Eight years since iconic 'David's dead' moment as Celebrity Big Brother returns

04 March 2024 , 17:00

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Angie Bowie tells Tiffany Pollard 'David is dead' (Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Celebrity Big Brother 2024 returns to our screens this evening but who remembers the moment when American TV personality Tiffany Pollard mistakenly thought housemate David Gest had died?

The star who shot to fame in VHS Flavor of Love caused chaos when she announced he’d died after being told of another David’s death. As the new series returns to ITV screens this evening, we take a look at what happened to cause this case of mistaken identity.

Cast your mind back to 2016 - the 17th series of Celebrity Big Brother - and you may recall that David Bowie's ex-wife, Angie Bowie, was in the house alongside Gemma Collins, Stephanie Davies and David Gest, who was ill and resting in bed. The Cypriot-American born actress, model and journalist was informed of the death of her ex-husband David Bowie just two days into her stint in the house and understandably confided in Tiffany.

Angie Bowie appeared on Celebrity Big Brother 17, where she finished in 12th place. (PA)

David and Angie Bowie got married at Bromley Register Office in 1970 (SWNS.com)

Angie was told what had happened in the diary room where she collected her thoughts and decided to tell the other housemates, however, she simply said “David’s dead”. The shock announcement led Tiffany to presume fellow housemate David Gest had died as he was in bed sick at the time. It was only after announcing to the other housemates that he had passed that the housemates clarified it was Angie’s ex - David Bowie - who had sadly died at the age of 69.

Angie and David Bowie were married for 10 years between 1970 and 1980 at the start of David Bowie’s glittering career. English musician David Bowie died at his Lafayette Street home in New York City, having been diagnosed with liver cancer 18 months earlier.

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David Bowie with his wife Angie during a visit to London in 1976 (Mirrorpix)

He was regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century first breaking into the UK Singles Chart with his single Space Oddity in 1969 and then re-emerging as alter ego Ziggy Stardust in 1972. The character was spearheaded by the success of Starman and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars .

Just a couple of months after the show hit TV screens, David Gest did then sadly pass away on April 12th 2016. The American producer and television personality often stole the headlines during his relationship with Liza Minelli and also appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here. David was due to set off on the 'David Gest is not Dead tour!' but tragically died from a stroke just months after leaving the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Celebrity Big Brother is on ITV tonight at 9pm.

Jackie Annett