Brian Dowling is the top favourite to win tonight’s show

Dowling, who entered the house in 2001, is set to beat off stiff competition from Chantelle Houghton , Nikki Grahame and Nick Bateman in the live final.

Bookies Paddy Power and William Hill both made Dowling the favourite to win, with odds of 2/9.

Paddy Power spokeswoman Sharon McHugh said: ‘Brian Dowling has really stood the test of time.’

‘Not only was he hugely popular in 2001 but judging by his odds it looks like he still appeals to the Big Brother masses. He deserves to be crowned the Ultimate Big Brother champ.’

Tonight’s final will also mark the end of Big Brother’s 10 years with Channel 4 which announced last summer it would not be renewing its deal with programme-maker Endemol.But, despite leaving Channel 4, this may not quite be the end for the show as media tycoon Richard Desmond has his sights set on it for Five TV, which he now runs.

Second favourite is Chantelle Houghton, who won Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 despite being the only housemate who was not actually famous.The model, who had to pretend to be a singer with fictional pop band Kandy Floss to fool her fellow contestants, married Ordinary Boys singer Samuel Preston after the pair met on the show.

They split within 10 months and later divorced but viewers hoped for a reconciliation after both returned to the house this summer.Paddy Power offered odds of 7/2 on Houghton winning tonight while Preston is trailing on 33/1.

Third favourite is tantrum queen Nikki Grahame who first entered the house in 2006 dressed as a Playboy bunny.

Check out pictures from the last day in the UBB House here: William Hill has Grahame on 10/1 while Paddy Power rates her chances as slightly better on 8/1.

Also in the running for the crown are ‘Nasty’ Nick Bateman who was asked to leave the first series in 2000 for trying to manipulate fellow housemates’ eviction votes, Celebrity Big Brother 2009 winner Ulrika Jonsson and Victor Ebuwa who is best known for a huge argument with fellow housemate Emma Greenwood during Big Brother 5.Housemates held a funeral service for the show yesterday and a group of 18 former housemates, led by Gibson and first series winner Craig Phillips, have recorded a video miming to Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman’s Time To Say Goodbye.The video, which also includes footage of the late Jade Goody, will be screened on E4′s Big Brother’s Little Brother today at 6pm.

Vanessa Feltz was evicted from the Ultimate Big Brother house (PA)

Feltz, 48, was evicted along with Bass, while ‘Nasty’ Nick Bateman escaped the chop.The TV and radio presenter’s UBB stay was longer than her first appearance in the compound, even though she only lasted six days.Feltz told host Davina McCall : ‘It was a really big thing. Last time I just made three nights and four days and I cracked up, I was in a right old state.’I wanted to get a bit beyond that and I have, so for me it’s a personal best and I’m really delighted.’I'm in a much better place in my life, I went in, I felt better about myself.’Feltz’s post-eviction interview was somewhat overshadowed by a member of the audience attempting to rush on stage, in an act McCall suggested was in honour of Vanessa.The would-be stage invader was Eamon Sukkar, lead singer of west London-based band The Ruskins, who claim they did it strictly for publicity.Lead singer Eamon Sukkar told Metro.co.uk: ‘I can understand why they (the security) made a big deal, but why can’t they let me hug Vanessa?’I was arrested after the security dealt with me but they let me go straight away.’ YouTube users were enamoured by the stunt, with one user gushing: ‘Man is a ledge’ and another stating ‘ha class’.The band, whose publicity stunt track record includes appearances on Soccer AM – presenter Helen Chamberlain is apparently a fan – were also the subject of a stage invasion after Kaya Scodelario, who plays Effy in Skins, crashed their performance at Underage Festival.Although they initially planned to perform at the live eviction, the unsigned band were unable to smuggle their instruments in and had to make do with a good old fashioned on-air nosedive.Eagle-eyed viewers will have also spotted a banner with Ruskins printed on it during Michelle’s eviction interview.Band manager Ed Sukkar admitted the group aren’t BB fans, but they attempted to get into the spirit of things and even made t-shirts in honour of the latest evictee, which read Vanessa Felt Me.The Ruskins play London’s KoKo on September 22.Video: Watch Eamon Sukkar attempt to intrude while Vanessa Feltz is interviewed below

Video: Watch The Ruskins ‘BandJack’ Soccer AM below

Nick Bateman: Not really nasty at all (Channel 4)

Michelle Bass: Mouthy Geordie minx (Channel 4)

Vanessa Feltz: Blushing bride. Not (PA)

Of the seven contestants remaining after the double eviction, former Ryanair trolley dolly Brian Dowling remains the odds-on favourite to win the Ultimate Housemate title during Friday’s grand finale.

Nettle-touching champion Brian Dowling channels his inner punk rocker (Channel 4)

Brian showed what he was made of on Saturday when he had to plunge his hands into a pile of nettles – without making a sound – during his three-minute ‘needle in a nettle stack’ challenge.

In a successful bid to win the house a punk rock-themed party for the evening, the silent task also saw Preston noiselessly wrestle a professional named Havoc, Michelle be tickled by BB4′s Jon Tickle without making a peep and Vanessa and Chantelle play catch with a cactus while BB9′s Rex Newmark taunted them in a red leather ‘devil’ costume.

Preston wrestles – or is wrestled by, rather – a mountain of a man while Rex the Devil relishes the silent action (Channel 4)

As their reward for successfully staying silent during their challenges, the housemates’ rock party featured funky costumes, wigs and blow-up guitars – and food and alcohol, of course.

Ulrika: Foxy Ultimate Big Brother lady (Channel 4)

With Brian Dowling, 2001′s Big Brother winner, sitting pretty in the favourite-to-win position , Chantelle is currently in the running to come second and tantrum queen Nikki Grahame poised to come third.

Brian features in tonight’s Big Brother Come Dine With Me special, alongside fellow BB winners including Nadia, Brian ‘just gone a poo’ Belo and Sophie Reade – the latter two of which indulged in a cheeky kiss after the show, we’re told.

A classic Sophie moment Channel 4 viewers can look forward to on the show features the busty BB10 winner asking the diners where potatoes come from.

‘Do they grow in the ground or on trees?’ she ponders, as Dowling jumps in with the characteristically sardonic: ‘Did you ask me, an Irish man, if potatoes grow on trees?

‘Yes, right by the money tree and the diamond tree.’

You can see Come Dine With Me: Big Brother Winners on Channel 4 at 8pm tonight, while Ultimate Big Brother follows at 10pm.

Chantelle cries during the Vanessa Feltz show – does Preston look awkward or what? (Channel 4)

The 26-year-old and her Ordinary Boy ex-husband discussed their divorce as part of the interview-based task, entitled ‘We found love on a reality show’.

Vanessa kicked off the Jeremy Kyle-style ‘show’ by asking the former couple if either of them had planned on finding love when they took part in the 2006 series of Celebrity Big Brother.

Vanessa Feltz frantically tries to dig herself out of the Prestelle-shaped hole she’s dug for herself (Channel 4)

‘It didn’t really hit us until after we came out, did it?’ said 25-year-old Preston as he admitted love ‘was the last thing’ he anticipated since he was famously dating a French girl called Camille when he entered the Big Brother compound.

When Vanessa noted how well the pair get on three years after their divorce, Preston commented ‘I think we’re just happy…’ before clocking that Chantelle was battling her latest attack of the wobbly lip.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked her as she yielded to yet another burst of tears.

‘You mustn’t cry on a pretend show, you really mustn’t. We’re only joking, we’re only joking,’ Vanessa reassured her, before suggesting they take a break and wrap up the interview.

Chantelle: Yep, she’s definitely crying again (Channel 4)

The duo formerly known as Prestelle then walked off the stage and sat hugging each other in the ‘audience’ as their host cut to a break.

More: The return of Prestelle

Referring to the TV-show task, a weeping Chantelle apologised to her housemates and asked them ‘have I ruined it?’

As ‘runner’ Michelle Bass got her a tissue and a glass of water, Vanessa confessed she was worried that she’d offended Chantelle, though the Essex girl insisted she hadn’t.

‘I was asking silly questions which I thought would be a joke,’ explained Feltz.

Other segments featured in the mock show, ‘produced’ by Victor Ebuwa, included the Ulrika-themed ‘The price of fame’, Nick Bateman’s ‘Nasty or nice?’ piece and ‘I’m a grown woman, why can’t I stop throwing tantrums?’, focusing on the one and only Nikki Grahame .

Feltz probes the tantrum-prone Nikki as her ‘audience’ look on enthralled (Channel 4)

The 28-year-old was notably embarrassed when she was asked her to recreate her notorious ‘who is she?’ spiel from Big Brother 7.

Two Ultimate Big Brother contenders are lined up for eviction from the house on Wednesday, with Michelle Bass , Nick Bateman and the aforementioned Feltz all facing the boot after being nominated by their fellow housemates.

Watch the Feltz show and catch up with all the latest Ultimate Big Brother action on Channel 4 at 10pm tonight!

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Chantelle and Preston give each other a welcom hug (Channel 4)

Although the glamour model had suspected she might be pinned against her ex in the grand finale, she still shrieked in shock.

The Essex blonde yelled: ‘Oh my god, you look so much shorter.  Oh my God, oh my God… do you wanna drink? F**king hell.  I’m like a bag a nerves.’

Chantelle and Preston on Ultimate Big Brother: The return of Prestelle!

But after her rant she still managed to give her former beau a heart-felt hug.

Despite acting like a deer in the headlights, the 27-year-old had said before entering the house: ‘I wouldn’t mind seeing Preston.  I don’t know if he would mind.’

And before long, she was face to face with the former Ordinary Boys singer alongside Big Brother 11’s winner Josie, who had just won £100,000 before re-entering the house.

Chantelle and Preston are confronted in the house after their divorce (Channel 4)

Meanwhile Preston had a few words to say about his ex too, declaring that he feels he was portrayed as ‘the bad guy’ from his 2007 divorce from Chantelle.

‘The divorce threw a dark veil over me and it would be nice to go back in the house and show I’m a nice person.’

Also joining the stars in the Elstree compound are fellow celebrities Ulrika Jonsson, Big Brother 2 winner Brian Dowling, Big Brother 5 winner Nadia Almada, Nikki Grahame and other past contestants Makosi Musambasi and Nick Bateman and US rapper Coolio. 

All contestants are competing for the glory of becoming the ‘ultimate Big Brother housemate’, rather than for a sum of money.

Former Celeb BB winner Chantelle Houghton

Ordinary Boys singer Samuel Preston

The exes were joined by Ulrika Jonsson, US rapper Coolio, and transsexual singer Nadia Almada , after the curtain was brought down on the final series of the Channel 4 show. Joining them were Brian Dowling , racing pundit John McCririck , Makosi Musambasi, ‘Nasty’ Nick Bateman and Nikki Grahame .

Also in the house will be Big Brother 11 winner Josie , the hot favourite who was crowned the victor in the final series earlier on Tuesday night after picking up 77.5% of the final vote.

The former reality stars will not play for money in the three-week show but for prestige.

TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson

Horse racing pundit John McCrirrick

The first series of the ‘social experiment’ attracted 7.4million viewers. But audiences dwindled to 2million as viewers tired of the format. The show was also hit by a string of scandals including the ‘race row’ between Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and the late Jade Goody in 2007.

Houghton, 27, and 26-year-old Ordinary Boys singer Preston will be starting a new chapter after their TV love story on Celebrity Big Brother 4 went horribly wrong. The singer fell for the blonde who posed as a ‘fake celebrity’. They wed in 2006 but split only a year later.

Chantelle and Preston on Ultimate Big Brother: The return of Prestelle!

At the prospect of seeing her ex, Houghton said: ‘It would be crazy to be in there with him because it’s where we met.’

While Preston said he expected their relationship to be ‘more of a “bromance” this time’.

Check out more pictures from the show below:

Big Brother 2010: Three charities will benefit from the last ever series

More than 80 hopefuls will attend the launch for the eleventh and final series of the show.

Only then will they learn – at the same time as viewers – who will enter the house.

Those vying to enter the house include Linford Christie ‘s niece, an Iranian dwarf, a female wrestler and a batch of beauty queens.

Host Davina McCall will reveal the final cut and the rest will be sent home.

Bookmaker William Hill is already predicting that betting turnover for the series will top £20 Million for the first time.

The show has made many of its contestants into household names, most notably the late Jade Goody with some – including winners Brian Dowling and Kate Lawler – carving out broadcasting careers.

Creative Director Phil Edgar Jones has already revealed cryptically that past BB stars will be in attendance in some form.

‘We will see some old friends in the house on launch night,’ he said last week.

The first Big Brother winner Craig Phillips and his housemate ‘nasty’ Nick Bateman, who was disqualified from the first series for trying to influence votes, have revealed they may take part in the show this year, during an interview with Radio 4′s Front Row.

McCall will also unveil the last ever Diary Room chair for Big Brother 11 live on air to viewers.

The fairytale and circus-themed house has only nine beds and the contestants who make it through to the final will spend 13 weeks living by the rules of Big Brother, with every movement recorded on camera.

The show, which involves competing in tasks to earn food and rewards and nominating fellow housemates to face the public vote for eviction each week will be streamed live on the internet and aired on Channel 4 in an hourly television programme every evening.

A percentage of the money raised from viewers voting this year will be divided among three charities, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, Kith and Kids and After Adoption.

Channel 4 has said this will be the last series of Big Brother as it frees up money to invest in developing new shows.

However bookmaker Hills is offering 10/1 that BB11 is so successful the broadcaster backtracks and shows a further series on C4 in 2011.

More than 80 hopefuls will attend the launch for the eleventh and final series of the show.

Davina McCall will present the eleventh and final series of Celebrity Big Brother

Only then will they learn – at the same time as viewers – who will enter the house.

Those vying to enter the house include Linford Christie ‘s niece, an Iranian dwarf, a female wrestler and a batch of beauty queens.

Host Davina McCall will reveal the final cut and the rest will be sent home.

Bookmaker William Hill is already predicting that betting turnover for the series will top £20 Million for the first time.

The show has made many of its contestants into household names, most notably the late Jade Goody with some – including winners Brian Dowling and Kate Lawler – carving out broadcasting careers.

Creative Director Phil Edgar Jones has already revealed cryptically that past BB stars will be in attendance in some form. “We will see some old friends in the house on launch night,” he said last week.

The first Big Brother winner Craig Phillips and his housemate “nasty” Nick Bateman, who was disqualified from the first series for trying to influence votes, have revealed they may take part in the show this year, during an interview with Radio 4′s Front Row. McCall will also unveil the last ever Diary Room chair for Big Brother 11 live on air to viewers.

The fairytale and circus-themed house has only nine beds and the contestants who make it through to the final will spend 13 weeks living by the rules of Big Brother, with every movement recorded on camera.

The doors of the eponymous property will shut for good this summer, and with it will go the chance of fleeting fame for the confined celebrity wannabes.

Former Big Brother contestants Marcus (left) and Siavash (right) with hopeful Adam Chapman from Nottingham

But before Davina ushers the winner of BB11 out of the house and through the crowds, a select band of housemates will have a final chance to impress their qualities on a TV-watching nation.

For some, it could even be the springboard to becoming a bona fide celeb, following in the footsteps of the late Jade Goody , Kate Lawler and “Nasty” Nick Bateman .

But for most of those gathered outside Wembley Arena for today’s auditions simply getting a place in the house would be good enough, for the time being anyhow.

And most were convinced they had what it takes to cut it as a BB housemate.

Jamie Potter, 17, from Brighton, said he thought he stood a good chance, and that programme-makers would be missing out if he was not selected.

He explained: “I’m original, just myself. I’m eccentric, a bit strange. I dress very differently – lots of neon. Everyone is different but I just stand out.”

Natasha Reid was similarly convinced that she has what it takes to gain entrance to the house.

“I reckon they need me basically. I’m funny, I am who I am – what you see is what you get. I think it will be a right laugh with me in there,” she said.

The doors of the eponymous property will shut for good this summer, and with it will go the chance of fleeting fame for the confined celebrity wannabes.

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But before Davina ushers the winner of BB11 out of the house and through the crowds, a select band of housemates will have a final chance to impress their qualities on a TV-watching nation.

For some, it could even be the springboard to becoming a bona fide celeb, following in the footsteps of the late Jade Goody , Kate Lawler and “Nasty” Nick Bateman .

But for most of those gathered outside Wembley Arena for today’s auditions simply getting a place in the house would be good enough, for the time being anyhow.

And most were convinced they had what it takes to cut it as a BB housemate.

Jamie Potter, 17, from Brighton, said he thought he stood a good chance, and that programme-makers would be missing out if he was not selected.

He explained: “I’m original, just myself. I’m eccentric, a bit strange. I dress very differently – lots of neon. Everyone is different but I just stand out.”

Natasha Reid was similarly convinced that she has what it takes to gain entrance to the house.

“I reckon they need me basically. I’m funny, I am who I am – what you see is what you get. I think it will be a right laugh with me in there,” she said.

BB5:Calls for police action over Victor Ebuwa’s rows with Emma Greenwood

BB6:Kinga Karolczak allegedly uses a wine bottle for, er, pleasure

Big Brother pictures: Top 10 bikini bodies photo gallery

BB8:‘Samanda’ – twins Sam and Amanda Marchant – draw male viewers in their droves

Jade Goody lost her clothes, but never her dignity in the third series of Big Brother

BB2: Paul Clarke and Helen Adams are the first romance – and it lasts five years

BB3:Sandy Cumming pees in a bin and is then the first to scale the walls of the house

CBB5:Shilpa Shetty is subjected to racist taunts from Jade Goody and others, sparking an international row

CBB winner Shilpa Shetty was the victim of racist slurs in the house

Craig, whose showdown with “Nasty” Nick Bateman on BB1 gripped the nation, said he initially felt saddened when he heard about the show’s demise.

Craig Phillips said it was the right time to end Big Brother

But he continued: “When I had been on the first (series) I knew it was going to be on again and again (but now) people are a little exhausted with it… I do think it has sort of had its day.”

The Scouser said he felt he owed Channel 4 and the programme, which “changed my career.

“I did not have any ambitions to work on TV. As a result of the show being such a success, it created this profile for me. I have forged a good TV career, I have been on 800 different make-over programmes, I have my own production company. I have had experiences money couldn’t buy.”

Last year’s winner Rachel Rice said she was “gutted” to hear Big Brother was being axed.

Rachel, who is now a secondary school teacher in Wales, said: “I just hope – and I’m sure – they will bring it back in a few years’ time.

Nick Bateman said the last few years had seen too many people going into the house so “you can’t get to know any of the characters”.

He felt another reason for its demise was “people are far more extreme and weird.

“You have people like that, you can’t empathise with them.”

Craig Phillips, who confronted Nick in a gripping showdown during BB1, has been drafted in as his replacement.

Nick Bateman was in talks with Big Brother to appear in the house

Craig went on to win the first series, after Nick was kicked off for writing notes which he showed to contestants to influence their voting.

Nick was due to be the first of a number of former contestants, including Nikki Grahame and Brian Belo, set to appear on television screens again this week as part of celebrations for the show’s 10th series.

He said he had pulled out as he was expected to appear for free and said he believed former contestants were told different things.

“They said they were not going to pay me. I don’t think I should take a day out for no money… Everyone was looking forward to me coming back into it.”

But a statement issued by Big Brother said all ex-housemates were appearing unpaid and a donation was being made instead to a foundation set up in memory of former contestant Jade Goody.

A statement from Big Brother said: “Unfortunately Nick Bateman was unable to take part in the Big Brother 10 birthday celebration tasks. Happily Big Brother 1 winner Craig Phillips will be going head-to-head with housemates in the assault course task.”

Nick’s spokeswoman later said the reason he had pulled out was not so much about money but more about not being informed.

She believed he had not been made aware that a donation was going to Goody’s foundation. “It wasn’t transparent,” she said of the arrangements.

Craig Phillips, who confronted Bateman in a gripping showdown during BB1, has been drafted in as Bateman’s replacement.

Winner Craig Phillips returns

Phillips went on to win the first series, after Bateman was kicked off for writing notes which he showed to contestants to influence their voting.

Batemen was due to be the first of a number of former contestants, including Nikki Grahame and Brian Belo, set to appear on television screens again this week as part of celebrations for the show’s 10th series.

He said he had pulled out as he was expected to appear for free and said he believed former contestants were told different things.

But a statement issued today by Big Brother said all ex-housemates were appearing unpaid and a donation was being made instead to a foundation set up in memory of former contestant Jade Goody.

The show issued a press release on Friday, saying Bateman would return to the house, nine years after being kicked off while appearing in the first series.

It said he would take on his former nemesis – the assault course – and pit his fitness against a current housemate.

But Bateman insisted he was not told beforehand what the task would be and was “shocked”.

He said: “They said they were not going to pay me. I don’t think I should take a day out for no money …

“Everyone was looking forward to me coming back into it.”

Asked why he did not want to take part in the assault course, Batemen, who is now a travel writer, said: “I’m not as fit. Why would I do something I can’t do on television for no money?” Bateman said he was “disappointed” but may be open to reconsidering.

He described the show as Channel 4′s “golden goose” and said he felt the show could carry on.

He said: “I think it’s all about the casting.” A statement from Big Brother said: “Unfortunately Nick Bateman was unable to take part in the Big

Brother 10 birthday celebration tasks today.

“Happily Big Brother 1 winner Craig Phillips will be going head-to-head with housemates in the assault course task later this afternoon.

“Viewers will be able to see all the action from the House tomorrow at 9pm on Channel 4.

“None of the former housemates are being paid a fee taking part in the tasks taking place this week, a donation will go to The Jade Goody Foundation instead.”

Kris Donnelly became the sixth person to be evicted from this year’s series on Friday.

He is one of a number of familiar faces who will be seen on television screens again as part of celebrations for its 10th series.

Nine years on: Nasty Nick makes a BB comeback

BB1′s Bateman created headlines by writing notes which he showed to contestants to influence their voting.

He will take on his former nemesis – the assault course – and pit his fitness against a current housemate.

Also today, a group of three ex-housemates from BB3 will take part in an egg and spoon race.

A current housemate must predict the winner to succeed in this task.

BB4, BB5 and BB6 will be revisited tomorrow, while on Wednesday, Nikki Grahame and Brian Belo will each take part in a memorable task from their year.

Yesterday, housemates Sophie “Dogface” Reade and Siavash Sabbaghpour found out they will face the public vote for this Friday’s eviction – because they swore.

The pair were ordered to stop using expletives for five-and-a-half hours as a punishment for discussing nominations.

They were told they would be immediately put up for the public vote if they uttered a single swear word before 3pm.

To illustrate exactly which terms they were to try to avoid, Big Brother unloaded a barrage of expletives to the stunned pair.

Kris Donnelly became the sixth person to be evicted from this year’s series on Friday.

The two housemates were ordered to stop using expletives for five-and-a-half hours as a punishment for discussing nominations.

Sophie Reade, along with Siavash Sabbaghpour, faces eviction over swearing

They were told they would be immediately put up for the public vote if they uttered a single swear word before 3pm.

To illustrate exactly which terms they were to try to avoid, Big Brother unloaded a barrage of expletives to the stunned pair.

Before failing the task, they were told: “Today you must be punished. This is not a discussion. In order to avoid facing the public vote automatically, you both must not swear until 3pm today.”

“If you communicate anything about this punishment to your fellow housemates, you will also automatically face eviction. You are not permitted to go to bed, or sleep. Your punishment begins from the moment you leave the Diary Room.”

The house will celebrate Big Brother’s 10th series on Monday with the surprise return of “Nasty” Nick Bateman.

BB1′s Bateman created headlines by writing notes which he showed to contestants to influence their voting.

On Monday he will take on his former nemesis – the assault course – and pit his fitness against a current housemate.

On the same day, a group of three ex-housemates from BB3 will take part in an egg and spoon race. A current housemate must predict the winner to succeed in this task.

BB1′s Bateman created headlines by writing notes which he showed to contestants to influence their voting.

‘Nasty’ Nick Bateman is making a return to the Big Brother house

On Monday he will take on his former nemesis – the assault course – and pit his fitness against a current housemate.

On the same day, a group of three ex-housemates from BB3 will take part in an egg and spoon race.

A current housemate must predict the winner to succeed in this task.

Tuesday will see BB4, BB5 and BB6 revisited, while on Wednesday, Nikki Grahame and Brian Belo will each take part in a memorable task from their year.

This week’s nominations have been brought forward to Sunday to allow housemates to fully involve themselves with the tasks at hand.

As usual, the nominated housemates will face the public vote and face eviction on Friday, July 17.

It had been rumoured many ex-contestants will be put back into the house as part of the reality TV show’s 10th anniversary celebrations and the station has now revealed it will happen from Sunday.

Will Pete be back as well?

A spokesperson said: “From Sunday 12th July, ‘Big Brother’ will be commemorating its tenth anniversary with a week of celebrations and surprises featuring the most talked-about tasks and most unforgettable housemates from the last nine years.

“Each day, a memorable former housemate will challenge a current housemate at one of the most iconic tasks from the ten series of ‘Big Brother’.

Viewers should also expect some further surprises during the live show on Friday 17th July.”

Among the housemates rumoured to be returning to the house include Nikki Grahame, Nick Bateman, Brian Belo and Kinga Karolczak.

Nikki, Nick and Brian have already edited the show’s official website as guests, as have previous winners Craig Phillips and Pete Bennett.

The tantrum-prone blonde, who appeared in ‘Big Brother 7′ in 2006, will reportedly be put back into the house on Sunday as part of the show’s 10th anniversary celebrations.

Here comes trouble: Nikki Grahame heading for the house

Nikki, 27, will perform a task during her stay and a different former housemate will then return to the house every day until Friday July 17.

Bosses are hoping the twist will help boost ratings after viewing figures have slipped to under two million.

‘Big Brother 1′ star Nick Bateman – who was kicked out of the house for trying to influence nominations by writing people’s names down on bits of paper – has also hinted he may be taking part in the task.

He wrote on his Twitter blog page: “E4 tonight and maybe C4 task next week.”

Nikki and Nick have already edited the show’s official website as guests, as have previous winners Craig Phillips, Pete Bennett and Brian Belo.

1. Nasty Nick BatemanAsked how he felt about being branded “the most hated man in the country”, he said: “I think that’s quite extreme.” But this was the sad, albeit hilarious, fate of Nick Bateman, branded ‘Nasty Nick’ who in BB1 was disqualified from the show for smuggling a paper and pencil in and passing notes suggesting whom to vote out.

His plan backfired though as it was him that was kicked out. Silly boy! This was the moment BB went from curiosity to staple TV for Britons everywhere.

Jade: Gone but not forgotten

2. First public sex sessionIn BB 6 Saskia and boyfriend Maxwell caused a storm as the first couple suspected of having sex in the House.

But Saskia explained: “I wouldn’t say I had sex,” she said. “What would I call it? A bit of friction, that’s the word.”

From Big Brother to little underwear – Kate Lawler was the first female winner

3. First female winner of BBKate Lawler became the first ever female winner of BB in series 3, beating her rival Jade Goody.

However, Essex lass, Jade, remains the most memorable contestant from the series. And the next unforgettable moment explains why!

4. Jade Goody flashes her ‘kebab’A massive 5.8 million viewers switched on to BB3 to watch a rather tipsy Jade strip off during a drinking game to flash her “kebab” (and we all know what that means).

She then tried to convince the viewing public she was really quite a modest girl by curling up on the sofa, but we knew better.

5. OMG, I’m pregant (no you’re not)After a pool romp with Anthony, naughty nurse Makosi thought she was pregnant as she revealed to fellow housemates that she and Anthony had gone “all the way!”.

Though a BB spokeswoman refused to confirm if they gave Makosi a morning-after pill or a pregnancy test, it turned out she wasn’t. Thank god for that!

Nikki Grahame: How on earth could we forget her?!

6. Gangster’s rap

Who could forget Alexandra De Gale, 23, who was prematurely forced out of the BB 9 house for threatening housemates with her “gangster friends”?

This was famously followed by her claiming Big Brother bullied her and falsely depicted her as “violent and aggressive”.

All this culminated in her being regarded as the most disliked housemate ever. Sorry luv.

7. Sex with a wine bottle

Big Brother 6 gave us that wine bottle moment, where an all singing, all dancing Kinga entertains the boys.

A sobered up Kinga admitted in the morning: “I did something awful yesterday, absolutely terrible with a bottle of wine and I regret it.” Tipsy Kinga also caused some controversy after kissing Anthony in the pool in front of Craig.

8. Jade Goody’s return to BBCeleb BB7 saw a certain Miss Goody return to the house only this time she didn’t go in alone: she took boyfriend Jack and mum Jackiey along for company, and it’s fair to say the three of them turned the House upside down as soon as they arrived.

In the most talked about (and widely anticipated) eviction in CBB history, it was Jade exited the House on day 17 with 82% of the vote.

9. Pete’s tumble down the stairsOne of the most lovable housemates of all time Pete tumbled down the stairs into the BB house in series 7.

The 24-year-old with Tourette’s caused a stir even before he entered the House, but the insect-loving, bongo-drumming, hair-bleaching rocker went on to win the series shouting out his memorable catchphrases such as “Yeah man, wicked!”

No gangters in here, thanks: Alex was booted out for her gangster claims

10. Mad Nikki’s water tantrumNikki’s water tantrum in BBC 7 when she claimed: “I need bottled water! I can’t drink from a tap – I feel like I’m going to die!” was just one of the stars outlandish outbursts in the BB diary room.

Plenty more followed from the tantrum prone star such as her famous outburst: “Who is she? Who is she? Where did you find her?!” making Nikki the most memorable moaner of Big Brother.