CRAIG KEEPS ON WINNING: ‘OUR FAMILY FEELS

COMPLETE’ BIG BROTHER’S FIRST WINNER CRAIG PHILLIPS AND WIFE LAURA EXCLUSIVELY REVEAL THEY ARE EXPECTING A BABY BOY TOGETHER AND CRAIG TELLS OK!’S JOSIE COPSON HOW THE SHOW HAS SHAPED HIS LIFE

- JOSIE COPSON

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Big Brother first hit our screens and builder Craig Phillips emerged as the first winner.

The 48-year-old is now happily married to his wife of two years Laura, 33. After welcoming daughter Nelly in 2019, the couple exclusively reveal to OK! that they are expecting a baby boy this December.

“I’m the last living male Phillips in my family, and I wanted to have a boy to carry on the name!” Craig tells us.

Back in 2000, no one could have predicted how successful Big Brother would become. At the time, Craig’s eye was on the £70,000 one-off prize which he used to fund a heart and lung transplant for his friend Joanne Harris, who had Down’s Syndrome and tragically passed away in 2008.

His charming character meant he was also able to achieve success on other shows, including 60 Minute Makeover. And after investing most of his earnings in property, Craig and Laura are now living a very comfortable life in a beautiful eight-bedroom home on the outskirts of Liverpool that he built himself, and which includes a bar, gym and studio. The couple also film social media videos together under the names Mr and Mrs DIY and are hoping to get their own TV pilot commissioned.

Craig’s most famous scene on Big Brother came when he calmly confronted Nick Bateman (who was known as Nasty Nick) after discovering he was trying to influence other housemates’ eviction nominations by covertly showing them names he’d written on paper.