Big Brother's first ever winner Craig Phillips explains why he's left the UK

He might have stepped into the Big Brother house as a 28-year-old builder from Liverpool, but in September 2000,Craig Phillips made television history as the now iconic reality show’s very first winner. Capturing the nation’s hearts with his cheeky charm and generosity – donating his £70,000 prize money to a friend in need – overnight, he swapped hard hats for headlines, with a whirlwind TV career.

Today, Craig has settled into a quieter, sun-kissed family life in Majorca,where he and his wife of almost 10 years, Laura, raise their two young children. Lennon, four, and Nelly, six. Here, he reflects in an exclusive chat with OK! on how far he’s come...

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Craig! How’s life been since your whirlwind win?

September 15 2020, my life changed forever. I didn’t expect to win at all. The whole build-up – about nine months of applications, screen tests, psychiatric screening, medicals, police checks – gave me confidence because I got shortlisted from about 45,000 people. I got the call saying, “Craig, you’re in – you’re one of the 10.” I felt like I’d already won.

What was it like being under surveillance?

It wasn’t easy. Viewers saw a cleverly-edited version, but we were living it 24/7. Often I sat there bored, thinking, “How can anyone make an entertaining programme out of this?” We exhausted all conversations, a production would give us topics or games to spark things up. Only now do I understand how clever the mechanics of reality TV were.

How has Big Brother changed since your day?

Ironically, I didn’t watch my own series at the time. Instead, through interviews and iconic clips, I relived what viewers saw. From series two I watched for six or seven years but, after a while, it started to feel stale. Channel 5 brought it back too soon. Good hosts are one thing, but without standout characters, you can’t make great TV.

What moment still lingers with you vividly?

The confrontation with “Nasty Nick” when he was kicked out for cheating – that was a low moment. We all felt betrayed, we had a soft spot for him. Production even brought in a psychoanalyst to check on our wellbeing. To lift us, Big Brother gave us a takeaway and some cheap wine. Suddenly our mood flipped – a bit of food and drink and we were back on a high.

What have you done since leaving the house?

Luckily, I had a trade before Big Brother – I loved my building work. I never set out to be famous but we explored opportunities in makeover TV. My first big show was with ITV ’s Renovation Street, then BBC show House Call. After that, I signed a four-year exclusive with the BBC, doing about 150 shows a year. Over time, I did over 2,000 makeover shows across the UK and even abroad with the military in places like Bosnia, Cyprus, the Falklands and Canada.

Do you think reality TV has changed a lot?

Massively. Back then, there was no social media. Now, everything lives forever and you’ve got millions of people weighing in. It’s a double-edged sword. People can lift you up, but they can also tear you down brutally.

Who’s been your favourite celebrity to watch?

The earliest series’ were my favourites. One moment – not because it was “good” – was when David Bowie’s ex-wife was in the house and news of his death broke. The miscommunication that happened with Tiffany Pollard was shocking, chaotic and hard to watch. It was tragic for his family, but in terms of TV, unforgettable.

Who’d be your dream housemate ?

Ricky Hatton. I was devastated to hear of his passing. Ricky was a close friend. He even sent Laura and me a video message on our wedding day. His energy was beautiful. Second would be Robbie Williams. I’ve met him several times – always kind. We’ve had a few surreal conversations about fame – how he worked his whole life to achieve it, and mine came suddenly from Big Brother.

How did you and your wife, Laura, meet?

About 10 years ago, in the green room of shopping channel Ideal World. I was demonstrating one of my power tools, and Laura was modelling sports clothing. I think my first line to her was, “Would you like some chicken?” One day she came back to mine, stayed over… and never left! Within a week, I told her: “I’m going to marry you one day.” And sure enough, I did.

Do your kids understand that dad was on TV?

Lennon’s too young to get it, but Nelly’s starting to. There are a lot of British people here in Majorca, and she notices when people stop me. At first she was confused, like, “Do you know that lady, Dad? Why does she know your name?”

Her dad was one of the OGs...

A few weeks ago, an online article came out in England about the 25th anniversary. It included about 15 minutes of footage from the first day I entered the house. I’d never actually seen that before. SI showed Nelly and said, “This is the Big Brother house. This is why strangers say hello.” I captured her little face on camera as the penny dropped. Priceless.

What’s next for you all?

We’ve been settling into life in Majorca - the kids both go to an international school over here. We’ll keep making videos, that’s our bread and butter. But we’ve been talking about starting a podcast, focused on expat life. It feels like the natural next step.

If Lennon and Nelly wanted to do Big Brother in future, how would you feel?

I couldn’t stop them., I was part of that world myself. What I’d hope to do is teach them the dangers, make sure they can hold their own and have a backup plan if it doesn’t work out.

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