{"id":131973,"date":"2023-10-10T16:17:45","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T16:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluemull.com\/?p=131973"},"modified":"2023-10-10T16:17:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T16:17:45","slug":"i-was-on-first-series-of-big-brother-it-wasnt-just-nasty-nick-who-was-awful-the-diary-room-refused-me-a-s-toy-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluemull.com\/beauty-and-fashion\/i-was-on-first-series-of-big-brother-it-wasnt-just-nasty-nick-who-was-awful-the-diary-room-refused-me-a-s-toy-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"I was on first series of Big Brother & it wasn\u2019t just Nasty Nick who was awful – the Diary Room refused me a s** toy | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

BIG Brother was the series which made contestants into overnight celebrities and paved the way for our reality TV obsession<\/strong> – and finally, it's now back on our screens. <\/p>\n

It's been 21 years since a group of 11 unknown strangers first entered the famous house in July 2002, greeted by host Davina McCall.<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

Among them was artist Nichola Holt, then 29 years old, a shaven-haired Bolton-born lass who made headlines by stripping naked and leaving clay imprints of her body on the walls of the house.<\/p>\n

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous about her time on Big Brother, Nichola, now 51, explained: \u201cI made TV history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI pioneered the way for thousands of contestants who came after me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into, the experience changed my life for better and for worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE ON BIG BROTHER<\/h2>\n

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Big Brother feud erupts as the house divides after just one day<\/h3>\n

Big Brother was the brainchild of Dutch media producer John de Mol who first created the series in 1997 in The Netherlands.<\/p>\n

The British version of the show was broadcast yearly from July 2002\u00a0 to November 2018\u00a0 and returned to our screens in October.<\/p>\n

When it aired on Channel Four in 2002 it was an overnight success pulling in a staggering 4.5 million viewers and was billed as a bold "social experiment".<\/p>\n

Nichola recalls: \u201cI was hungover after a night out in Bolton when I saw a television ad looking for participants\u00a0and I applied as a joke.\u201d <\/p>\n

Most read in Fabulous<\/h2>\n

<\/picture>MYSTIC MEG <\/span><\/p>\n

The moon and Saturn bring two very different properties on to your radar<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>GARDEN MAKEOVER <\/span><\/p>\n

Sue Radford makes change to \u2018millionaire Morecambe mansion\u2019 after holiday<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>WEIGHT A MINUTE <\/span><\/p>\n

I went from a size 28 to 14 with an exercise that won\u2019t leave you sweaty<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>Nailed it? <\/span><\/p>\n

Woman proudly shows off her engagement ring – but trolls are all saying the same<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

5<\/span>
The mum is busy raising her daughter and working on her career as an artist<\/span>Credit: Nichola Holt – Supplied<\/span><\/figcaption>
5<\/span>
Nichola is a proud single mum to 12-year-old Ava, who she home schools<\/span>Credit: Nichola Holt – Supplied<\/span><\/figcaption>

\u201cWe had to film<\/span> a video as part of our application and mine stood out because I chatted about myself while having a tattoo of an Aztec symbol done on my spine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four weeks later Nichola got the call that she had been chosen, beating over 40,000 people who applied for the firsts series..<\/p>\n

Nichola says: \u201cI\u00a0 wanted to get away from my family and have a time out and this seemed like a fun solution.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mum told me not to go and of course it made me more determined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichola explains that while you might expect five star service, there was no chauffeured car or free train trip to London.<\/p>\n

She reveals: \u201cI was so broke I had to borrow fifty quid fare to get there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI packed a tracksuit, a couple of vest , shorts and jeans and that was all I had in the world when I went into the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore we entered the house we were put up in a hotel and got a short briefing from producers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichola, who had spent most of her life travelling, living in communes and being an anarchist, admits the first night\u00a0 in the Big Brother house was a shock.<\/p>\n

She says: \u201cI walked in and was faced with a room full of strangers who were all so different.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided I was going to treat it like my home, make friends, be myself, do some art and create some chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichola, who celebrated her 29th birthday in the house, admits\u00a0 she had no idea that she and her other contestants would make television history.<\/p>\n

She says: \u201cWe didn't know if it was going to be a success, if anyone was watching it, we had no idea of the response on the outside world.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were suddenly cut off and tensions ran high.<\/p>\n

"Everything is magnified in there, something that might make you feel a little irritated or insecure in normal situations would feel like a huge deal on the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichola, who was dubbed a \u201cno brain northerner\u201d by some fans, instantly became friends with Claire Strutton, Sada Walkington, and Darren Ramsay when she entered the house.<\/p>\n

She says: \u201cI saw Nick Bateman, the man we dubbed Nasty Nick and instantly smelt a rat.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn't get on but it wasn\u2019t just him that I didn\u2019t see eye to eye with.<\/p>\n

\u201cI called Andrew Davison the grey man because he was bland, boring and had a grey personality.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe acted like there was no caffeine in coffee or sugar in chocolate.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a hidden stash of cigarettes and I didn't like the way he only offered them to people that he liked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichola admits that of all the tasks they had to perform, the shopping tasks were toughest.<\/p>\n

She says: \u201cWe had to work as a team and everyone had their own agenda.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only wanted some booze, fags and pasta but everyone was just out for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

On day two of filming, the housemates were asked to make a clay bowl and mug using a potter's wheel to win money for the weekly shop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wagered 20% of their weekly shopping budget on the task,\u201d Nichola says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ended up breaking three or more items and we failed and learnt the hard way failure meant less food and alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n

A passionate artist, Nichola was obsessed with using her art skills to decorate the house like her home, long after the potter\u2019s wheel was put away.<\/p>\n

She admits: \u201cI mixed together flour and water for glue and ripped up magazines and used them to decorate the walls.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome housemates lost the plot because I was using the few magazines they had to read but it was a way of keeping busy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can't just go to the shops or pop to the park and so you have to make your own fun and I liked to spice things up when I could.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat many people don't know is that most of the diary room moments are not broadcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was one time the other girls and I piled into the diary room to request a vibrator but Big Brother denied our request.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans of the show will likely remember Nichola\u2019s naked appearances in the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got the call I was going to be in Big Brother I didn't have many clothes,\u201d she admits.<\/p>\n

"My whole world came crashing down on me, there were so many vultures and very few people took me seriously."<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn't take a huge wardrobe into the house and so I spent a lot of the time naked and I think that shocked people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese days reality TV stars have stylists and social media campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn't have any of that, I was \u2018real\u2019 and unscripted and I loved that.<\/p>\n

"Of course the final edit showed me to be a bit of a naked northern numpty with a big gob and weird clothes.<\/p>\n

"People forget that you\u2019re a real person and it was hard to adapt to that once we left the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichola was nominated in the fifth week for eviction, receiving four nomination votes against eventual winner Craig Phillips.<\/p>\n

It was\u00a0 Day 36, Nichola was evicted when 72% of the public voted for her to go.<\/p>\n

She says: "My whole world came crashing down on me, there were so many vultures and very few people took me seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichola admits she had good times and bad times after the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI eventually suffered a mental breakdown as a result of the fallout from the show,\u201d Nichola says.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mental health really suffered as a result of the negative press that I got.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am tougher and more focused than ever now and I really hope that I can inspire people to get the help they need if they suffer depression or anxiety.<\/p>\n

Nichola says that by far her biggest achievement since leaving the show is becoming a mum.<\/p>\n

She says: \u201cMy wonderful daughter Ava- Rose, 12 is the centre of my world, I love being a single mum.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment I am working on my art at home and prioritising homeschooling Ava.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something we started in lockdown and I love teaching her so we decided to carry on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichola is still sporting her shaved head and says she is recognised by fans 23 years after appearing on the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love talking to fans and sharing the positives of the show,\u201d Nichola says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still in contact with some of the contestants and we follow each other on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor those contestants appearing on this year\u2019s show I say be yourself and have fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd most importantly be original, don\u2019t just do what your publicist or agent reckons will get you the most likes or followers.<\/p>\n

Read More on The Sun<\/h2>\n

<\/picture>TIME OUT <\/span><\/p>\n

How to take 55 days' holiday in 2024 by booking just 25 days of annual leave<\/h3>\n

<\/picture>MARKED DOWN <\/span><\/p>\n

Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan home-shamed as they reveal decor at mansion<\/h3>\n

\u201cJust be real like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fabulous has contacted Channel 4 for a comment<\/em><\/p>\n


\nSource: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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