Inside Celebrity Big Brother’s new GOLD house as The Sun spends the night at top-secret studios ahead of show’s return
CELEBRITY Big Brother is back – and just as its cast of ordinary folk has been swapped for a parade of high-value stars, its house has gone gold too.
The Sun went along to spend the night (well, a portion of it) at the famous pad, hidden away in an unlikely corner of suburban London, where the interiors have been given an added splash of glamour.
We went in through the famous eye entrance, with a lift delivering us, as it will for Louis Walsh and co on Monday night, to the house below.
The first thing to report is that the place is big. Unlike some previous CBB pads which seemed to drive its inhabitants crazy – see lovely Vanessa Feltz scribbling on the blackboard – this is genuinely nice.
If it went on the market, it would undoubtedly fetch millions (and Rylan would probably buy it).
ITV bosses have splashed the cash on gold trim, showbizzy lights and – as CBB’s Will Best remarked when we bumped into him – plants all over the place.
The presenter, who was bouncing about the place like a kid who’d overdone the Capri Suns, was even impressed with the makeover in the poky toilet, one of very few places that aren’t seen on screen.
There are carpeted corridors connecting each room, which celebs are encouraged not to linger in, while Big Brother’s voice booms through the halls whenever the stars need to be bossed about.
And there is the most minor of makeovers in the diary room, which we found AJ Odudu politely waiting to enter, with the light up chair now adorned with a star.
The bedroom looks like a prime spot for a row as among the neat single beds are two enormous doubles – all with sparkly gold cushions of course.
And over in the main room, there’s plenty of space for everyone on the sofas on eviction night.
There’s also table to fit all 12 of the VIP housemates round – plus a 13th special guest, who is expected to be Sharon Osbourne.
A steaming hot tub greeted us in the small garden, while a rainstorm lashed down in the capital last night. But who are we going to get to see take a dip in it?
Well, The Sun has revealed the likely line-up – and it’s a stellar cast.
The two standout stars are X Factor duo Louis and Sharon, who are going to be an undoubted no-nonsense pairing with neither of them afraid of a conflict.
There’s also Kate Middleton‘s uncle Gary Goldsmith, Strictly pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin and – fresh from the US version of The Traitors – Love Island‘s Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu.
We are also hoping for Levi Roots (get that man’s Reggae Reggae Sauce on the shopping budget, pronto) and Real Housewives star Lauren Simon.
Alongside them are TV titan Fern Britton, Phillip Schofield‘s old This Morning co-presenter, and Colson Smith from Coronation Street.
Bradley Riches from Heartstopper, social media star Zeze Millz and US performing powerhouse Marisha Wallace. Ibiza Weekender‘s David Potts completes the set.
Will this lot be as impressed as us by the new-look house? Possibly, not, many of them have millionaire mansion of their own.
But it is set to be the stage of no end of drama over the next three weeks – whether they like it, or not…
Celebrity Big Brother: Live Launch airs on Monday 4th March at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX