Big Brother 2026: Confirmed line-up of housemates
Big Brother is back on our screens after introducing viewers to the 16 housemates who will be calling the nation’s most famous residence their home for the next eight weeks.
It wouldn’t be Big Brother without some launch night twists and turns, and this year was no exception, as hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best revealed the House of Chaos twist, which will see the house have a new theme each week.
That’s not all either, as Big Brother has appointed a Chief Creator of Chaos to be their mole. That role was given YouTuber Tays, who is part of I’m a Celebrity winner Angry Ginge’s group The Bov Boys.
Tays was chosen to stay in the house by Big Brother after The Bov Boys completed a 24-hour test run before the launch night. The content creator will serve as a fake housemate for the next week and has already been tasked with choosing which three housemates will be nominated for the first eviction.
But who are the other housemates taking part in Big Brother 2026? Read on for everything you need to know about this year’s cast.
Yasmin
Age: 29
Location: Manchester
Job: Teacher
Yasmin applied for Big Brother because she loves that the show is a social experiment and brings together people from all different walks of life. She’s watched the show for years and has always wanted to take part in the experience.
A bubbly personality is what Yasmin will bring to the house but she’s also admitted she’s very straightforward when it comes to giving her opinions.
“What you see is what you get with me,” she said. “You'll never be left wondering what you think about me. You will always know exactly where you stand with me.”
Although she’s not got a strategy or a game plan, Yasmin hopes to help out her mum if she does go on to win the £100,000 prize money.
Harry
Age: 30
Location: Croydon
Job: Online fitness coach
Harry applied to Big Brother for “the experience” and is excited to meet new people as he currently lives on his own.
He wants to bring “good energy” to the house but could rub the other housemates up the wrong way by being too “intense”.
“I guess at the very start, people might want to relax and chill. And I love my own space. But then I also come alive at like 1am. I'll be up like a night owl. And I think that sort of thing might annoy people just because I'm so used to living on my own and doing my own thing,” he said.
Chelsey
Age: 29
Location: Manchester
Job: Social worker
Chelsey decided to take part in Big Brother after being encouraged to sign up for the “once in a lifetime” experience by her mum.
The social worker has “two sides” to her and is equally at home giving advice and solving problems as she is having a joke and messing about.
If she wins the show, Chelsey has promised to pay for her mum to get a facelift.
Philip
Age: 53
Location: Liverpool
Job: Content creator
Philip saw an advertisement to apply for Big Brother on TikTok and thought, “You only live once!” He has promised to put a smile on his housemates’ faces, but warned “You’re better being a friend to me than an enemy. I’m a very good friend, but I’m a very bad enemy.”
While he’s got a “soft heart”, Philip is not afraid to call someone out and he likes an audience when he does it.
If he were to win the show, Philip says he’d give the money to charity as well as his friends and family.
Lynx
Age: 24
Location: London
Job: Property developer
Lynx wants to “show that you can just be you” and has said he’ll bring fun to the house.
He’s admitted that he’s looking forward to not having his phone so he can have a “full detox” while getting to know his fellow housemates.
If he walks away with the prize money, Lynx wants to invest it into his business.
Charlotte
Age: 18
Location: Oxford
Job: Student
Charlotte has watched Big Brother “every year” since it started on ITV but was too young to apply until turning 18 this year.
The application process was “surreal” for the student, who only applied during the last week of auditions.
As a quadruple amputee, Charlotte said she often surprises people by doing “normal things like cooking, doing my makeup, getting dressed, stuff like that”.
Pauline
Age: 31
Location: Essex
Job: Carer
Pauline has watched Big Brother since she was five and decided to apply for the show after losing her father in March. “I thought, ‘let me try and do something, that if the world was ending tomorrow, what would you do?’ I like to take on new opportunities because life is short,” she said.
The former private investigator will bring “tons of patience” to the house and has described herself as “laid back” and “very calm”. However, Pauline has admitted her “directness” could lead to her being nominated by her housemates.
If she wins, Pauline will use the prize money to take her mum to Disneyland and make some adaptations to her motorbike.
Tays
Age: 23
Location: Manchester
Job: Streamer and content creator
Tays is going into the house with a very different mission from the other housemates as he is Big Brother’s mole. He has vowed to “get into the competitive mode and get the job done”.
“I’m very confident I can keep a secret, and I think I’ll play the role well. I'm confident I can throw them off my track,” Tays said.
The content creator will only be in the house for the first week and said he “would not cope at all” if he had to take part in the full eight-week stint.
Rochelle
Age: 57
Location: Essex
Job: Housewife
Rochelle applied for Big Brother “as a joke” and didn’t expect to be selected as housemate! She has promised to bring fun and laughter to the house but isn’t interested in political conversations.
“If they start going, I'll just switch off because I'm not one bit interested,” she said.
Rochelle has been married to her husband for 33 years and would use some of the prize money to celebrate his 60th birthday next year if she were to win.
Millie
Age: 19
Location: Paisley
Job: Bartender
Millie decided to apply for Big Brother after quitting her job when she thought, “I'm so much better than these jobs.”
The “loud” and “spontaneous” mum has promised to bring “character” to the house. “You'd know if I was in a room,” she said.
Her strategy to win the show is “to get everyone in the house to like me and be loyal and not talk behind people's backs”. If her strategy proves successful and she wins the show, Millie wants to start a business or buy a home and give her young son a “good start in life”.
Frankie
Age: 23
Location: London
Job: Marketing manager
Frankie has wanted to take part in Big Brother since he was eight years old. “Entertainment” is what he’s hoping to bring to the house but the marketing manager has admitted he could be divisive.
“I don't think there's a lot of people like me, so I feel like it's going to cause a bit of a divide,” he said. “I feel like some people will like me and some people are going to hate me.”
Frankie currently lives with his nan and will give her “most of the money” if he wins. He also wants to use the winnings to buy his own property and travel around the world.
Samuel
Age: 21
Location: Slough
Job: Administrative apprentice
Samuel is “living out his dreams” by appearing on Big Brother after getting into the show with his mum when he was younger.
He is looking forward to chatting with Big Brother in the Diary Room and has said he will bring “wit” and “charm” to the house. But while Samuel is looking forward to getting to know his housemates, he has admitted he can be “grumpy” if he doesn’t get enough sleep.
When asked what he is most likely to be nominated for, he said, “I think people might not appreciate my complete honesty. I can also sometimes leave a bit of a mess behind me.”
Rob
Age: 25
Location: Bideford
Job: Radio presenter
Rob applied for Big Brother “on a whim” after spotting an advertisement on Facebook. He will bring “energy” and “lots of jazz hands” to the house as he wants to “spread joy”.
However, the radio presenter has said he can be “a bit loud”, which could get him nominated by other housemates.
Rob is looking forward to spending plenty of time in the hot tub in the house and would use the prize money to buy one of his own if he won.
Rhianna
Age: 21
Location: Chelsea
Job: Stay-at-home daughter
Rhianna is “really looking forward to living with a bunch of strangers” and hopes to make “lifelong friends” in the Big Brother house.
“I've never stayed in a hostel, gone to summer camp or boarding. I've never been in a situation where I have to stay the night with complete strangers and that is really exciting for me,” she said.
Rhianna often gets mistaken as “stuck-up” as she has a “resting b***h face” but will surprise viewers with her “emotional” and “vulnerable” side.
Omar
Age: 21
Location: London
Job: Jewellery seller
Omar applied to be on Big Brother for the “opportunity, growth and experience”. “Not everyone gets to do something like that so it's a pleasure that I've been selected,” he said.
Going into the house without a strategy, Omar said, ‘I’m just going to go in and be myself.’”
If he wins the show, Omar wants to “invest back into myself and my family”. He said, “I would also like to buy all the kids from my estate school shoes and give something back to my community.”
Johanne
Age: 44
Location: Salford (originally LA)
Job: Online marketing
Johanne moved to the UK from LA and applied for Big Brother as it is “a big part of British history at this point”. “I just really wanted to challenge myself. I want to be immersed in the British culture,’ she said.
She considers herself to be a good judge of character and has admitted she can be “very direct” and “not afraid of confrontation”.
If Johanna won the show, she would use the prize money to start a hair care brand for people with alopecia as she has the condition herself. “It’s something that happened to me when I was in my 30s. So, I would love to do that. I don't feel like there's really a market or brand that caters to those people as far as making really funky headpieces and stuff like that,” she explained.
Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
Add Big Brother to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.