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
Source: Mirror
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