The previous Celeb Massive Brother winner lifts the lid on her former friendships from the present and divulges her largest ‘pinch me’ second on the top of her fame.
It’s exhausting to imagine that this January marked 20 years since Chantelle Houghton entered the Movie star Massive Brother home. An entire unknown on the time, she was given the bizarre process of convincing her fellow housemates that she was the lead singer of a fictional band, Kandy Floss. Not solely did she pull it off, however she additionally gained over the viewers’ hearts, rising because the sequence winner.
Chantelle’s appeal wasn’t the one factor that captured the nation’s consideration. Her blossoming romance with Unusual Boys frontman Samuel Preston turned a significant speaking level, as audiences watched the pair fall in love on-screen. The couple married shortly after the present, although they break up lower than a yr later.
Regardless of one other high-profile relationship with former blended martial artist Alex Reid, Chantelle has since taken a step again from the highlight, discovering the pressures of fame too difficult.
But wanting again, she insists her time on Massive Brother stays a spotlight, describing it as the perfect factor she’s ever executed.
Talking to on-line on line casino Betway, she additionally displays on her longstanding friendship with Preston, the actual motive they’ll by no means rekindle their romance, and her well-known superstar encounters following Movie star Massive Brother.
Why do you assume so many individuals cherished your love story with Preston?
I feel everybody loves love, don’t they? It’s such an incredible factor. It was such an odd state of affairs, too, with me not likely being a star after which pretending to be one, and Preston already having a girlfriend. However there was one thing very harmless about what was creating between us. I feel folks form of fell in love with us falling in love. You don’t usually get to see that occur. You hear about your folks or household falling in love, nevertheless it’s uncommon to truly watch it unfold on TV, with out it being like a cleaning soap. As a result of it was so actual and so harmless, folks simply cherished it.
I feel we had been very fortunate to be a part of that period of actuality TV, as a result of it shortly become game-playing, the place folks knew that in the event you went on tv and obtained right into a relationship, you’d get publicity. None of that was a factor again then. It was simply actual, it was uncooked.
Are you continue to buddies?
Yeah, we nonetheless message every so often. I feel he’s engaged to somebody now. I don’t know if that’s public data, however hey! We’re nonetheless pleasant, there’s no unhealthy blood. We didn’t have an terrible falling out. Clearly, there have been issues and a little bit of animosity on the time, however no, I genuinely want him nicely. We’ve been via a lot collectively that nobody else will actually perceive. That friendship nonetheless issues. It’s good reminiscences, and it’s one thing we did as soon as in our lives. It was only a nice expertise.
Do you get uninterested in followers wanting the pair of you to reunite as a pair?
The primary 10 years after the break up, it was one factor, however now I feel most individuals have realised we’re not getting again collectively. By no means ever! I feel folks realise it’s positively over for good. Though he did like one among my posts on Instagram, that obtained a couple of folks excited. However no, we’re not getting again collectively, ever.
Why are you able to say that with such certainty?
We’re completely completely different folks from who we had been then. It’s been 20 years! I’ve been via experiences which have utterly modified me, and I’m certain he has, too. We’re simply very, very, very completely different folks now. Again in my 20s, I used to be one particular person, and now, in my 40s, I’m nonetheless that particular person in some methods, however I’m additionally very, very completely different. If we had been each single and met for the primary time now, there wouldn’t be that very same spark.
Your relationship with Preston was so public – how has that impacted your relationships?
Proper now, I’m undecided whether or not I wish to go public with my new man or maintain it only for me. I’m residing within the second. I wish to inform the world how wonderful he’s, after all I do, however for now, I’m retaining it to myself.
Trying again in your season of the present, do you assume there was a contestant who obtained an unfair edit?
I cherished Pete (Burns). He was slightly controversial, however he obtained quite a lot of love from followers too.
Is there something you’ll change about your time on the present?
My confidence in standing up for myself, however I used to be so younger. I used to be in the home with Dennis Rodman, and we clashed. If I may return and redo something, I’d have dealt with it in another way and never been afraid to face up for myself greater than I did. I’m happy with how I dealt with issues as I attempted to not let him hassle me, however I want I’d been extra outspoken.
Throughout your top of fame, was there ever a star who provided you some nice recommendation?
Jamie Oliver has at all times been one of many nicest celebrities. We each appeared on a present collectively, and he took the time to speak to me about sudden fame and dealing with it. He even invited me out to eat along with his spouse, Jools. Dermot O’Leary can be great. I bumped into him just lately, and he’s simply such a pleasant man.
On the top of your Massive Brother fame, what was the most important pinch-me second?
I obtained invited to Clarence Home via the Prince’s Belief to have afternoon tea again in 2006. I used to be simply weeks out of the Massive Brother home. There have been little footage of Prince William when he was younger, and I used to be standing subsequent to Ant and Dec. Charles got here in to greet everybody and shook my hand. It was surreal! I really left my passport there, they usually needed to ring my emergency contact, who was my grandparents. That was an odd second for them!