[Matt]

LOUDMOUTH comic Jim Davidson has been signed up for Celebrity Big Brother — despite his infamous anti-gay rant against host Brian Dowling.

The Seventies stand-up reduced Irishman Brian to tears by calling him a “shirt-lifter” and a “********** disgrace” when they were both contestants on Hell’s Kitchen in 2007.

ITV threw him off the reality show after scores of complaints from viewers.

An insider said: “Jim often says what he thinks, even if his views are at odds with most people.

“He got himself into a lot of trouble when he was on Hell’s Kitchen with Brian but hopefully he will be on better behaviour with him this time. It’s true to say there is no love lost between the pair of them but Brian is a professional and this is part of his job.”

Brian will have to interview Jim as he enters and leaves the Big Brother house in the Channel 5 series kicking off on January 3.

They have not spoken properly since the storm.

Immediately after he was kicked off Hell’s Kitchen, Jim sent a letter to Brian and the other contestants, apologetically admitting he was a “non-PC fossil”. But Brian tore it up.

Bosses hope his blunt talking will set off fireworks with his fellow housemates. They will include ex-EastEnder Gillian Taylforth, TV Biz can reveal.

She played Kathy Beale on the soap for 15 years before going on to star in Footballers’ Wives.

Gillian has been keen to reinvent herself since splitting from her partner of 23 years, businessman Geoff Knights, in 2009.

She said: “When I became single it gave me the push to start looking after my body.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...bb-afraid.html