Celebrity Big Brother's Alex Reid clashes with podcast host in sofa showdown
Celebrity Big Brother winner Alex Reid and presenter Simon Hood's playful fight challenge took a dramatic turn during filming for the new online show Big Brother Simon Says.
Alex Reid grappled with a podcast host during a playful fight challenge that took a dramatic turn while filming the new online show Big Brother Simon Says.
The light-hearted clash started after presenter Simon Hood wound up the 51-year-old former MMA Fighter, jokingly claiming he could "take him" in a fight.
But Celebrity Big Brother 2010 winner Reid accepted the unlikely challenge, and they were soon locked in a tussle across the sofa as the cameras kept rolling and the podcast's other host, Big Brother 2015 contestant Simon Gross, watched it unfold.
The joke confrontation continued later in the podcast episode when Reid caught Hood from behind in a chokehold.
Rather than backing down, the experience made Hood want to challenge Reid to a real fight in the future.
Big Brother Simon Says gives fans of the reality show a weekly fix, with it airing weekly on Fridays at 5pm, streamed live on YouTube and online.
The podcast features iconic Big Brother housemates from both the regular and celebrity versions, including Reid, Richard Storry, Craig Phillips, Bez, Nick Bateman aka Nasty Nick and Paddy Doherty.
Evicted housemates from the new series, which kicked off on ITV2 on September 13, will also share their experiences of life on the social experiment show.
Each week, a group of invited Big Brother super-fans will join the hosts in the studio to participate in lively discussions.
Gross said: "I have lived and breathed Big Brother since my appearance in 2015 as the first male contestant to be evicted within two hours ever.
"I was also lucky to share my Big Brother experience with one of the biggest icons in Big Brother history, Nikki Grahame.
"I remember in the house she said to me, 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, lap it up, relish every moment, rejoice and celebrate it.'
"Nikki and I had a wonderful bond. We used to sing show tunes together. She had a big love, like me, for musical theatre, every morning I would make her a cup of tea and hot water bottle.
“I miss Nikki terribly. She was a ray of sunshine that lit up the room. I want to celebrate Nikki but also relive the old-school Big Brother, as there are so many wonderful housemates and characters that are forgotten.
“It's time to bring old-school Big Brother back with a nod to the new Big Brother audience!"
Big Brother Simon Says launches on Friday (18.09.26) at 5pm.
Grahame was the first and only housemate to have been voted back into the house after being evicted, before eventually finishing in fifth place.
She died at the age of 38 in April 2021, a few weeks after being admitted to a private hospital with an eating disorder.
Grahame had suffered from anorexia nervosa from her teenage years, and she had made attempts to end her life when growing up. She hid her psychiatric history from Big Brother producers when she applied to be a contestant on the show.
Catch the full interview with Alex Reid and Richard Storry on Big Brother Simon Says on Friday at 5pm.
