IF ANYONE’S qualified to talk about this year’s Celebrity Big Brother it’s Nicola McLean.
The former page three star went on the show not once but twice, appearing in 2012 and 2017, and knows only too well the highs and lows that contestants experience.
She’s already full of admiration for Celebrity Lodger Sharon, and she’s tipping either David or Fern to win.
In both of her appearances the outspoken star had blazing rows with other contestants, the first time with Loose Woman Denise Welch and the second with Kim Woodburn from How Clean is Your House.
Celeb rows
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Nicola, 42, who’s married to ex footballer Tom Williams, 43, who she has two children with, Rocky, 17, and Striker, 13, says, “It’s like nothing else you can imagine.
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“I was so excited to be invited on as I’m a huge fan - I thought it would be a walk in the park. It wasn’t.
“I remember going in and my heart sinking, two people who I’d had twitter rows with were in there.
“One was Natalie Cassidy who’d written in her column that I was a bad example to my kids due to being ultra slim – I suffer from eating disorders so I hit back that she shouldn’t do DVDs about weight loss.
“And the other was Natasha Giggs, after it emerged she’d had an eight year affair with her brother in law, footballer Ryan Giggs, I said I’d never let her near my husband.
“So that was awkward! Fortunately we all became friends.”
'Big bad wolf'
Nicola is watching this series keenly, waiting to spot what she sys is the manipulation she felt she experienced when she was in the house.
She remembers, “In the first series I realised early what ‘character’ I was put in there to be.
“We did a fairy tale task and while the other girls were given ‘princess’ costumes I got the Big Bad Wolf – which spoke for itself.
“I remember putting on makeup to at least look nice in my costume and I was called to the diary room and told to just wear the wolf’s nose – they seemed pretty determined I wouldn’t emerge looking pretty.
“Mind you Natasha Giggs got Pinocchio, so it could have been worse.”
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Nicola knows she’d never be dubbed a liar as it’s her outspokenness and feisty retorts that got her booed when she left the house.
She says, “I always speak my mind. I had a row with Denise, who was obviously popular as she went on to win.
“We were dancing on the sofa with the playboy twins – Karissa and Kristina Shannon – when she pulled down Karissa’s trousers.
Booze-fuelled fights
"It infuriated me as I know only too well that people think you’re fair game to touch if you’re in the glamour industry which very much isn’t the case. And I stand by that. Denise was wild in there, the booze didn’t help.
“I drank a lot too – on both occasions I was in.
“You get so bored unless there’s a task. We’d sit around like crack addicts waiting for the store room light to go green and then race for the booze.
“Fortunately there was loads – it was like a club 18-30 holiday.
“A lot of mornings I woke up with no idea what I’d done the night before. Once I didn’t even know where I was.
“Anyone who doesn’t drink has the edge as they don’t behave like idiots.”
Special privilidges
And Nicola will also be keeping an eagle eye on who she believes is getting special privileges as she knows things go on behind closed doors in the diary room.
She says, “When I went in I had no idea that some people made demands – so I asked for nothing.
“But I did get the odd treat. I was struggling with eating due to my historic eating disorder so I was called into the diary room and given a Big Mac.
“An optician also came into the house for me and I had ECGs in the diary room because of my anxiety. I could also see the psychologist at any time – once even at 2am.
“And I know that when American reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt came in they demanded 100% cotton sheets and got them while we all had cheap, scratchy ones.
“That couple was amazing – they were so odd, they hated anyone going near their bed.
“Spencer also refused to have a drop of tap water, and he wouldn’t have his food served with a spoon that had been used to serve someone else.
“Their dynamic was fascinating, Heidi used to put on Spencer’s moisturiser and file his nails.
Secret escapes
“And I’ve been told La Toya Jackson was allowed communication with the outside world.
“I was never allowed out. One star went to the dentist and apparently Rylan was even let out for X Factor rehearsals, which seems unfair – one of the hardest things is being cooped up with nothing to do and no idea what’s going on outside and this way they get a glimpse of freedom.”
Another bone of contention that Nicola had was housemates coming in late. She famously didn’t get on with Kim Woodburn who arrived in the house 11 days after her in 2017.
Nicola remembers, “I had really good friends like Bianca Gascoigne and Callum Best and we were getting on like a house on fire.
“And then Kim came in. She was vile from the start.
“And intimated that she’d been watching and judging me, telling me I was fake. Our rows were explosive.
“I don’t think it would be allowed today though, they’re rightly much more careful about your mental health.
“But after 2017 I had so much anxiety I was prescribed Valium.”
Though Nicola finds it hard to watch some scenes back, she takes responsibility for her actions.
She says, “You say and do what you do and I can’t blame anyone but myself.
“However I do think they can edit it in a certain way to fit with their narrative and some people get off quite lightly.”
Nicola is thoroughly enjoying this series. She says, “Sharon is obviously the queen of the house, she’s brilliant.
“I like Louis too he’s fantastically bitchy and bossy, the way he demanded a certain bed was incredible – I wouldn’t have moved for him.
It was one of the hardest times of my life.
Nicola McLean
“I think the public will take to David and Fern is lovely. The house is divided already so I’m waiting for the sparks to fly.
“I’m glad Gary was kicked out first, you shouldn’t ride on other people’s coattails, he’s not famous and he seems out of place.
“I wonder how they’ll feel when they come out, for me it was a mixed bag. I had some epic times – in normal life you’d never end up wading through treacle covered in feathers – it was hilarious.
“But on the flip side it was one of the hardest times of my life.
“It goes on forever, it’s boring and you miss the outside world – I really missed my boys, Tom and the dog – though I’m not telling you in which order.”
Fabulous has contacted Big Brother for a comment.
