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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Kate Lally

Big Brother's Craig Phillips 'looks like Stephen Graham' 22 years after show win

Scouser Craig Phillips won the first ever Big Brother UK way back in 2000.

Craig won fans over with his down to earth nature and sense of humour. After the series ended, DIY expert Craig had regular appearances on TV, including presenting a number of home makeover shows.

He also famously starred in Bo Selecta!, playing himself as a captive of Big Brother extreme fan Avid Merrion, played by Leigh Francis. Avid spent days outside the Big Brother house, eventually keeping Craig in a cupboard in his home.

READ MORE: Gogglebox star shows off huge weight loss results

More recently, he has appeared on This Morning, Lorraine, and Stand Up to Cancer. Earlier this year, when the return of Big Brother was confirmed, Craig said he was "inundated" with interview requests.

He also offered advice to anyone thinking of applying for the rebooted reality show. Craig explained he believes the housemates should be "normal people" and not hungry for "social media fame". He added: "I think we've got to go back to the basics, you can't change the formula very much."

Craig also said he made a point of contacting Big Brother winners in the years after his win to make sure they were okay and offer advice based on his experiences. He then issued a warning to anyone interested in applying for the 2023 series.

Craig Phillips on Lorraine earlier this year (ITV)

He said: "People used to come up to me and say 'Craig, I've applied for Big Brother, what advice can you give me?'. And I'd look at them and say 'don't do it'. But in fairness, that was when Big Brother started to decline.

"[Now], I would advise them to do it, [but only] if they have a good agenda. For me, I had a trade to fall back on so I didn't need TV."

In another video on his Youtube channel, Craig, 50, revealed his children are convinced he "looks like Stephen Graham". His wife Laura wore a t-shirt with the Liverpool born actor's face on it, and when he asked them who it was they replied: "Daddy".

Craig said it wasn't the first time he has been mistaken for the actor.

Big Brother is expected to return on ITV in Autumn 2023

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