List of Big Brother 2 housemates (UK)

The second edition of Big Brother in the UK featured 11 Housemates competing for the grand prize. Ten Housemates entered on Day 1, while an intruder was voted in by the public on Day 16.

Amma

Amma Boateman Antwi-Agyei, born in 1978 in Watford^[1] was a table dancer from London. On the first night, Amma stated that her parents were not aware of her occupation until shortly before she entered the house. She said she is obsessed with cooking, eating and playing with food, though custard and porridge make her cringe. Amma loves karaoke and her party trick is turning her eyelids inside out. Amma identifies herself as bi-sexual, and often discussed it in the house. She was seen as being rude in the house, often burping and farting in the house. Housemate Narinder noted that Amma had to argue with everyone, and she was frequently seen clashing with her fellow Housemates. In the first two weeks, Amma clashed with Housemate Penny. Their disliking for one another was obvious, with the two often gossiping about one another until Penny's eviction on Day 15. Amma was good friends with Bubble in the house, citing him as one of the few men that she enjoyed in the house. She had a friendly relationship with Housemate Narinder, though Narinder didn't really care for her. Amma disliked Paul while in the house, and nominated during every nomination event she was present for. Amma also argued with Stuart during his time in the house. Amma was nominated for eviction on Day 39, being nominated against Paul. She was ultimately evicted on Day 43, having received 64% of the public vote. She came in 7th place.

Following her appearance on Big Brother 2, Amma appeared on Ultimate Big Brother in 2010, participating in the "Who Is She?" task.^[2]

Brian

Brian Patrick Robert Dowling, born on 13 June 1978, was a flight attendant for Ryanair before entering the house. He originates from Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland. He "came out" as being gay to his parents only two weeks before the competition.^[2] Brian says he doesn't like vegetables, salad or anything healthy but does make "a wicked shepherd's pie". His nickname is Bambie and is happy to describe himself as a "trolley dolly". While in the house, Brian had a close friendship with Housemate Narinder, with the two often gossiping and making fun of their fellow Housemates together. They had developed facial expressions and nicknames to describe individual Housemates. He also had a close friendship with Bubble, and the two frequently had play fights with one another. He felt he did not get along well with Housemate Paul, and didn't have a very good relationship with Helen partly due to her feud with Narinder. Brian was very loud in the house, and was seen as humorous by his fellow Housemates. Despite his, his loud antics did annoy Housemate such as Dean over time. Brian proved to be popular amongst his fellow Housemates, avoiding being nominated throughout the entire series. In total, he received only eight nominations from his fellow Housemates. Brian was voted the winner of Big Brother 2 on Day 64, receiving 61% of the public vote against Housemate Helen. He became the first openly gay contestant to win the series.

Following his appearance on Big Brother 2, Brian appeared in numerous television series such as the ITV series Hell's Kitchen during September 2007, in which he competed alongside other celebrities to win the series. He came in third place.^[2] Brian returned to the Big Brother house again in 2010, when he became a contestant on Ultimate Big Brother. On Day 18, he was crowned the winner of the series, becoming the only Housemate to win the series twice.^[3][4] Though this was meant to be the final season of the series, Big Brother was later picked up by Channel 5, and began airing in 2011. It was later confirmed that Brian would become the host of the new series, as former host Davina McCall had chosen not to return.^[5][6][7][8] Brian has hosted the series for the past six seasons, and is set to return as host for Big Brother 14 in 2013.^[9]

Bubble

Paul "Bubble" Ferguson, born in 1977, was previously a Warehouse Operative from Surrey. Bubble is a huge fan of Chelsea Football Club. He has a daughter, Bryony, about whom he often spoke in the house. He loves curry, but hates peas after an incident in which he was force-fed them as a child. He used to run a nightclub and said he was very proud that on his last day at work all the staff wore black arm bands. While in the house, he was seen as being "funny" by his fellow Housemates, and numerous Housemates such as Amma stated he had the potential to win the series. He stated in the house that he would "leave tomorrow" if he knew that he couldn't win, with this comment greatly upsetting Housemate Paul. Bubble had positive relationships with the vast majority of his fellow Housemates. He had a close friendship with Brian, with the two often play fighting with one another and joking around. He was also close with Amma in the house, and she later cited him as one of her only favorite men in the house. Bubble was also very close with Housemate Dean, with Dean being very upset at Bubble's nomination and subsequent eviction. Bubble didn't get along well with Housemate Penny, and nominated her during the first week; she was evicted that week. Bubble was nominated for eviction on Day 32, having received three nominations from his fellow Housemates. He was nominated against Paul, who had survived the previous two evictions. Bubble was evicted on Day 36, having received 53% of the public vote against Paul.^[2] He came in 8th place.

In 2002, Bubble and fellow Housemate Dean released a single, "Standing Tall", which peaked at number 99 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2003, he appeared in "The Office Christmas Special" alongside Ricky Gervais as a Blind Date contestant. He later returned to television in October 2008, he appeared in the E4 horror series Dead Set, along with fellow Housemate Helen.

Dean

Dean O'Loughlin, born in 1964, is a musician who was originally part of the indie band L Kage. Dean ranks football and sex as his favorite things. He says his biggest achievement was performing on acoustic guitar to a crowd in New York at an open-mic night where he "brought the house down". Dean is a member of both Greenpeace and Amnesty. He brought a guitar into the house, and was often seen playing it and singing around the house. He stated on numerous occasion that he didn't feel "intellectually challenged," and felt that things such as singing songs from the charts and discussing the celebrities like Posh and Becks was "beneath him." While in the house, Dean broke the world record for highest sugar cube tower as part of a weekly task. He got along well with Housemates such as Bubble, and was visibly upset when Bubble was nominated and subsequently evicted. He also got along well with Elizabeth and Brian, though he did find certain aspects about Brian annoying. Dean avoided nominations throughout the course of the game, and only received 4 nominations throughout the entire series. Despite being popular amongst his fellow Housemates, he proved to be quite unpopular with the public, only receiving 5% of the public vote to win the series. He left the house on Day 64 polling 250,000 votes, shortly before the winner was announced. He finished in 3rd place.

Following his appearance on Big Brother 2, Dean wrote a book about his time in the house titled Living In the Box: An Adventure Inside Reality TV. In 2009, Dean entered the Big Brother 10 house as part of a task celebrating the tenth anniversary of the series.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Woodcock, born in 1974, was a website designer from Cumbria. Elizabeth loves avocados but hates smoking. Her favorite movies include Easy Rider and Dangerous Liaisons. Elizabeth has stated she adores animals and said she would miss her dog Billy while she's in the house. Elizabeth is a horse fanatic who has worked with MAFF on the relocation of animals from foot and mouth-infected areas. She stated she wanted to enter the house to see "how she would react."^[10] Before entering the house, she was in a relationship with a 53 year old man named Steve, who later sold nude pictures of her while she was inside of the house.^[10] While in the house, she got along with most of her fellow Housemates, mainly Paul and Dean. She disliked Housemate Helen, and often mocked her for being loud. Elizabeth was not nominated at all during her time in the house, and only received four nominations against her throughout the entire season. Despite her popularity in the house, she proved not to be very popular with the public, only receiving 2% of the final vote to win. Due to receiving the lowest amount of votes to win the series, Elizabeth was evicted on Day 63 in a surprise eviction. She came in 4th place.^[2]

Helen

Helen Adams, born on 30 May 1978, was a hairdresser and dance instructor from Cwmbran.^[11] Helen described her perfect day as having a long bath, blow-drying her hair and covering herself in glitter and fluff. She says her best qualities are being enthusiastic and chatty. She had a boyfriend before entering the house, but he later decided to end their relationship while Helen was still inside the house.^[12] She later formed a close friendship with Housemate Paul, which later turned into a romantic relationship. The two later dated upon leaving the house, eventually ending their relationship in 2006. Helen was seen as a "dumb blonde" by numerous Housemates and the public, and became known for her outrageous comments that were referred to by the media as "Helenisms."^[13][14][15] She had friendships with most of her fellow Housemates, mainly Amma and Josh. She often clashed with Housemate Narinder, with the psychologists citing Helen seeing Narinder as "pretty" and a "threat" as the main reason for the negative relationship. The two had numerous confrontations in the house, and often gossiped about one another. Helen was nominated for eviction for the first time on Day 8, receiving five nominations that week. She ultimately survived the eviction, resulting in Penny's eviction that week. Following this, Helen avoided nominations for a while, with Paul being nominated four consecutive weeks in a row. Helen was nominated for eviction for a second time on Day 46, this time being nominated against Josh. She later survived the eviction, only receiving 16% of the public vote to evict. She was nominated yet again on Day 53, this time against her romantic partner Paul. He was evicted this week, with Helen receiving 16% of the vote yet again. On Day 64, Helen was crowned the Runner-Up of the series, receiving 39% of the public vote against Brian Dowling.^[16]

Josh

Josh Rafter, born in 1969 was a property manager. Josh is a fitness fanatic who says his fitness instructor is the biggest influence on his life so far. He also admires his 89-year-old grandmother for her amazing amount of energy and zest for life. Josh says his dream job would be an international tennis player. Josh was revealed to the viewers on the launch episode along with Anne and Natasha, and it was revealed that the public would vote one of these three potential Housemates into the game. On Day 8, it was revealed that the viewers had voted for Josh to enter the house, and that he would enter after the first eviction. He officially entered the house on Day 16, coming in through the Diary Room and surprising the others. Upon entering the house, Josh revealed that he is openly gay, a fact which shocked his fellow Housemates. In his video asking for the viewers' vote, Josh did not reveal his sexuality. Despite this, the men speculated that he was lying to get closer to he women, and the women continued to flirt with him. While in the house, Josh had close friendships with the majority of his fellow Housemates. He was closest with Brian and Helen in the game, and chose to avoid drama. He was nominated for eviction on Day 46, having received four nominations from his fellow Housemates that week. He was evicted on Day 50, receiving 84% of the public vote against Paul. Despite being voted in by the public, the revelation that he was gay was seen as part of the reason he was evicted from the game, as he had potentially lost votes from the female viewers who had voted him in based on his physical appearance.^[17]

Narinder

Narinder Kaur, born in 1973, was a Medical Rep from Leicester. Narinder decided to take part in Big Brother because she wanted to entertain Britain for ten weeks. Before entering the house, she stated she would most miss "Running outdoors, reading the newspapers, [and] music" among other things.^[18] During the second day in the house, Narinder was upset as that was her wedding anniversary, and she could not be with her husband. While in the house, Narinder was seen as a major cause of friction in the game, and was frequently seen gossiping about and making fun of her fellow Housemates.^[19] Narinder had a close friendship with Brian while in the house, with the two often making fun of their fellow Housemates. They had nicknames and facial expressions to describe their fellow Housemates amongst one another, mostly used in a derogatory way. Narinder also got along with Housemates such as Elizabeth and Paul. Narinder did not get along well with Helen, and the two were often seen giving dirty looks to one another and gossiping about each other. In the early weeks, the psychiatrists noted that Helen saw Narinder as a threat, as Narinder was a "pretty girl." Narinder and Helen argued on numerous occasion in the house, and the two often nominated each other for eviction. During the first live eviction, Narinder's husband and Helen's mom argued over who was jealous of who in the house. Narinder also did not get along with Housemate Amma, stating she always had to argue over things. Narinder was nominated for eviction on Day 25, having received six nominations that week. She was nominated against Paul, who had survived the previous eviction against Stuart. On Day 29, Narinder became the third Housemate evicted from the house, having received 62% of the public vote. She came in 9th place.

In 2004 she appeared on Big Brother Panto, a Big Brother spin-off show that saw previous housemates from different series act in a play. She later released a book based on her experience in the house, titled Big Brother - The Inside Story, and had two children.^[2] She since moved back to Newcastle in 2009 with her husband and two children. According to news articles, Narinder is "taking a break" from her career and is potentially looking to revive her show business career in the short to medium term.

Paul

Paul Clarke, born in 1976, was a CAD Designer from Reading. Paul describes himself as a modern man who never forgets his moisturiser and his mirror. He says his biggest worry is impending flabbiness because there is no gym in the Big Brother House. Paul dislikes people who pick their nose in traffic, tomatoes and classical opera. Paul said he expected to impress the girls in the house because he can "work like a dog [and] laugh like a hyena." While in the house, Paul got along with almost all of his fellow Housemates. He clashed with Housemates such as Amma, with the two nominating each other almost every week they were in the house together. He also clashed with Elizabeth at times, but they almost always made up afterwards. He initially had a flirtatious relationship with Housemate Penny, with the two sharing a kiss in the house.^[20] However, following Penny's eviction on Day 15 she stated she just flirted with him for fun. He later formed a close friendship with Helen, which later became a romantic relationship. The two never kissed or became intimate in the house, however, as Paul believed she had a boyfriend outside of the house. Unbeknownst to them, Helen's boyfriend had decided to end the relationship while she was in the house.^[12] The two later dated outside of the house, breaking up in 2006.^[21] Paul was frequently nominated for eviction by his fellow Housemates, and had the highest total of nominations this season, receiving 25 nominations against him. He was nominated for eviction first on Day 18, this time against Stuart. Following Stuart's eviction, Paul was nominated again on Day 25 against Narinder; Narinder was evicted that week. On Day 32, Paul was nominated for a third consecutive time, this time against Bubble. In a close vote, Bubble received 53% of the public vote, and was thus evicted from the game. This made it the third time in a row that Paul had survived eviction, a record for the series at the time. He was nominated for a fourth consecutive time on Day 39, this time up against Amma; Amma was evicted that week. He was nominated for a fifth and final time on Day 53, this time being placed against his romantic partner Helen. On Day 57, it was revealed that Paul had been evicted from the house, having received 84% of the public vote against her. He came in fifth place.

Penny

Penny Ellis, born in 1968, was an English teacher from London. Penny said she is a bit eccentric and that her ambition was to make every teenager's dream come true. She said she does not like people sniffing near her, and claimed to be very clean and tidy. Penny said she likes to relax listening to music and cuddling her teddy bear. In the house, numerous Housemates stated they felt that Penny was a "mother figure" for them, which did annoy certain Housemates such as Dean. She often cooked all of the meals in the first few days, but tried to help less after Bubble expressed annoyance with her. Penny got along with Housemates such as Brian, but clashed with females in the game such as Helen and Narinder. She also didn't get along with Amma, especially during Penny's last days in the house. At one point, Penny screamed at Amma for keeping her up one night by brushing her hair, which only strained their relationship even more. Penny, in the early days, had a flirtatious relationship with Paul, but during her eviction interview stated she simply enjoyed flirting, and that he wasn't her type. Penny was nominated for eviction against Helen on Day 8, having received five nominations from her fellow Housemates. On Day 15, Penny became the first Housemate evicted from Big Brother 2, receiving 58% of the public vote. Following her eviction, Penny was fired from her job as she had appeared nude on the series, and has since become a waitress. Penny came in 11th place.

Stuart

Stuart Hosking, born in 1965, was a Director of a Communications Company from Oxfordshire. Stuart described himself as a highly confident and articulate person whose passions were fast cars and foie gras. He said he had an aversion to Anne Robinson and he liked to think of himself as Mr Perfect. Stuart said he'd miss his wife's cooking and Indian takeaways the most while he was in the house. Initially, Stuart was seen as a leader in the house, a role he claimed he wanted to stray away from. Despite this, the show's psychologists noted the fact that he seemed to strive to have the attention on him. On numerous occasions, Stuart was noted as being dishonest and two faced, and would often wink at others to show when he was being fake. Upon her eviction, Housemate Penny referred to Stuart as a "poser." The comment came after Stuart and Penny had a confrontation in the game, and although he pretended to make up with her he later nominated her for eviction. Following Josh's entrance into the game, it was noted that Stuart appeared to be threatened by his entrance. He did have close friendships with Housemates such as Paul and Dean. Stuart was nominated for eviction on Day 18, and was informed of his nomination against Paul the following day. On Day 22, Stuart became the second evicted Housemate, receiving 86% of the public vote. He came in 10th place.

Following his appearance on the series, Stuart directed a West End musical based on Big Brother, which featured appearances by people such as the series' host Davina McCall.

References