There have been a lot of Big Brother winners over the years. Some more memorable than others. Pete Bennett - who walked away the champion of the show's seventh series - definitely made an impression. With the programme marking twenty years since hitting our screens with a stream of flashback episodes, we've been wondering what he's been up to since making such an impression back in 2006.
Funny and energetic, Pete won the heart of a nation, and raised awareness of Tourette syndrome. He enjoyed an in-house closeness with Nikki Grahame - she of 'who is she?' fame - and beat Welshman Glyn Wise to the £100,000 prize. Like many winners, he capitalised on the immediate fame by releasing a book, Pete: My Story, in November of that year.
His anarchic ways led him naturally to music. Having left his band Daddy Fantastic to purse solo work, he later formed another group, Pete Bennett and the Love Dogs. In 2012, however, he had a change of heart, and soon decided that acting was his dream. He found roles in a series of low-budget films like Female Zombie Riot and Crispy's Curse. He also filmed scenes for This Nan's Life, the yet-to-be-released film about Catherine Tate's foul-mouthed, politically incorrect Nan.
Pete's well-documented struggles with substance abuse and mental health culminated in losing friends and a spell of homelessness. In 2015, he went on The Jeremy Kyle Show to discuss his plight. 'The work didn't come in any more. I just lost it all,' he explained. 'Having all of that money, I didn't know what to do with it. That's a lot of money to suddenly get in my bank account, but I put it on the wrong things. To be homeless after having so much money, I didn't mind it too much, you know? Money's money! Easy come, easy go.' In 2016, he offered his services as a celebrity cleaner.
Pete was previously based in Brighton but recently found himself in the southeast of England. 'I came to Bristol in October to stay for a week and lost my phone on a night out,' he told The Bristol Post in 2019. 'I retraced my steps the next day and had a feeling I might have lost it in the Stag and Hounds, so I came in and asked if they had it behind the bar. The bloke said that they didn't, but also said they were about to start up a karaoke night and asked me if I wanted to host it.' He said yes.
Will these throwbacks bring him back into the limelight? Watch this space/
The Big Brother rich list
1 of 9Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace
Without a doubt, Aisleyne is one of the richest BB alumni. When leaving the house, she was offered loads of glamour modelling - and she then wisely invested the money in property. Which has more than paid off, as talking to Katherine Ryan in 2017 she said: 'If I sold up, my property portfolio would be worth a few million.' Nice.
2 of 9Craig Phillips
Big Brother's first winner - who donated his prize money to his friend who needed a heart and lung transplant - is thought to be the richest ex-contestant. Like Aisleyne, Craig has a property empire and with appearances on DIY shows such as 60 Minute Makeover and Big Strong Boys, the builder is estimated to be worth over £6million.
3 of 9Brian Dowling
It's no surprise Brian - who eventually went on to host Big Brother after winning the second series - is on the list. The Irish presenter is estimated to be worth a cool £3million.
4 of 9Alison Hammond
Alison wouldn't be the presenting legend we know and love today if it wasn't for Big Brother. Since her stint on BB, she's starred on a load of shows including Strictly and Loose Women. Now, the This Morning showbiz correspondent is now reported to be worth between £1m-5m.
5 of 9Kate Lawler
The series 3 winner (BFFs with Alison) modelled after she left the house and presented Channel 4 breakfast show RI
6 of 9Josie Gibson
Joining the rich list is Josie Gibson. The series 11 winner made a lot of money through a fitness DVD, which even beat Davina McCall's to #1. If you tune into This Morning, you can still see her radiating her Bristol charm.
7 of 9Brian Belo
Some reality TV trivia for you here: Brian claimed he had the idea for TOWIE and sued ITV and Lime Pictures, reportedly settling out of court for a rumoured £1million.
8 of 9Chantelle Houghton
Yes, before you ask, Chantelle was in Netflix's smash hit series Tiger King (she's an ardent animal rights activist). But the "fake celebrity" made a lot more than her £25,000 prize after winning series four. In May 2006, she signed a £300,000 deal with Random House to publish her autobiography. Her marriage to Preston might not have worked out, but her bank account certainly did.
9 of 9Nikki Grahame
One of the nation's most loved BB contestants, Nikki went on to a successful TV career when the show ended, even landing her own show, Princess Nikki. She also wrote two autobiographical books, Dying To Be Thin and Fragile, based on her experiences with anorexia nervosa.