[Loukas]

The man behind tough cop DCI Burnside, who claims he has struggled to find work following the police serial drama, has reportedly agreed to a stint on the Channel 5 reality show

Christopher Ellison has reportedly signed up to appear in Celebrity Big Brother.

According to the Star On Sunday, the actor, who rose to fame playing Detective Chief Inspector Frank Burnside on The Bill, will be joining Dan Osborne, Dapper Laughs and Janice Dickinson in the Channel 5 reality show house.

The news comes after the star revealed a few months back that he struggled to find work following 16 years on the ITV police drama series.

While Christopher became a household name as The Bill's toughest policeman; banging down doors and dragging villains out of bed, growling "You’re nicked, so", the 68-year-old claims that the iconic role killed his career.

He explained: "He was such a strong character that he did for me for a very, very long time.

"TV dried up when The Bill and *Burnside finished so I started doing a lot of theatre tours, because you have to make a living.

"I kept going with little bits and pieces and touring theatre but I wasn’t called for auditions. They don’t come out and say you’re too typecast, it’s unspoken, they just don’t see you and that’s the end of it.

"It’s hard to deal with because you get to the stage where you think, ‘Maybe I should just pack all this in and get a job as a doorman.’ You don’t know what to do."

Celebrity Big Brother returns to Channel on August 27.

TheMirror.co.uk