Irish TV star Brian Dowling has said he hopes the rebooted Big Brother series will be controversial “in a world where we are very PC”.
The TV presenter, from Co Kildare, rose to fame after winning the second series of the reality show in 2001, and went on to win Ultimate Big Brother in 2010, which launched his career in television.
The social experiment show will return to ITV on Sunday after it was revived by the broadcaster five years after it was axed by Channel 5 amid a ratings slump.
Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine alongside fellow former Big Brother star “Nasty” Nick Bateman on Friday morning, Dowling said: “I do hope they go back to normal with it and it’s people that don’t have a following on social media.
“Normal genuine people, maybe people that aren’t on social media. But I also hope it’s controversial.
“But in a world where we are very PC, it’ll be interesting to see how controversial Big Brother can be because that’s what was really good with Big Brother, it engaged viewers to have awkward conversations, whether it’s about race, sexuality, stuff like that.
“So its very interesting to see where Big Brother sits in 2023.”
The TV presenter explained that when he first went on the show in 2001 the contestants did not know much about the show and he feels it was a social experiment.
Whereas, when he went back into the house in 2010, he feels it was “far more produced”.
He recalled: “I walked into a field in Mile End and I think two people took my picture. And then in 2010, it was a chauffeur driven car, this massive media circus, so it was so different.”
Dowling was announced as host of the Channel 5 run of Big Brother in 2011 and was replaced by Emma Willis two years later.
He has also appeared on reality cooking show Hell’s Kitchen, the Irish edition of Dancing with the Stars in 2020 and presents The Real Housewives of Jersey.
The presenter recalled having “such happy memories” as a housemate on Big Brother, adding: “It literally changed my life.”
He said: “I wouldn’t have had the opportunities. I may not have met my husband when I did. I was on SMTV live in London.
“Tess (Daly) and I had taped an episode during Christmas so I was able to go out on a Friday night, I met Arthur.
“So all the stuff that’s happened would not have happened if I had not went on that show in 2001.
“But I think back then it was a very different show.”
Dowling is married to dance and TV star Arthur Gourounlian and were recently part of the line-up for a special edition of Celebrity Gogglebox Ireland.
Big Brother: The Launch will air on ITV1, ITV2 and ITVX on Sunday at 9pm, while the remainder of the series will be broadcast nightly on ITV2 and ITVX, excluding Saturdays.
