
Craig Phillips, the first-ever winner of Big Brother UK, has issued a stark warning to anyone considering entering the iconic reality show.
The Liverpool-born builder, who shot to fame after winning the debut series in 2000 and taking home the £70,000 prize, reflected on the overwhelming aftermath of his victory.
Phillips, now 53, admitted that despite having no regrets, he “wouldn’t do it again” in a new interview.
He told The Telegraph: “Over the years, people would stop me in the street and say, ‘I’ve applied for Big Brother; what advice would you give me?’. And I would look at them and go, ‘Don’t do it!’”
Phillips became a national favourite during his time in the house, most famously for calling out fellow contestant “Nasty” Nick Bateman for attempting to manipulate nominations.
But he says nothing could have prepared him for the chaos that followed.

Recalling the days after his win, he described the experience as “terrifying,” admitting he felt like he’d been “kidnapped” and recalled not returning home for a whopping 97 days.
The former reality TV star explained: “As soon as the live finale finished, I was driven away to a hotel with a police escort, as the press were chasing me. But no one was telling me what was going on. I felt like I was being kidnapped.
“It was terrifying. My knees were shaking. I felt vulnerable and panicky. It was not what I was expecting. All the things he [Brett Carr, the show’s psychiatrist] was telling me were not sinking in. Then my cousin Steven arrived, and we sat up drinking until 8am. From there, it was straight to a press conference. Every time I moved, 50 flashbulbs went off.”
Despite his whirlwind rise to fame, Phillips has since moved away from television and into business.
While he appeared on shows like 60 Minute Makeover and Builders, Sweat and Tears, in recent years he’s turned down work that “didn't justify” the effort or pay.
Now based in Majorca with his wife Laura and their two children, Nelly, 6, and Lennon, 4, Phillips earns his living through property, public speaking, and his successful DIY YouTube channel, Mr & Mrs DIY.
Reflecting on his time in the Big Brother house, Phillips admitted he and his fellow contestants were “naïve,” entering the show “not really expecting much.”
He noted that during his series, social media didn’t exist, a significant contrast to today’s reality TV landscape.
Modern contestants, he said, need to be “strong” enough to handle the level of public scrutiny that now comes with the territory, warning that it’s a “dangerous position” to be in.
Summing up his experience, Phillips concluded that fame and fortune “do not go hand in hand.”