Celebrity Big Brother is returning to screens on Monday night (February 4) for the first time in six years. Following the reboot of Big Brother in October 2023, the celebrity version is making a comeback on ITV with a host of famous faces set to enter the iconic house.
The last series back in 2018 saw former Corrie star Ryan Thomas, who is currently competing on Dancing on Ice, win the nation’s hearts in the final season to air on Channel 5. The popular show will once again be presented by AJ Odudu, who previously hosted Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, along with former 4Music presenter Will Best.
Since the revived series was announced, rumours have been circulating about who the new celebrity housemates will be. Whilst the line-up is yet to be confirmed by ITV, former This Morning host Fern Britton, 66, is amongst the stars expected to step foot in the house tonight.
READ MORE: Celebrity Big Brother 2024: What time it’s on tonight, channel and who are the presenters?
Here we take a look into the TV star’s personal life and career ahead of her rumoured appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
Quitting This Morning
(Image: ITV)
Fern is best known for her role in hosting ITV’s popular daytime show This Morning alongside co-host Phillip Schofield. She first guest-presented the programme back in 1993, but from September 1999, she then became a full-time host, appearing on the show every Friday with John Leslie.
In 2002, Fern then landed a role as the main host, first with John and then later with Phil. The pair presented the programme together for seven years until she announced her departure in 2009. On July 17 that year on Fern’s 52nd birthday, her farewell This Morning programme was aired.
When asked about the possibility of returning to the show years later, Fern expressed doubt, telling Good Housekeeping: “I don’t think I’d be able to turn the clock back; it wouldn’t work that way. My time at This Morning was marvellous, and I adored the 10 years I was there, but I feel you should never look back.”
Phillip Schofield ‘feud’
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Despite hosting the show together every day for seven years, there was reportedly a ‘feud’ between Fern and Phil, which may come to light during her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
A source told OK! that Fern is expected to speak out about her ‘turbulent’ work relationship with Phillip Schofield following his shock exit from This Morning last year, which came after he admitted to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger male colleague.
According to those close to the star, Fern fell out with Phil in 2009 and left This Morning after feeling ‘undervalued’, but now hopes to relaunch her TV career, reports the Mirror.
Speaking to OK! a source said: “She felt like she was really hard done by when she left This Morning – and now she wants to tell her side of the story. She actually blames Phillip Schofield for her losing her job and felt he had a lot to do with the fact she got pushed out for a younger model.”
Personal life and marriage breakdown
(Image: PA)
Fern’s first marriage was to TV executive Clive Jones, whom she shares her three children with – twin sons Jack and Harry and daughter Grace. The couple separated in January 1998 and one year later, Fern began dating celebrity chef Phil Vickery after meeting on the set of BBC Two’s Ready Steady Cook.
After Fern and Clive’s divorce was finalised, she tied the knot to Phil in 2000. The pair then went on to have one daughter together, Winifred, who was born in 2001.
In 2020, Fern took to her Twitter account to announce her and Phil were separating after a 20-year marriage, stating that they had decided to go their ‘separate ways.’
Speaking out on her personal struggles last year, Fern told Good Housekeeping: “I’m not afraid of change…The last three years have been very hard; I lost my parents, I lost my marriage.
“I lost my other home in Buckinghamshire, too, because Phil lives there now and I’m in Cornwall. But the magic I’ve found here is incredible. I’ve made some wonderful girlfriends and that’s been a lovely surprise.
She added: “My children are grown-up and I’m no longer married, and it’s as if this whole other world has opened up. I never thought this would happen; I didn’t expect to be 65 and single and really relaxed.”
Health battles and ‘near-death’ experience
Back in 2016, Fern had a huge health scare after almost dying from sepsis. The TV star admitted she ‘knew she was dying’ after being in immense pain, before undergoing an emergency operation to remove the abscesses.
Speaking to the Mirror at the time, Fern said: “I started to have immense pain. So much so that my daughter called 999 and I’ll be honest – I genuinely knew I was dying.
“All I could think about was my four children and my husband. It was frightening. By the time the doctors discovered the sceptic abscesses, I was in a bad way.”
Fern is now back to full health and now uses social media to raise awareness of sepsis, but she has also spoken out about her battle with her physical health and appearance.
In July 2023, Fern told Good Housekeeping: “I wasn’t doing exercise, I was eating too much and suddenly, it was like I flipped a switch and I thought, ‘No, you’ve got to look after yourself’,” she admitted, before saying she now prioritises her health and well-being.
But later in October 2023, Fern had to undergo a major surgical procedure after she was left in ‘constant pain’ from chronic arthritis.
Taking to her Instagram after the surgery, Fern told her followers: “shoulder replacement done and a success. I can’t thank the staff at #StMichaels #NHS hospital in Hayle, cornwall, enough. Such care and kindness..”
Career after This Morning
(Image: CHANNEL 5)
Since leaving This Morning in 2009, Fern has continued to appear on TV and has also been named Sunday Times’ No 1 bestselling author.
Fern hosted her own series on BBC named Fern Britton Meets… where she interviewed high-profile personalities about their religious beliefs. One episode that attracted attention was her interview with former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Since 2010, she has a published a number of best-selling novels and books of short stories and non-fiction. In 2012, Fern was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, where she was paired with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev.
Two years later, Fern began presenting The Big Allotment Challenge for BBC Two, and later began presenting the BBC One antiques game show For What It’s Worth.
Fern then made her comeback to ITV in 2017, presenting the daytime series Culinary Genius. Most recently, she has presented the Channel 5 show ‘My Cornwall with Fern Britton’, which last aired in 2023.
The first episode of Celebrity Big Brother airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on March 4.
