Celebrity Big Brother star Nicola McLean 'dislikes' direction ITV is driving show
Nicola McLean feels ITV's take on 'Celebrity Big Brother' has a "different vibe" from when it was on Channel 4 and Channel 5, and she has called for "old school" presenters such as Rylan Clark to come back.
Nicola McLean does not "like the direction" ITV is pushing 'Big Brother' and she has called for the return of "old school" presenters such as Rylan Clark.
The 43-year-old TV personality reckons the main ITV show and the ITV2 spin-off 'Late and Live' have "a different vibe" since the broadcaster rebooted the civilian series in 2023 and the star-studded edition of the reality show in 2024 - both of which previously aired on Channel 4 and Channel 5.
And Nicola - who was a housemate on 'Celebrity Big Brother' in 2012 and the All Stars Vs New Stars format in 2017 - has blasted the move from bosses to ditch guests with knowledge of the show on 'Late and Live' for "cool" people.
The two-time housemate told WhichBingo: "I don’t like the direction that it’s gone in.
"I haven’t even been asked to go on one 'Big Brother: Late and Live' - not even one. Not on the normal one, not on the celeb one, which I think is crazy!
"[It's] not just me, like there’s loads of us.
"They want the cool people on it.
"It’s definitely gone down a different vibe. They had Kate Lawler [the first female winner of 'Big Brother' UK in 2002] on it Tuesday [08.04.25] which is good, she knows the show inside out."
Both the civilian and celebrity version of the spin-off show - presented by 'Big Brother' newbies AJ Odudu and Will Best on a daily rotational basis - features three celebrity guests, with one being a resident on the programme for the week.
Even though Kate, David Potts and ZeZe Millz - all of whom have been in the 'Big Brother' house - have appeared on 'Late and Live' so far in the 2025 series, other guests, including Alan Carr, Melvin Odoom and Kemi Rodgers have not.
And Nicola has called for the spin-off show to remove everyone who has no experience of being in the 'Big Brother' house for those who do - including superfan Rylan Clark, who won 'Celebrity Big Brother' in 2013 and went on to host spin-off 'Big Brother's Bit on the Side' when the programme was broadcast on Channel 5.
The star - who has questioned where the petition is to bring him back - said: "He is 'Big Brother', wrapped up in a bow.
"I think that we do need to bring the old school people back, but they’ve just done it a different way.
"They’ve got people on there that have never even done the show.
"That’s my one rant of the day."
