GET GOBBY WITH BOBBY: ‘I always knew I was going to win Big Brother!'

Reality TV legend Pete Bennett reflects on his experience on the show and speaks about overcoming Tourette’s syndrome

- BOBBY NORRIS

As a massive fan of Big Brother, I absolutely loved the year when Pete Bennett won in 2006. Series seven will go down in history as one of the greats, with the likes of Nikki Grahame, Imogen Thomas and Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace also finding fame on the show.

Pete, now 38, won over the nation’s hearts with his loveable nature and raised vital awareness for Tourette’s syndrome, which causes sufferers to make involuntary sounds and words.

Pete would often splutter “wankers” on air, but when I catch up with him, his tics have subsided and he is a lot calmer.

“When I was little, I was the worst case ever reported in Europe,” he tells me. “The doctors always said it gets less frequent with age and when I got to 33, I remember it just slowing down a bit.”

We discuss his move into the world of acting, as well as reminiscing about the good old days of Big Brother – including stripping off in the pool and his short-lived romance with Nikki.

Pete reveals all about how he still helps other Tourette’s sufferers he’s kept in touch with from his reality days – and which BBC show he’s desperate to appear on…

Hi Pete! You’re a Big Brother icon! Looking back, how did it feel when you were told you were going into the house?

It was a massive sense of relief because I knew all my troubles would be over. I knew I was going to win, so I would be able to pay my mum’s mortgage. I knew I would be able to walk down the street and not get started on anymore because I would have raised awareness for Tourette’s. I needed to be the hero for all the kids with Tourette’s.