CBB - The Launch

We were treated to what is easily one of the best launch nights in a very, very long time. They didn’t attempt to squeeze the housemate’s entrance into 90 minutes, which meant everything seemed relaxed (apart from the celebrities nerves) and far more enjoyable to watch. No launch night is complete though without a twist and this one was no exception, thankfully it was one more focused on humour and entertainment rather than drama and divisions, exactly what was needed after the awful civilian series. Emma Willis, the almighty saving grace, was on fire; there was wit, genuine excitement and a well-handled ‘Busey situation’. Then there were the housemates…

White Dee (Aka Deirdre Kelly aka The Duchess)

Claim To Fame – Appeared on Benefits Street.

First in to a fairly decent crowd reaction and beneficiary of the first CBB twist. She might lift the lid on life during Benefits Street and possibly shed light on things from her perspective. We reckon she'll show a softer side that the viewers will warm to, changing their opinion of her apparent lifestyle. Dee falls into the ‘normal’ category, which is generally a good thing when it comes to lasting the full stretch in CBB.

James Jordan

Claim To Fame – Former Strictly Dancer.

Second into the house with another fairly decent crowd reaction, despite a few boo’s aimed at the ‘women cooking’ comments but he’s far from chauvinistic. He'll take no prisoners in telling everyone the real reason why he's not on the BBC anymore, he’s not one to hold back from saying it like it is, either online or camera so we're hoping for a few fiery moments. He’s bound to take centre stage in a dance task sooner rather than later. James has a huge and dedicated fan base so even if he rubs his fellow housemates up the wrong way he should survive a few evictions. We love a bit of James Jordan.

Claire King

Claim To Fame – Emmerdale and Bad Girls actress.

She hadn’t been in the house an hour and she already had ‘the girls’ complimented and put her acting skills to work. Claire made no secret of the fact she isn’t a big fan of people such as Dee but we have a feeling she’ll keep those opinions to herself and might find herself warming to the Duchess. May take a backseat to begin with but will shine as the numbers dwindle. We can’t help but love her from her days as Karen Betts and we’re really hoping that doesn’t change.

David McIntosh

Claim To Fame – Ex-Gladiator and Kelly Brooks fella.

David managed to change his initial cheers into boo’s during his two minute chat with Emma. He’s quite loud and very excitable, whether that’s first night adrenalin or a 9 to 5 thing will completely effect how long he stays in the house. He seemed very eager to please and make sure he doesn’t slip under the radar. Didn’t have much of an opinion of David before he entered and was quite surprised by how confident and loud he is, a pleasant surprise for now.

Kellie Maloney

Claim To Fame – Boxing manager recently went public as transgender.

It was Kellie’s very first public outing and despite apparent and justified nerves she handled it well; the cheers and chanting of her name were bound to help. She’s the one everyone; the public and her housemates will be interested to hear from. We envisage early nerves and a subsequent quiet demeanor but hopefully that’ll all change once she settles in.

Audley Harrison

Claim To Fame – Former superheavyweight boxing champ.

He certainly isn’t subtle. A good crowd reaction and a very calm and compossed entrance, it’ll take a lot to get Audley in a panic. It wasn’t long, in fact it was about 30 seconds, before he began quizzing Kellie (who he’s always formally known as Frank) and he doesn’t seem afraid to get straight in there. As long as he doesn’t veer from confident to cocky he’ll do pretty well.

Lauren Goodger

Claim To Fame – Ex-TOWIE star and anything and everything else.

Lauren has an army of fans and a whole TOWIE contingent that’ll ensure she’s around from start to finish; unfortunately. We have a feeling she’ll be fairly anonymous for a good portion of her time in the house, unless she has a drink or two that is. With a bit of booze Lauren could sway from flaming bore to flirty bitch. The latter will definitely be more entertaining in one-way or another. Despite not legally being able to mention Mark we give her 3 days…

George Gilbey

Claim To Fame – Googlebox legend.

Ladies and gentleman we have a winner. George Gilbey is already our favourite. He’s a mummy’s boy that doesn’t wear pants and has manners that’d make even the coldest of hearts melt. His natural humour and effortless likeability will endear him to both his housemates and the voting public. We’ll be seeing a lot of George.

Edele Lynch

Claim To Fame – ¼ of Bewitched.

We love a bit of pop band nostalgia but as far as celebrity housemates go they haven’t always been a joy to watch. Abz was absent and Lee was, Lee. You immediately get the impression though that Edele isn’t one to blend into the background, something that could see her heading for an early exit. Any arguments might stem from her direction.

Ricci Guarnaccio

Claim To Fame – Ex-Geordie Shore star

He’ll be hoping to replicate the success of fellow Geordie, Charlotte, but the boys got a lot of work to do. He’s not the most popular of MTV alumni or the most eloquently charismatic but we’re going to keep an open mind and allow him to win us over. Early on he could fade into the background and struggle for screen time against the bigger characters. If he faces an early eviction his army of admirers should keep him safe and allow him the time to blossom… we hope.

Stephanie Pratt

Claim To Fame – The Hills and Made in Chelsea legend.

We love Stephanie Pratt. She’s officially our new girl crush. Sister of Spencer Pratt the CBB legend, she certainly has some entertainment value to live up to; we’re confident she will but in a very different way. An American that understands British humour, beautiful, charming and not afraid to get down and dirty, she has all the makings of a finalist. We really hope people don’t put her in the ‘reality star’ bracket and write her off; she’s got a great deal to offer. Along with George she’s got our vote already.

Leslie Jordan

Claim To Fame – American Actor

A bundle of animated joy. He strutted into the house to a chorus of cheers and immediately had us smiling with his charming way of greeting his fellow celeb housemates. He’s going to be utterly fabulous and provide laugh after laugh. Fingers crossed he remains chirpy because any dip in his happiness could have a huge effect on the house, and his popularity with the public.

Angelique ‘Frenchie’ Morgan

Claim To Fame – (we googled) Reality veteran and exotic dancer.

The only housemate we had absolutely no idea who she was, we’d never clapped eyes on her in our whole life. Subtitles are a definite must for Frenchie, all we got was she’s no stranger to reality telly and likes getting naked… oh and the colour pink. She’ll either be completely intolerable and out as soon as possible or she’ll somehow manage to endear herself and become a giant dark horse.

Gary Busey

Claim To Fame – Hollywood acting legend.

Quite an entrance for Gary, he was escorted hand in hand by Emma up the stairs and shuffled into the house with a somewhat bewildered expression. He quickly shut down Stephanie when she suggested Gary knew her brother and then wasn’t sure if he’d ever met Frenchie (apparently they dated). He’s instantly become TV gold. Hopefully the confusion was enhanced by the first night madness and his true legendary personality can shine through.

What a bunch!