The new series of Celebrity Big Brother is officially underway and a host of celebs including Gemma Collins, Scotty T, David Guest and Jonathan Cheban have entered the famous house.
This year’s Irish contestant comes in the form of Jeremy McConnell Cooke, a model from Dublin and a former reality star from Beauty School Cop Outs.
The new series has motivated GOSS HQ to take a trip down memory lane and thus, we bring you our favourite Irish Big Brother contestants from years gone by.
1. Brian Dowling
Brian hold’s the very rare distinction of being the only housemate to have won the show twice.
The Kildare native took home the crown in the second series in 2001 and later went on to win Ultimate Big Brother in 2010 against some of the show’s most memorable contestants.
To top it off, Brian even hosted Big Brother after it moved to Channel 5 in 2011 before Emma Willis took over the reins in 2013.
The TV host most recently got married to boyfriend Arthur  with several famous faces in attendance.
2. Anna Nolan
Anna appeared on the very first series of Big Brother way back in 2000 and finished in a very respectable second place.
The Dublin native raised eyebrows in the media as she had been a nun in her pre-fame days.
Previous Big Brother host Davina McCall said in 2011 that out of all the series’ housemates, Anna was the only one she became friends with after the show – and we can see why.
Anna has since gone on to have a very successful presenting career with the likes of the BBC and RTE and currently hosts The Great Irish Bake-Off on TV3.
3. Ray Shah
Dubliner Ray Shah was a contestant on Big Brother 2003 which unfortunately has gone on to be known as the most boring series the show has ever had.
Still, the then 25-year-old finished in second place and went on to a successful career as a radio DJ.
Ray now owns health company BodyFirst nutrition and continues to present on iRadio.
4. Hazel O’Sullivan
Every series of Big Brother has at least one or two models who try their best – but most get evicted in the first few weeks.
However, Irish contestant Hazel broke the mold in 2013 when she was evicted just 2 weeks before the final.
The Assets model caused quite the stir during her time in the house with her flirtatious relationship with housemate Daley and her frequent arguments with rich girl Gina.
Hazel now lives in London and recently served as bridesmaid to Bit On The Side presenter Rylan Clark’s wedding to Dan Neal.
5. Jedward
Jedward appeared on Celebrity Big Brother 2011 alongside the likes of Amy Childs and Kerry Katona.
As would be expected, the X Factor twins regularly wound up their fellow housemates during their stay in the famous bungalow.
However, that didn’t stop the pair from making it to the final where they finished in 3rd place.
6. Georgia Penna
Georgia appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 alongside Denise Welch, Nicola McClean, Frankie Cocozza and Michael Madsen.
During her stay in the house, Georgia became the object of affection of TOWIE star Kirk Norcross, although she rebuffed his advances.
The Dublin beauty was already one of Ireland’s top models, but the show helped to launch her career in the UK.
7. Noirin Kelly
Noirin appeared on one of the less memorable series of Big Brother in 2009.
The Dubliner made quite an impact during her time in the house, with several of the male housemates taking quite a shine to her.
To make things even more awkward, Big Brother threw in her ex-boyfriend Isaac into the house who went on to quit the show the very same night his lady love was evicted.
Noirin posed for Nuts Magazine shortly after her eviction but has since decided to leave the spotlight.
8. Marc O’Neill
Marc first made a name for himself in Ireland as one of the contestants on the car crash that was Tallafornia.
The Dubliner appeared on the most recent civilian series in 2015 and quickly became one of the show’s most memorable contestants.
Marc is best remembered for winding up almost all of his fellow housemates and never putting on a pair of pants throughout his stay in the house.
The former stripper recently graduated from college and has since moved to California.
9 . Paddy O’Doherty
Although he was born and raised in Manchester, Paddy comes from an Irish family and that’s good enough for us.
Paddy became known for his appearance on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and then went on to be a housemate in the same Celeb series as Jedward.
To top it off, Paddy ended up winning the show after he beat out runner up Kerry Katona in the final.
10. Â Keith Duffy
Believe it or not, Keith Duffy also enjoyed a stay in the Big Brother house in 2001 during the show’s first ever Celebrity series.
Keith stayed in the house alongside the likes of Vanessa Feltz and Jack Dee and finished in third place on the final night.
The former Boyzone star has been keeping busy and most recently appeared in Limerick panto shows over Christmas.
11. Edele Lynch
Edele took part in Celebrity Big Brother 2014 shortly after her appearance on Channel 4 show The Big Reunion.
The B*witched star’s time in the house is best remembered for her flirty relationship with Gogglebox star George Shelley.
The pair kept in touch after the show and event spent New Year’s together in 2015.
12. Spiral
Finglas native DJ Spiral made a late appearance on Big Brother 2007 which featured some of the show’s most memorable contestants like Nikki Grahame and Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace.
Spiral only lasted a few weeks in the house before being evicted – but he didn’t let that get him down.
The Dubliner most recently released a single in 2013 called Finglas.
Although it didn’t do too well, God loves a tryer.
13. Jade Lynch
Marc O’Neill wasn’t the only Irish housemate on the 2015 series – model Jade Lynch also enjoyed a stay in the house and made quite an impact.
Jade raised eyebrows among her fellow housemates for describing herself as poly-amorous, meaning she enjoys to have open relationships.
The Dubliner had a brief romance with Brian Belo during her time in the house before being evicted on Day 39.
14. Ashleigh CoyleÂ
Ashleigh was a housemate in Big Brother 2014 and at the tender age of 18 was one of the youngest contestants to ever appear on the show.
However that didn’t stop the former Miss Derry winner from making it all the way to the final where she finished in second place to Helen Wood in the closest vote in BB history.
Don’t worry Ashleigh, you’ll always be the winner in our eyes.
15. Michael Dylan
Okay, so technically Michael wasn’t exactly a housemate, but he still made a very memorable appearance on the 2013 series.
The Cork actor went into the show as a fake housemate to mess with the other contestants heads.
However, Michael was found out by some of the sharper members of the house and made a very dramatic exit during the first week.
