Rylan Clark has broken his silence on the return of Big Brother after being overlooked for a hosting role on the revived series. The 34-year-old former Celebrity Big Brother winner had been widely tipped to present the show when ITV announced its return, but the job went to AJ Odudu and Will Best.
Speaking on Loose Women earlier this year, Rylan admitted he was hurt by the decision. 'I just presumed I'd be asked back. And I wasn't. It didn't transpire to be. I could be one of those people who says it wasn't what I wanted. It was what I wanted. I would have gone back to Big Brother in a heartbeat,' he said. He added that he found out about the snub at the same time as the public, which left him 'quite upset'.
Rylan co-hosted the spin-off show Big Brother's Bit on the Side alongside AJ Odudu from 2013 to 2018 when it aired on Channel 5. After quitting his role as host of Strictly spin-off It Takes Two earlier this year, fans speculated he was in line for the Big Brother job. Instead, he returned to TV last month with a new Channel 4 show, Sex Rated.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, hours before the new series aired, Rylan showed his support, writing: 'Good luck to team @bbuk. Have a fantastic series and welcome back Big Bro x.' Fans responded with messages of support, with one commenting: 'Won't be the same without you' and another saying: 'It's a crying shame that you're not hosting.'
The new series of Big Brother begins at 9pm on Sunday, October 8 on ITV1 and ITVX.
