BIG Brother was the pinnacle reality TV show in its heyday, and it doesn’t disappoint in terms of drama.
Some of its contestants have found love – including the seven-star series Grace and Mikey who recently announced the birth of their fourth child.
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But while these two stand the test of time, the others don’t share their happy endings.
Here’s a look back at what happened to Big Brother’s most memorable couples…
Helen Adams and Paul Clarke
It’s been more than 20 years since Big Brother’s original couple, Helen and Paul, met in series two in 2001.
There was a real spark between the couple, and after leaving the house, they were together for an impressive 5 years.
The pair were even offered a reality series online after finding fame, but they turned it down, choosing to live their lives out of the limelight.
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Sadly, the couple broke up in 2006, and Helen’s hairdresser has been reported since marrying and starting a family.
Speaking to Heat Magazine, Helen said at the time: “I feel a bit like the Wicked Witch because I was the first to say something.
“But then Paul said to me, ‘Do you want to marry me?’ and I said, ‘I don’t think I would,’ and he said, ‘Well, I don’t want to marry you either.’ And we laughed.
“Once we started being honest, we realized that we got better as friends.”
Lee Davey and Sophie Pritchard
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Third place contestant Lee was only in the house for 18 days, which was long enough to begin his public affair with Sophie, who arrived on the 10th of the 2002 season.
The pair fell in love after the show and were Big Brother’s first housemates to get married, after he proposed live on breakfast TV.
A year later, the couple exchanged their vows in an actual star-studded wedding, and went on to have a son named Maxwell – however that all came to an end 10 months later.
While Sophie seems to have disappeared from showbiz’s sights, bodybuilder Lee continues to work as a stripper in Dream Boys. He currently writes articles for the French football website PSG Talk.
Michelle Bass and Stuart Wilson
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Michelle and Stuart aka “Chicken Stu” met on the show’s 2004 series, and wagged their tongues as viewers speculated about exactly what they were supposed to do under that table.
The couple stayed together a year after the show, and Michelle enjoyed a wildly successful modeling career.
Stuart is said to have tried his hand at music, but failed to audition for James Bourne’s Son of Dork band.
Speaking a few years later, Geordie Michelle said: “We finally went our separate ways. It wasn’t like that.
“When was the last time anyone saw him? Does he still exist? Who knows?”
Now, they both mostly live out of the limelight. Michelle is happily married to hypnotherapist Steve McKeown and the couple has two children.
Saskia Howard-Clarke and Maxwell Ward
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Saskia and Maxwell met on series six of the show in 2005 and were together for two years before breaking up.
Everything seemed to be going pretty well until Maxwell appeared to target his ex in an interview with Heat magazine.
Speaking in 2010, he said: “I don’t play my own trumpet, but if I don’t have you [Saskia]I will win the show!
“If I had time again, and I’m sure you said the same thing, I wasn’t with you and you wouldn’t have with me.”
Nikki Grahame and Pete Bennett
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In one of the sweetest relationships to come out of the reality show, while their romance didn’t go far, Nikki and Pete’s friendship certainly had.
The series seven couple shared a brief, touching relationship on the show and always close, with Pete, whose Tourettes, visited Nikki before her tragic death last April.
When he joined the show in 2006, Pete won the hearts of the British public, winning the film with over 60% of the vote.
Chanelle Hayes and Ziggy Lichman
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Dubbed the “Posh and Becks of reality TV”, Chanelle and Ziggy lived together for only six months after meeting in 2007.
Chanelle later revealed that they were still in contact and said, “Yeah, we’ll chat often. I really don’t speak to anyone else on the show.”
The pair also reunited on Loose Women in 2018, and revealed their true feelings about each other, with Ziggy saying, “I have no doubt we were in love.”
Now, Ziggy – whose real name is Zach – is the owner of a restaurant and bar in Kensal Rise, and Chanelle is a mother and a student nurse.
Lisa Appleton and Mario Marconi
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Lisa and Mario made a big impression when they became the first couple to enter the house together in series nine.
The couple became engaged on the show and married a year later.
They then believed that they had made their own reality TV series, but it turned out that they had been duped by a scammer who was making money with their own money.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Lisa said: “[The conman] destroyed my life, my confidence and my dignity.
“When he disappeared, we were penniless and homeless, we had nothing.”
After eight years together, Lisa and Mario finally divorced in 2013.
Speaking of the split, Lisa said: “Mario and I weren’t happy for a while – our whole world fell apart around us when we were convicted.”
Lisa was recently spotted taking a dip in the sea in England skinny, dumping trash in skimpy clothes and living out of the trunk of her car after she was allegedly kicked out of her home for partying.
Rex Newmark and Nicole Cammack
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The ninth series contestant, Rex entered the house before being joined by his girlfriend Nicole on the 58th.
However, the couple constantly clashed in the house before the blonde beauty was evicted from the house on the 79th.
Rex continued to exist until the 93rd, placing 4th overall, and the pair split shortly after appearing on the show.
Now, Rex is a private chef and restaurant server, while Nicole has moved away from the limelight.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/17518003/big-brother-couples-now-grace-mikey/ What happened to the Big Brother couples
