'I was on Celebrity Big Brother – this is the worst thing you don't see on air'

A former Celebrity Big Brother contestant has shared what the hardest thing about taking part in the ITV social experiment is, saying that the "paranoia is challenging". James Jordan, 47, is best known for donning his dance shoes on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, but he first entered the CBB house back in 2014 and made a comeback in the 2017 All Stars edition.

James, who was speaking on behalf of Betway, exclusively told Express.co.uk: "Not knowing people’s perceptions of you [is the hardest thing]. The first time I did Big Brother in 2014, I was the wind up merchant and just tried to just be myself. I thought the audience would see me as the joker but during the first eviction night, my name got resounding boos."

Explaining how he felt while hearing the crowd's boos from outside the iconic house, James shared: "I remember being shocked and trying to think what it was I could have done to upset the audience.

"You start to question yourself and I wondered whether I’d done something wrong. I worried what my wife or my parents must have been thinking about me.

"I remember talking it over with my housemate George Gilbey and he was also stumped by my booing too. In the end, I tried to not let it get to me and carried on behaving as I’d been before."

The Strictly Come Dancing professional continued: "You can’t pretend or be fake. But the paranoia is challenging. Hearing loud boos does make you question yourself. In the end, I made it to the final few, so I’m glad I didn’t let those boos affect me… It’s all just a bit of panto at the end of the day."

James also shared that producers do not have too much say in the general activities in the house. "They hardly have any input besides the tasks or challenges," he said. "It’s not like on shows like Love Island where the producers will suggest you have a conversation or give you a topic to discuss.

"Certainly the two times I was on the show, they just let you get on with it. I do think this series should include more games and challenges. It’s a social experiment and we need to see the housemates tested."