Ex EastEnders star Shaun Williamson reportedly in Celeb Big Brother line-up

Shaun Williamson

Barry Evans in Big Brother? That's the rumour circulating about the upcoming celebrity version

A report suggests Shaun Williamson has signed up for the new series of celebrity Big Brother, which begins on Tuesday, August 1.

The Sun reports Shaun, 51, will be joining the likes of former Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding and The X Factor finalist Amelia Lily among the CBB housemates.

A source reportedly confirmed to The Sun that Shaun, who played Barry Evans in the BBC1 soap, would be going into the house.

The source said: “He played an iconic character and everyone recognises him. Soaps fans will love him in the house and he’s going to go down a storm with viewers.”

Shaun played unlucky-in-love-AND-life Barry for 10 years until 2004 when he was pushed to his death by wife Janine (Charlie Brooks).

He then went on to have recurring roles in Ricky Gervais's hit comedy Extras and the Warwick Davis comedy Life's Too Short.

Other names in the frame for the new series of Big Brother include TOWIE star Pete Wicks, Geordie Shore star Nathan Henry and ex TV presenter John Leslie.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.