Big Brother 2023: Which housemates found love on the show and stayed together?

There is not long to wait for the new series of Big Brother to kick off on ITV1. We can already hear the theme tune and Marcus Bentley's voice as we wait patiently for the series to make its comeback after five years. The brand new series will be hosted by TV presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best.

It’s been 23 years since the first series of Big Brother first aired on Channel 4 and brought us Melanie Hill, (Nasty) Nick Bateman and Craig Philips as the first ever winner. The TV series spanned for 19 series and was also the place where love blossomed. We take a look back at the couples that fell in love on the show and if they stayed together after. 

Helen Adams and Paul Clarke (Series 2, 2001)

Welsh hairdresser Helen was best known for saying “I like blinking I do”. However, it was her relationship with Paul Clarke that captured the nation’s hearts. The pair flirted like crazy in the house and that’s as far as it went due to Helen having a boyfriend on the outside. They did eventually get together and moved in together, but after five years of dating called it quits and split in 2006.  

Michelle Bass and Stuart Wilson (Series 5, 2004) 

In Series Fve of Big Brother ,Michelle and “Chicken” Stu couldn't keep their hands off each other - literally. The pair were rumoured to be the first couple to have sex on the show after they appeared to have a romp under a table. They dated for a year after leaving the show. 

Grace Adams Short and Mikey Dalton (Series 7, 2006) 

The couple met whilst on the Seventh Series of Big Brother in 2006. They are the only couple that are still together after all these years. They married in 2009 and have three children together. 

Series Seven also saw the romance between Pete Bennett and Nikki Grahame. The pair only dated for a month after the show ended but stayed close friends. Nikki Grahame was one of the most iconic characters from the show who sadly passed away in 2001 after a battle with anorexia. 

Chanelle Hayes and Ziggy Lichman (Series 8, 2007)

They were dubbed the ‘Posh and Becks’ of reality TV in 2007. Chanelle had Victoria Beckham's signature short cropped blonde hairstyle and Ziggy had David Beckham’s good looks. The pair dated for six months after the show, but were reunited on Loose Women in 2018 with Ziggy saying that he still loved Chanelle to bits. 

Lisa Appleton and Mario Marconi (Series 9, 2008) 

Technically they were in a relationship before they went on Big Brother and were the first ever couple to enter the house together. Mario proposed to Lisa whilst on the show and they married two years later. The couple ended up getting divorced in 2013. 

Josie Gibson and John James Parton (Series 11, 2010)

Years before Josie became a fixture on ITV’s This Morning, she started life on Big Brother. The Bristolian fell in love with John James, although it may not have been reciprocated at first. They did go on to date after the show even moving in together and discussed the prospect of marriage. 

Sadly less than a year later, John James left her for another woman. It worked out for Josie who is now a regular on daytime TV and as for John James, he headed over to try and find a new love in Love Island Australia in 2018. 

Big Brother launches on ITV1 at 9 pm on Sunday October 8