News that Craig Phillips has become a first time dad at 47 has sent Big Brother fans reeling – largely because it’s been 20 years since the cheeky carpenter won the show.

He took the crown in its first ever series, where watching people living with each other 24/7 was still a novelty and contestants were catapulted into the spotlight as soon as they left the Channel 4 house.

Craig Phillips, pictured with his wife Laura, recently introduced baby Nelly to the world on Lorraine Credit: Rex Features

Craig, pictured here with Davina McCall, won the first Big Brother in 2000 Credit: PA:Press Association

But was winning Big Brother always a positive, life-changing experience?

We catch up with four former winners to see if the highs and lows after leaving the house were worth it.

'I was offered a free boob job'

Kate Lawler, 39, won Big Brother in 2002.

She is a Virgin Radio DJ and lives in North London with her fiancé and two dogs.

“After Big Brother, the fame was overwhelming. I’d get letters delivered to my house with just my name, Kate Lawler, Beckenham, Kent, written on the envelope and the postman knew where I lived.

I was invited onto TV shows, radio stations and magazine photo shoots. It was a lot of fun at first and the only hard bit was not being able to spend time with my family and friends.

I worked with Ian Lee on the breakfast TV show RI:SE, it was a crazy time and I did go a bit off the rails. You come out of BB in a bubble, getting lots of job offers, earning money you’ve never had before, drinking heavily and going out lots. It died down after a year though when a new series started and then RI:SE got axed.

I went on another show called Celebrity Wrestling but that didn’t do so well and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my life.

Music was a passion so I decided to learn to DJ. I travelled the world, playing some of the best clubs, getting plied with alcohol, doing all the naughty stuff. Then I got a job in radio in 2007 and settled down.

'Creepy stalker tried to find my home'

I had loads of seriously silly offers - a newspaper offered to get me a boob job on the condition I got them out on the front of the paper but I told them no thanks.

I drank loads of cheap Black Tower wine on BB and they wanted me to be the face of it, but I didn’t think that was a good move either.

But I still made a lot of money in that first year. I was able to put a deposit down on a flat, pay off my parents’ £20,000 mortgage, buy a car and pay for my sister’s wedding, even though I was quite silly with my money.

In the first five years, I didn’t save money for tax and got myself into a financial pickle, just spending money as I got it.

I didn’t have savings and it got close to me not having any money at one point and it was so lucky I landed a job on Kerrang radio because I had so many credit cards I needed to pay off.

But it wasn't all a laugh - I had a stalker which was terrifying, he was eventually locked up. He got a train to Beckenham and was asking people where I lived and he sent me some really creepy stuff. That’s the downside to fame.

Kate Lawler travelled the world through music Credit: Louis Wood - The Sun

'I don't want kids but my fiance does - we're marrying anyway'

I’ve been at Virgin radio now for three years and have just moved into the drive time slot, which is a dream come true. I’ll be starring in Celebrity Coach trip and Celebrity Pointless on TV this autumn and I host a podcast, Maybe Baby, for the parentally undecided. It’s because I’m 39 and I don’t want kids but my fiancé, Martin, does.

I have two dogs and they’re my babies - if I didn't have them maybe I would want a baby.

But I know my dogs aren’t going to be around forever whereas a child is a life-long commitment. You have to consider your children for everything.

I know it’s selfish, but I am happy with my life the way it is - if I hear a baby crying it sends shivers down my spine. My friend just had a kid and she’s two weeks old and I held her and I just didn’t get that ticking biological clock inside me and I don’t think I ever will.

My fiancé is convinced I’ll change my mind but when I ask him what happens if I don’t, he says, 'I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,' and I know that means we’ll get divorced.

Recently he said having kids doesn't matter as long as he's with me, but it made me sad because I know how much he wants one. Maybe I’ll feel differently when we get married next year.”

'I got punched in the face at Will Mellor's 30th'

Anthony Hutton won Big Brother in 2005.

He owns a barbers and lives in Darlington with his wife, Sophie.

“Before I went on Big Brother, I was a big fan of the show so actually being able to go on it was a huge deal. And then to win it was epic.

Afterwards there were huge money deals from magazines and newspapers – OK! offered £200,000.

I remember being in the office of the agent with my mam and thinking it was like watching a live lottery show with me winning it.

I made loads, probably £700,000, and I bought a couple of properties but I was crazy with the money too.

I splashed out £45,000 on a Range Rover, went to Vegas a few times, stuff like that. But I was just a working class lad coming into a lot of money and the instant fame was hard to get my head around.

I was a 22 year-old lad from the North East, who lived with his mam and grandma then I went on a TV show for 79 days and everyone knew my name and I’d go to events where there were paparazzi.

It was a real adrenaline high; I was stupid and naive. On the night I came out, all of my school friends were in London and we got really drunk and the next day it was all in the tabloids. That was a shock to the system.

Anthony had been a huge fan of the show before going in in 2005 Credit: Rex Features

'I seduced my wife with a head massage'

The opportunities that presented themselves were incredible though. My agent told me I was going to get paid £3,000 just to turn up to a nightclub. And then there was all the female attention.

There weren’t many downsides, but at Will Mellor’s 30th birthday party I got punched in the nose in an unprovoked attack in a nightclub. That was a bit of an eye-opener and I’m glad social media wasn’t a thing then.

When the work started to dry up after four years it was tough, but I realised I was going to have to make a living doing something else.

I was homesick and fed up living in London so I went back to County Durham and finished my hairdressing training.

Then in 2015 I opened up Mr Hutton’s Barbers & Bar in Darlington in 2015, which is a barbershop by day and a cocktail bar at night. I’m setting up Mr Hutton's Barbering Academy for students too.

I met my beautiful wife, Sophie, when she came into my salon five years ago and I gave her an amazing shampoo, conditioner and head massage and we married in October last year. The next big step will probably be having children."

'Fans sold my boxers for £30'

Luke Anderson, 37, won Big Brother in 2012.

He runs a bakery business with his wife Jamie-Lee in Flintshire.

“The best bit about leaving the Big Brother house was the acceptance I had from everyone.

I'm transgender but where I worked, no one knew about my history, so I went into the house as a stealth transman. When I came out it was a like a rebirth.

Everyone accepted me for who I was; even my dad who previously was a bit on the fence.

To my face, everyone was mainly positive, but on Twitter it was another story.

People who didn’t even know me were saying they wanted to stab me, they were massively trolling me and I was quite sensitive to it.

Fans were a bit strange too - I had a fan page set up and they used to auction off my boxers for £30.

Big Brother kicked off anxiety issues though, I had a massive anxiety attack two days after the final as I hadn’t slept and was living on Red Bull and Berocca. I literally thought I was dying.

I’ve had anxiety ever since and it will randomly hit me at 2am or when I’m driving. I get dizzy, can't breathe, my heart starts racing and there’s a feeling of despair, but I know how to deal with it now.

I was married when I went into Big Brother, but we divorced soon after. It wasn’t because of the TV show; it was more the freedom to accept myself for who I was.

'Being desperate for fame makes me cringe'

I met my wife, Jamie-Lee, a few months later and we’ve now got twins – Sophie and Arthur, two – and we run a bakery business, Cravin Cupcakes in Flintshire, together. She’s the brains and I’m the workhorse who does the baking.

It’s exhausting being a dad but it’s such a blessing. I never ever thought something this wonderful could happen to me.

I’m glad I did Big Brother; I loved every minute and even the lows made me a stronger person.

I walked out with £50,000 but I only did a few nightclub appearances and the burn out was pretty fast, so I probably only earned a grand or so more.

I went to a BB mini-reunion last year and lots of ex-housemates were fighting to be in front of the camera. It’s so cringey. I’m not like them at all.”

'I still get Valentine’s Day cards, 16 years on'

Cameron Stout, 47, won Big Brother in 2003.

He is a primary school teacher and lives in Stromness.

“I can quite honestly say I had very few lows after leaving Big Brother and on the whole it was such a positive experience.

My brother is in the industry and I always ran things by him, but I kind of wished that a friend of mine had done it so I could experience it from the outside, rather than have to go through it all myself.

Thankfully it was a time before social media, plus I'm from Orkney, a small place where everyone knew everything, so I was used to that.

I got lots of post from fans and still get some now incredibly, 16 years on – Christmas cards, birthday cards and even Valentine’s cards. It’s bizarre.

In 2010 I qualified as a primary school teacher. Every new intake of children has a parent or two who remember I was in BB. They come to me and say, 'My mummy says you were on the telly.' It’s kind of sweet and strange. People have long memories.

Cameron Stout became an unlikely Big Brother star. He's seen here with Davina McCall, who presented the show Credit: PA:Press Association

'I splashed out on a Range Rover, that was it'

I keep busy doing other things too. A friend and I launched Orkney’s first Escape Room, I do a music programme for BBC radio and a friend and I set up a rock choir with 130 members and launched a CD. I am happily settled here in Stromness.

I made quite a lot of money and I’m terribly careful with it. I am a Scotsman after all. I gave some away, invested some in property, invested some overseas.

I probably wasted a fair percentage of it although I remember it being very difficult to spend your own money because people always wanted to pay for everything.

Cameron says he's happily settled in Stromness Credit: Supplied

I think it was very different in the early BB years – I don’t think the financial rewards were the same in the latter years.

I didn’t really splash out. Buying a Range Rover was my only outlandish purchase.

I certainly am glad I did BB. The friendships are still strong. There’s a special relationship you build with housemates because you’re the only ones who’ve had this unique experience.”