Rylan Clark breaks silence on Big Brother return after snub from new series

08 October 2023 , 14:04

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Rylan Clark has broken his silence on the return of Big Brother after apparently being snubbed from hosting the new show.

Big Brother will return to TV screens for the first time in five years tonight on its new home at ITV. Rylan’s former Big Brother’s Bit on the Side co-host AJ Ododu and new presenter Will Best will host the new show.

At one point Celebrity Big Brother winner Rylan, who co-hosted the spin-off with AJ from 2013 to 2018 when it was on Channel 5, was tipped to present the new series when ITV announced it was revamping the show, which first aired on Channel 4 in 2000.

When Rylan quit as host of Strictly spin-off It Takes Two earlier this year, fans thought it was a dead cert he was in the running for the Big Brother job. Instead he surprised fans with a return to TV last month with raunchy new Channel 4 show Sex Rated.

The ‘sex positive’ show follows single Brits who learn where they might have been going wrong in relationships by getting some no-holds barred feedback from their past sexual partners.

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Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, after a month off social media as his mum has been ill, 34-year-old Rylan showed his support for the new series of Big Brother. Hours before it aired, he said: “Good luck to team @bbuk. Have a fantastic series and welcome back Big Bro x.”

Rylan co-hosted Big Brother with Emma Willis for years until it ended in 2018 (PA)

Writing in the comments below, one fan wrote: “Won’t be the same without you @Rylan but I hope you enjoy as a viewer again and thanks for all the chats and laughs on BBBOTS over the years.”

Another commented: “You’ll definitely be missed Rylan!” as a third chimed in: “It’s a crying shame that you’re not hosting with beauts AJ or reviving BBBOTS in your own wonderfully inimitable style. I’m still hoping you’re going to surprise us!”

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Speaking on Loose Women earlier this year, Rylan said: "So obviously Big Brother was a massive part of my life. It was my favourite thing in the world to do. For the past five years since it's been off I've been very vocal in saying it should come back. In my eyes, it's the best reality show out there.

"At that point I didn't know what was going with Big Brother. I'd said 'I hope I'm a part of it'. And I suppose naively and stupidly to a point, I thought I'd been there six or seven years. You've been to my house, I've got a diary room built I love the show so much.

"I just presumed I'd be asked back. And I wasn't. It didn't transpire to be. I could be one of those people who says 'it wasn't what I wanted'. It was what I wanted. I would have gone back to Big Brother in a heartbeat. It was quite difficult actually because I didn't find out until everyone else found out, which I was quite upset about."

AJ Odudu and Will Best will present the new Big Brother (ITV)

One of the most successful reality TV formats ever, Big Brother has spawned huge stars including Josie Gibson, Alison Hammond and Kate Lawler, who are now TV presenters on This Morning.

First ever Big Brother winner Craig Phillips was a builder when he joined the show and now describes himself as a “property developer, TV and radio presenter”. Brian Dowling, who won the second series, has since gone on to host a number of shows and recently appeared on the Irish version of Celebrity Gogglebox.

Some of the most famous stars, such as Jade Goody and ‘Who is she?’ catchphrase maker Nikki Grahame are sadly no longer with us. Jade tragically died at the age of 27 from cervical cancer in 2009. Nikki was 38 when she passed away in 2021 from complications relating to her anorexia.