Looking Back at Pete Bennett’s Time in the Big Brother House and His Life After.
Pete Bennet is one of the most memorable winners of Big Brother, and has continued to maintain a loyal fan base since he won the show. But what happened during his time in the house, and what has he done since?
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the Big Brother star’s life, career, and achievements.
When Did Pete Bennett Appear on Big Brother?
Pete was among the first 14 contestants to enter the house when the show’s seventh series began in the summer of 2006. He avoided eviction and, on day 93, Pete was crowned the winner with more than 60% of the final vote. He followed previous winners Craig Phillips, Brian Dowling, Kate Lawler, Cameron Stout, Nadia Almada, and Anthony Hutton.
Pete Bennett was the first contestant to have Tourette’s syndrome since the show hit screens in 2000, and his participation prompted much discussion across the media.
Tourette’s Syndrome Association (TSA) spokespersons initially expressed concern that Pete may attract unwelcome attention to the condition, but later relented. They said that he had actually “put Tourette’s on the map”, and now there is greater awareness of people’s struggles with Tourette’s after watching the show.
During the series, Pete took part in various games and challenges. One was “Meal or No Meal”, inspired by the game show Deal or No Deal, in which Pete won various prizes for the housemates. Another was a slow bike race, which Pete also won.
Pete was joined in the final by Glyn Thomas Wise, who secured 38% of the vote, and Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace, who received 22% of the public vote.
How Famous Did Pete Become After Leaving the BB House?
Pete achieved a high level of fame after participating in the reality series. He was nominated for the “Most Popular TV Contender” category at the 2006 National Television Awards, though his housemate Nikki Grahame received the honour instead.
Pete went on to be a guest on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, a major BBC One programme at the time, and popular Channel 4 show The Friday Night Project. He was also seen on Big Brother’s Bit on the Side, as himself in the film The Story of F***, and more.
Pete also told his fascinating life story in his autobiography, Pete: My Story in late 2006. This was later rereleased as “My Journey With Tourettes” the following year.
The star is also known for his work as an actor and singer, but has an entrepreneurial spirit too. In 2016, he announced the launch of a unique business, Celebriclean. The company would allow fans to meet favourite celebrities “in a fun way” instead of being “stuck in a queue in a club”. He has also launched a new podcast titled W**nkers.
Pete Bennett and Nikki Grahame’s Enduring Friendship
More than 20 other contestants took part in the seventh series of Big Brother. These included Imogen Thomas, Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace, Richard Newman, Lea Walker, and Nikki Grahame.
Pete and Nikki dated for a while in the early days of their stardom, and remained friends after separating. She was one of the most famous contestants to appear on Big Brother, and returned for Ultimate Big Brother in 2010 (in which she finished in second place).
During her time on the 2006 series, tabloid newspapers had revealed how Nikki Grahame had struggled with the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa, and she discussed this openly over the years. She later wrote two books (Dying to Be Thin and Fragile) about how the eating disorder had affected her.
Miss Graham’s family started a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of private treatment when the condition continued to worsen. However, Nikki Grahame tragically passed away in April 2021 due to complications associated with her eating disorder. The GoFundMe was reactivated to help Miss Grahame’s family pay for her funeral and to support a charity helping people with eating disorders in Nikki’s memory.
Pete Bennett Pays Tribute to Nikki’s Memory
Following Nikki Grahame’s tragic death, Peter appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss their close friendship and pay tribute to his fellow reality star. Miss Grahame had been discharged from Dorset County Hospital the day before she was discovered at her home.
Pete was deeply saddened to learn about Nikki’s death, and believed the circumstances of Miss Grahame’s passing were incredibly unexpected.
Pete Bennett revealed to Good Morning Britain that he hoped support from Nikki’s family and close friends would be enough to “save her”, and had even chosen to contact Kate Bush before Nikki’s sudden death. He said he asked her to provide Miss Grahame with a “pep talk” and to “send her a little video message”.
The Big Brother star said his final visit with Miss Grahame was “magic” and that she “came out of her shell.” He continued: “It was one of the most special nights I ever had with Nikki.” He also revealed that the two of them had danced to Kate Bush’s song Babooshka not long before Miss Grahame’s death.
What Films Has Pete Bennett Appeared In?
Creativity has always been important to the Big Brother star, and he has channelled this passion into two main areas: singing and acting. Over the years, Pete has featured in several films, many of which belong to the horror genre. These include The Snarling and Crispy’s Curse, which involved a killer clown armed with a chainsaw who takes on a heavy metal band named Messiah Fist.
Other additions to Pete Bennett’s filmography are There’s Something in the Shadows, This Nan’s Life (based on Catherine Tate’s popular foul-mouthed ‘Nan’ character), and Coulrophobia. He has also displayed his comedic acting skills in the British sitcom Green Fingers on Amazon Prime, and played Pete Gubbins in the comedy-horror film Meet the Cadavers.
What Bands Has Pete Joined?
Pete was the lead singer for the band Daddy Fantastic, founded by Robert ‘Wobbly Bob’ Chambers of Wobble Jaggle Jiggle. Pete joined the group in 2004 and performed in their live shows, but left to follow a solo career in music after he won Big Brother’s seventh series. Daddy Fantastic continued to play until 2008, when Chambers passed away.
Pete later formed his own band, Pete Bennett and the Love Dogs. They performed at some well-known venues (including The Cavern Club, made famous by The Beatles) and the iconic music festival Glastonbury. The band separated, but Pete played a comeback gig in 2021 with the Love Dogz.