Former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Nicola McLean has opened up about the new series and how former show host Emma Willis had her back in an exclusive interview with ED!.

Nicola, 43, who rose to fame as a glamour model, first appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 and finished in seventh place. Five years later, she signed up for the reality show for a second time as an All-Star housemate and made the final.

Nicola has been a CBB housemate twice (Credit: Splashnews.com)

Celebrity Big Brother star Nicola McLean calls out ‘mean’ Brian Dowling

When Nicola first starred in Celebrity Big Brother, former winner Brian Dowling was the host. Despite winning the hearts of the nation twice, once during the second series and also Ultimate Big Brother, Nicola was less than impressed by how he treated her.

During her eviction interview with the Irish presenter, Nicola told ED! he was “not very kind”.

She recalled: “I was getting heavily booed and really wrongly as well, by the way. People are nuts. I didn’t even do anything. I don’t care.”

Nicola said Brian was ‘mean’ during her first eviction interview (Credit: Splashnews.com)
Nicola insisted that Brian “should have told the producers to shut” the Big Brother eye, which separated her from the crowd. She added: “He just didn’t have my back.”

However, when Nicola was evicted the second time around, when Emma Willis was the host, she noticed Emma showed a huge difference in support.

The boos were so deafening.

“When I was coming on to BOTs [Big Brother’s Bit on the Side], Emma said to the crowd: ‘If anyone boos her, you are out!’” she said.

“Emma has your back, she’s not going to let people treat you like that. Whereas Brian was quite happy to sit there. The boos were so deafening, I couldn’t even really speak to him, and he must have seen that I was super-anxious. So, he was either really inexperienced or he was mean. I think it was the latter,” Nicola continued.

ED! has contacted Brian’s reps for comment.

Nicola said Emma had her back (Credit: Splashnews.com)

‘Reality TV has got too safe’

As she remains an avid fan of the show, Nicola has been watching the 2025 series of Celebrity Big Brother and shared her thoughts so far.

“I’m enjoying it,” she admitted. “I think it’s giving because I do feel like reality TV has got too safe, and obviously, I really enjoy it when it’s a bit more wild. However, I think this one has given us a bit.”

“I really like Chris [Hughes] and JoJo [Siwa], but I’m not sure if they’re keeping to themselves too much. I absolutely love Danny [Beard], so I’d really hope that we would be best friends if I was in there because that is a bit of me. I’d get on really well with Angellica [Bell] as I also know her.”

The most scandalous scenes from the series so far have come from Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke, who was axed during Sunday’s show.

In less than a week, the 72-year-old actor caused quite a stir. When he entered the house, he ogled and grabbed host AJ Odudu.

He then offended JoJo with his homophobic language and also body-shamed Donna Preston. In his final episode, he got aggressive toward Chris after making a sexually inappropriate comment to Ella Rae Wise.

‘I would’ve done it way harsher than that’

As far as Nicola is concerned, CBB was right to kick Mickey out.

“What he did to JoJo is non-negotiable for me. You cannot be homophobic, you can’t be racist. And I think that Chris was the only one that sort of stood up for her and great, she had an ally, but I would’ve done it way harsher than that,” she said.

“What, because she needs a 72-year-old [bleep] to become straight? I’d have lost my [bleep]. It was absolutely outrageous what he said to Ella. If he just said that to me, I wouldn’t have gone and cried in the Diary Room. I mean, she’s a young girl, and I’m much older than her, but I have done reality TV much younger than I am now.”

She continued: “David Van Day was a bit bizarre with me [on I’m A Celeb]. He slapped my bum and stuff like that, so I’ve experienced that on reality TV. But, I’d have just said to him: ‘That’s disgusting. You really need to work on how you’re speaking to people.’ But I suppose I’m really outspoken. And when he kicked off at Chris again, I’d have been like: ‘[Bleep] ing chill out!’”