'I'm an extrovert, so I relished the spotlight'

As we await the return of Big Brother, Anthony Hutton looks back on his 2005 win

- LUCY ROBINSON

When Big Brother made its debut in 2000 on Channel 4, the show marked the start of a new genre of TV. It promised contestants the chance to take part in a "social experiment", and involved hopefuls entering a custom-built house where viewers at home could watch their every move.

Over the course of 18 years and 19 series, the reality show turned competitors such as Alison Hammond, Jade Goody and Adele Roberts into household names, with the series three finale amassing an impressive 9.9 million viewers. But that was all until 2018, when the show came to an end.

Now, following a five-year break, Big Brother is set to return to our screens on ITV2 and a whole new host of individuals will get to experience life spent in isolation. To celebrate, new speaks to Anthony Hutton, who won Big Brother back in 2005.

"The morning after a night out I received a call from an unknown number. Thinking it would be a stranger I'd given my number to while on the town, I nearly didn't pick up. Luckily I did. The call changed my life," explains Anthony, 41.

"At the time of Big Brother, I was working as a postman. I wasn't content with how I was living, so I thought the show would change my life. After months of auditions and meetings, I was taken to France where I spent two weeks in hiding before entering the Big Brother house. The two weeks turned into a lads' holiday and I went out with my chaperone, getting drunk and meeting girls. We even had a road trip to Paris.