Former Big Brother star Grace Adams-Short opens up on what the house was like off-camera, as the show celebrates its 25th year anniversary.
It’s been 25 years since the OG reality franchise Big Brother hit screens, with the first series seeing 10 contestants entering the iconic house for the original ‘social experiment’.
From heated arguments to romances, the Channel 4 show quickly became a national obsession and launched the careers of some of today’s best-known reality stars – including Grace Adams-Short, who previously appeared on the show’s seventh season.
Now, 19 years after her reality TV debut, Grace has lifted the lid on life in the house, where she also met her husband Mikey Dalton.
Speaking exclusively to online casino Betway ahead of the show’s milestone anniversary, she opens up about what the Big Brother hosts were really like off-camera, the surprising celebrity fans she gained following the show, and the memorable moments she and Mikey still look back on today. Grace Adams-Short reveals:
Big Brother celebrates its anniversary this week! What moments stand out to you the most from the show?
The Nasty Nick note was iconic. It was so shocking at the time when it was just a few scribbles on a bit of paper. It shows how time has changed. We were all gripped and I still remember how amazing it was to tune into the episode where Craig [Phillips] and everyone called him out.
How do you think the show has changed over the years?
It has lost its appeal since the glory days, which you can see from the viewing figures. I think everyone has become too savvy about what they want to get out of a reality show. When I was on Big Brother, it did just feel like 15 minutes of fame before you returned to your normal life. Now, people want to go on things like Love Island to get famous. It’s too calculated. Also, Big Brother used to select a great group of characters that were entertaining but still felt like normal people. I don’t think reality casts nowadays feel like average people anymore, and that gets boring to watch.
Do you have any regrets about the show?
Sometimes I wonder whether I should have just been the nice girl and played the game to stay in a bit longer. But I wouldn’t have been able to keep that up. You’re watched 24/7, so it’s impossible to be someone you’re not.
You had quite a dramatic exit leaving the show – did you ever apologise to Susie?
I have never seen Susie since. Our paths have never crossed. I’d like to think she could now see the funny side of it all. Big Brother was like a panto and it was all theatrical. I would never have thrown a glass of water over someone in normal life but it was such a strange environment. I was young too.
Are you still in contact with anyone from the show?
I still talk to Glyn [Wise]. He’s a fully qualified priest and he’s in North Wales, so he’s not too far. That’s the great thing about social media because you can still keep in touch and stay up to date with someone’s life. A few of my Big Brother housemates would reach out over messages with Nikki before her death. It was me, Imogen [Thomas], Richard [Newman] and Glynn. We’d speak to her from time to time. It was really sad.
Despite all the arguments during the run of the show, there’s no bad blood with any of my former housemates. Actually, Aisleyne [Horgan-Wallace] still has a problem with me. I did a Zoom interview with her and Nikki during COVID and she was still really gunning for me. It was like Big Brother round two. I felt like saying ‘calm down, you’re 45 now!’ After the chat finished, the rest of the former housemates were asking about me and Mikey and Aisylene just exited the chat. No one should have beef anymore but she’s still bringing the beef!
Do you have any memorable moments from your series that didn’t make it on air?
No, I think they showed most of my bloody scenes, to be honest! My mum used to wonder why they’d always show us working out the shopping list. It felt like boring TV but there was a clip where I refused to let Mikey have a 30p bag of nuts because there wasn’t enough budget. He still doesn’t let me forget that.
The show was massive during your series. What was the most pinch-me moment after leaving?
I remember Simon Cowell approaching me at an event and asking me if I was being nicer to people yet. I felt like saying ‘that’s the pot calling the kettle black!’ It was a pretty surreal moment to realise someone like Simon Cowell had been tuning in and watching me!
There was another time when I was at V Festival and Richard Branson offered me his helicopter to get back home. I turned it down as I felt it was going out of his way. Mikey told me I was a fool to say no and it could have turned into a big business opportunity. But I just didn’t want to inconvenience him!
Were you glad to step back from the showbiz world, or do you miss the glitz and glam?
I was a dance teacher before Big Brother and set up my own dance academy after the show. I’ve also recently launched the OSO content studio for brands and creators. I was happy to enjoy the glitz and glamour of fame post-Big Brother, but I was smart enough to invest and launch my own business.
Mikey also kept me really grounded. My designer shoe and bag habit could have spiralled out of control, but he convinced me to stay smart. I used the show as a stepping stone to secure my future. I think staying focused on that is what’s kept me grounded. I do dip my toe into the celebrity world every now and again, but I’ll often turn down invitations to events or red carpets because I’d rather spend time with my family. I don’t chase fame. I’m happy to live a normal life.
Do you ever feel that you got a bad edit on the show?
I think I was a young girl and I thought I knew it all. I used to have such a potty mouth and even Mikey says he would often wish I’d stop talking in the house because he knew I was digging myself a deeper hole. I dealt with the boos and the backlash well, though. I think my background in dance gave me a thick skin and even at that young age, I could handle rejection. I have a small group of friends and I knew who I was. I was able to look at the show as panto and have a laugh with it.
Did you get any good advice from the Big Brother hosts, like Davina McCall or Dermot O’Leary?
Davina was never really friendly to me. She was my Big Brother b***h! Even during my eviction interview, I could tell she didn’t like me. And I’ve never crossed paths with her again. Dermot, on the other hand, was lovely. The nicest, most genuine guy. I had to spend a week with him on Big Brother’s Little Brother after coming out of the house, and we had a great time. He even stopped his taxi on Regent’s Street once because he saw me. He was always so lovely to my mum, too. Rylan Clark is such a great guy also. I met him years ago – this was before X Factor, when he still had ginger hair. He told me he was a huge fan of my series, and despite all the success he’s achieved since, he’s remained so lovely.
Were there any places in the house that didn’t have cameras?
No they all did, even the toilets. I think I went two days before I could go to the toilet. I even showered in a bikini. It felt so weird that someone was always watching but after we left the show, they gave us a tour of the camera gallery and the screens for the toilet and showers were kept in a separate room with only one person monitoring at a time. So it’s not like you had a whole audience. But it felt like it.
What happened if someone got ill on the show?
You could go to the diary room and say you felt ill and you may have got checked over by a medical professional. But I don’t remember it happening. I think we all just sucked it up and got on with it.
What was a strange rule about the Big Brother house that viewers may not know about?
You couldn’t have a hairdryer because the sound was too loud and the producers were worried people would use it to have secret conversations. It’s also why we weren’t allowed a vacuum cleaner. I begged the producers for one because the house was filthy. Aisleyne and Lea [Walker] both had their extensions falling out over the floor. Mikey said he even walked in on Nikki [Grahame] cutting her toenails on the carpet. It was disgusting!
Did you have cleaners?
No, I was the cleaner. The house stank after a while. The only fresh air came from the french doors, and the bedroom had no windows. It was hot and sticky or it was freezing. The producers would crank up the temperature or make it really cold to mess with you. They wanted people to feel tested. The sofas were really uncomfortable too and the lighting was bright fluorescent. It was all designed to make you feel on edge.
You were known for being close to Nikki Grahame on the show – what memories have you got during your time in the house together?
“We knew each other before the show. We’d sit on the sofas in the BB house talking about those times and she’d tell me stories about the footballers she’d met. I think the producers cut all those conversations out though, so I’m not sure anyone realised we knew each other beforehand! She was such a character.”
