

The book has some shocking stories!

Yes, and there were a few we couldn’t put in because they were too shocking. To be honest, nothing surprised me. It’s like modern-day gladiators – you’re thrown into the lion’s den for entertainment. And there’s a lot of people who don’t realise that we didn’t get paid when I did the show. We got a statutory weekly payment of about £20.

You spoke to Kinga Karolczak about the infamous ‘bottle incident’, didn’t you? [Kinga had an X-rated moment with it]

Yes, and out of everyone I interviewed, I felt the deepest sympathy for Kinga. She’s a really sweet girl and, like we all did, she went on the show to become famous. To do that, you want to keep the producers happy by making a great show. So, you can make a snap decision that affects the rest of your life. How do you rebuild it after that?

What do you say to people considering applying to the show?

I tell them to think very carefully. It’s going to change their lives, maybe in ways they don’t want it to. There’s also social media now, and no amount of duty of care can protect you from hate. But I could sit with a would-be contestant today and warn them, and I’d literally see them not listening – they’re just thinking about all the glory.

The duty of care has changed over the years though, hasn’t it?

Yes, I think contestants get support for about a year afterwards, when I went on, there was nothing afterwards. I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I didn’t know why newspapers were calling me. My book shows what can happen to people’s mental health afterwards, something we really need to look at.

Do you think reality TV has a future?

Personally, I’d like to see it end, but I don’t think it’s going to. There’s no getting around the fact some people will find it very difficult afterwards. I spoke to so many modern-day contestants who are all still going through the same process of disbelief about how their life has changed.

Why did you want to write this book?

To help people understand the show more, and have sympathy for the contestants. We’re human, and there were times where we entertained people at the expense of our mental health. I wanted to bring a bit of humanity and insight to it all. The process can be brutal, and I wanted to give other contestants a voice. I really wanted to see how it affected people’s lives.

If you could turn back the clock, would you still audition for Big Brother?

It sounds crazy, but yes. I’d probably play the game differently and fake it more. I think I was too real and I thought people would like that, but they didn’t.

Are there other shows you’d love to do?

I’ve been emailing Loose Women for about 25 years because it’s my dream show, but they haven’t replied yet. Actually, I got one reply in lockdown. But I’m still hoping the dream might come true.

Narinder’s book Big Brother: The Inside Story – 25 Years Of Chaos, Controversy And Cultural Shifts is available now on Amazon

Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts is reportedly in talks to return to I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! for the All Stars series, which is set to take place in South Africa

Heart FM radio presenter Ashley Roberts is reportedly in discussions to recreate her legendary jungle bikini showers on ITV’s I’m A Celeb All Stars series.

The Pussycat Dolls singer, 43, is said to have been contacted by ITV bosses for the popular spin-off programme, which is officially called I’m A Celebrity South Africa.

Ashley made her debut on the star-studded series back in 2012. She struck up a flirty friendship with one half of the show’s hosting team, Declan Donnelly, with it reported at the time that the pair were “getting to know each other.

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Speaking about Ashley’s possible return to I’m A Celebrity for All Stars, a programme insider revealed to The Sun: “Producers would love to see Ashley head back to camp. She’s warm, hilarious and of course, drop dead gorgeous.”

“Just like Myleene Klass, who won the first All Stars series back in 2023, Ashley had some iconic moments soaping up in the outback waterfall.

“Stripping back down to her swimwear on TV again netted Myleene some very lucrative deals after the show, and it’s sure to do the same for Ashley if she makes the final line-up.” The Mirror has approached ITV for comment.

Before settling down with his now-wife Ali Astall, I’m A Celebrity co-host Dec reportedly had a soft spot for Ashley. While any romance between them has long since cooled off, they seem to have remained on friendly terms, with Ashley congratulating her ex-beau when he proposed to Ali in 2014.

At the time, she told The Mirror: “I got to see both the boys [in Australia] it was Ant’s birthday while I was there and I got to say congratulations to Declan. I’m happy for him.”

Back in 2012, Dec was reportedly smitten with the singer and dancer when they shared a rather flirtatious exchange on I’m A Celeb. During her time on the show, Ashley repeatedly mentioned how she was craving sex, telling Dec and co-presenter Ant McPartlin: “You’re deprived of everything here in the jungle. I can’t stop thinking about it.

“I’m excited to get out of here and be able to just stimulate all the senses – if you know what I mean.” A blushing Dec seemed at a loss for words, confessing: “Oh my gosh. Everything I want to say is unbroadcastable or illegal – or career-ending. Let’s calm down.”

The TV presenter then created a mock scenario where he pretended to ask Ashley to accompany him to the wrap party as his date, with her showing equal enthusiasm to “get to know him better”.

“It would be nice to go for a drink and a chat,” she said. After Dec’s romance with Ashley came to an end, he met Ali, who became his wife and mother to their two children, four year old Isla and three-month-old Jack.

EXCLUSIVE: Adam Collard has revealed why he and his fiancée Laura Woods have postponed their wedding date for one surprising reason, and confirms when they will tie the knot.

After making a name for himself as a Love Island lothario, Adam Collard has settled down with his sports presenter fiancée Laura Woods and is in his element as a dad to their son Leo, eight months. And after getting engaged last September, Adam tells Mirror that he and Laura are planning a 2026 wedding – which is delayed from their original plans.

The pair have recently moved house and are renovating their dream home, something which has contributed to the wedding delay, “We’d started to plan [the wedding] but now we’ve moved house we’re going to do it nearer our new place. It’s on the back burner at the moment, but it’s going to be a 2026 wedding.”

But revealing that he suspects their nine-year age-gap has something to do with Laura pushing the date back, Adam laughs, “I honestly think Laura is delaying it until I turn 30 so we’re both in our thirties for it!” It comes after fellow new dad Mark Wright shared his big ‘disappointment’ after holiday with baby Palma and Michelle Keegan.

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Adam says that becoming a dad to their son Leo has changed everything for him, as he shares, “I’ve got a purpose now, whereas for years I felt like I was in limbo,” says Adam of becoming a dad.

Describing Leo as “100 miles an hour”, the Celebrity SAS star continues, “He’s a handful but so funny and everything we’ve ever wanted. Being a dad is great, but it’s challenging, too, I’d never sugar-coat that. But it’s put everything into perspective. I’ve not got a lot of family members that I’m close to – unlike Laura. Both my mum and dad have been missing at different stages of my life. But I want to compensate for that and be the best I can possibly be for Leo.”

Describing TNT Sports presenter Laura as a natural mum, Adam says, “She was born to be a mum. Laura fell pregnant quite early on in our relationship and it feels like she was meant for it in every sense. I started my own businesses at 21 and went on Love Island at 22, but it always felt like I was working hard, going on holidays, doing all these material things, with no one to share it with.

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“Laura’s the same, we now realise why we work hard. We’ve just bought another house and it’s probably going to be the home where Leo grows up – we now realise what the point is. I’m one of two and Laura’s one of three, so we’re arguing over whether we want two or three kids. Hopefully the next one’s a girl and we can stop there.”

The couple have been together since October 2023 after meeting online, and welcomed Leo less than two years into their relationship. The pregnancy came after Laura suffered a miscarriage earlier that year, something Adam says was tough for him to process. “I blamed myself for the miscarriage – so much happened in the space of a few months, it was all too much to process.

First, a chandelier smashed on Laura’s face – we were in Newcastle and drove straight to London for help because we wanted the best plastic surgeons – so we were driving as she was bleeding and it was a do-or-die type situation.

Then we told friends and family that we were expecting at around 11 weeks – but the safe time to tell people is generally from 12 weeks – and four days later we found out we’d lost the baby,” recalls Adam.

“I think men are really bad at not speaking about miscarriages and just pretending we are okay – but it’s hard. If someone’s sick, I’ll try to get them to hospital, or if my family struggles, I can give them money. But with this, I had no control. It’s the only time when nothing in my power, no shame, no money, nothing could help.”

Adam also developed an addiction to painkillers around that time, which spun the business owner into a dark place mentally. The tough time is when he was approached to take part in the new series of Celebrity SAS, which was filmed last June, as Adam says he used the show as a way to get out of the rut, “I’ve spoken about my addiction to painkillers, which saw my mental health dip. I nearly pulled out of SAS because I didn’t feel my strongest, mentally.

“But, I spoke with Laura and realised that when anything bad happens, the best thing is to have something to focus on. People will see an emotional side of me, which they’ll be surprised about because it’s not the hard exterior I had the last seven years I’ve been on TV. The show was a bit of a saving grace.”

Adam describes the show, which is currently airing on Channel 4, as an “amazing” experience. “I like how it’s not ‘produced’, when we’re in there, it doesn’t feel like a TV show. It wasn’t easy, though. The final few days were tough – interrogation alone was harder than the full week before, they peel the layers off”.

This softer side of Adam is one he’s looking forward to the public seeing, and a far cry from his 2018 Love Island image.

“Everyone’s followed my relationships since I was 21 and they’ve been right about me – until they were wrong. Laura was the change. I always knew I had it in me but until I found that girl, I was always going to be ‘that’ guy. I was just a stupid, immature boy before. On SAS, people see the family man, the caring side, which has always been there deep down.”

And when it comes to doing more TV in the future, is there anything on Adam’s bucket list? “I was away for nine days on SAS, and Laura said, “There’s no way you’re going to do I’m A Celeb for 21 days,” because she knows I’d love to,” he laughs. “But I think she’d be fine as long as she’s not pregnant. I’d like to do the jungle. I’ve got two left feet, so Strictly or Dancing On Ice would be my worst nightmare – more scary than SAS!

Celebrity SAS is currently airing at 9pm on Sundays and Mondays on Channel 4.