Josie 'MY CAREER IS A COMPLETE FLUKE'

How Josie Gibson went from Big Brother star to top telly host

- ARIANA LONGSON

It’s hard to believe it’s been 13 years since the bubbly Josie Gibson first burst onto our screens as a Big Brother contestant. With her lovable West Country accent and comical one-liners, she instantly captured the hearts of the nation and won the show with a staggering 77.5% of the public vote.

But while many former Big Brother winners went back to normal life, Josie, 38, has managed to remain a household name. Today, the Bristolian – who is mum to four-year-old son Reggie – is one of ITV’s golden girls, sitting on the famous This Morning sofa alongside Holly Willoughby. Here, Woman’s Own takes a look at Josie’s rise to fame…

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS 

She may have won over the public after taking the Big Brother crown back in 2010, but Josie’s career in the spotlight wasn’t promised. The star has previously expressed her gratitude over her success, saying, ‘My career is a complete fluke. I didn’t think I was even going to go on Big Brother and then when I got out, I thought that I’d quite like to do some presenting.’

After Big Brother, Josie continued with reality TV, starring in a one-off show Josie and John James: What Happened Next? with then-boyfriend and fellow Big Brother contestant John James Parton, before making a brief stint on Ultimate Big Brother and even having her own three-part series, There’s Something About Josie.