[Shaun]

Source: BBC Newsbeat - Click Here

Former Big Brother contestant Chanelle has been giving Newsbeat the lowdown on the latest collection of housemates to hit our screens as well as an insight into life after the reality show, including how it feels to be a tabloid pin-up.

Have you been keeping up with BB9?

I've had to watch it as much as I could for work because I've got a column on it every week which is really good fun.

I'm struggling to find people who I like this year. Usually there's one person who your heart goes out to or you think's really funny. But this year I've just been like 'You're not bad, you're annoying, you're irritating, I'm not keen on you, and you're just a loser'. So I'm not really that keen on any of them.

This year it's been more about the guys. Last year there were a lot of good looking girls in there, Sam and Mandy, Charlie, Emily, Carole but this year no-one's been that hot for the girls, It's been more about Stu and Dale. It's different to last year and all the other years I've watched it. It hasn't had very good ratings has it?

Why do you think they've focussed on putting hunky men in there?

If you watch Big Brother then you'll watch it no matter who's in it. I don't know why they've focussed on the men this year. I think the initial idea was to put in Steph, Jen, Rachel, Sarah… and I think they wanted a big thing to go off between them and the two guys that are hot but it just didn't work.

Is that the key to a successful BB - having decent eye candy in there?

Well you need a hottie don't you because who wants to look at a group of people who aren't hot? You need at least one person that's a bit of eye candy to keep things interesting and make viewing easier on the eye.

Is there anyone you would like to win?

I want Sarah or Rachel to win because they're nice girls and they're both sweet. But I did want Lisa to win just because my mum did and I just do whatever my mum says.

Did you go into the BB house as a platform to get famous?

No, because I wanted to be a speech therapist so now that idea's completely flushed down the toilet. I only went to BB with my friend Lisa because we were hungover and she wanted to go on it. I just happened to get through.

Because I'm always setting myself targets - whether it's about fitness or education - once I'd got through I couldn't stop wanting to get through more just to prove that I could do it. And then I'd got in too far and couldn't stop. I never thought I'd get anything from it.

They told me when I walked out that I wouldn't get a job and no agents wanted to sign me - that's what they told me in the diary room. I didn't expect a thing. I just thought I was going to live with my friend Alison in Spain.

Have you given up on speech therapy?

I've always enjoyed education and I'm quite an academic person. I've still been doing Spanish lessons, I went to Spain a few weeks ago to learn at a Spanish school. I've still been carrying on with that and my English language and linguistics and stuff. I've still been doing that on the side.

Luckily for me I've got a lot of regular work so I haven't got time to give it 100% of my attention. I'm putting it off until I can completely dedicate myself to it, then I'm defo finishing my degree because that's what I've always wanted to do and I'm not going to stop because my bum's on the front of a paper.

So appearing on the front of the paper dressed in a sexy way - is that something you've been railroaded into?

I think it's obvious and common sense that sexy girls in bikinis on the front of papers and magazines sell - the boys buy into it and they like it. But I never thought I'd be able to do that. I don't have any boobs, I've got a big bum, I just think I'm pear-shaped so when people offer me regular work I just take it because I feel flattered that I'm offered it.

I didn't go into BB thinking I was going to get anything and I still don't understand why I'm getting work - it's just a lot of luck. I've never done topless, I've never done naked. I would go down a beach wearing a bikini so I don't think it's any different getting paid for it.

If you could rewind - would you change anything? Is there enough there to make you want to maintain that level of celebrity?

I wouldn't even call myself a celebrity. I'm just someone who happens to have pushed myself into the public eye. But I always try and say that I would never change anything in my life.

If I'm being 100% honest there's a million and one things I would change about myself and my life. Maybe I would do things differently and think things through a lot further before I even went in BB. Not to mention coming out and posing on the front of magazines.

But at the same time it's a double-edged sword because I'm so grateful for everything I've got. I've been lucky enough to get given the opportunity to do these good things for my family and friends but at the same time the down side does outweigh the good.