Big Brother 2023: Why was the narrator Marcus Bentley 'missing' from the show's launch night?

Big Brother is back for a brand new series five years after it was cancelled and now with a new home on ITV1. The presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best welcomed a new bunch of housemates but some fans were upset that a significant voice appeared to be missing from the show. 

Fans took to social media to raise their concerns that the Big Brother narrator Marcus Bentley, 56, was missing from the launch. One person wrote on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter): “Why’s the Big Brother voice not the Geordie fella but the advert before is the Geordie fella?” another person commented: “where’s the original voiceover man????”

However, it appears he wasn’t actually ‘missing’ after all. Marcus Bentley cleared up the confusion on his ‘X’ account and wrote: “Listen guys I’ve had a lot of this tonight - but just to reiterate, for some who think I wasn’t on the show this evening - I am not the voice of the diary room Big Brother- never have been. I’m the narrator of the show and I was narrating the show when all the housemates had entered.”

Who is Marcus Bentley?

Marcus Bentley is the original voiceover for the UK Big Brother series. He has narrated all nineteen series of the show, as well as the spinoff celebrity series of the show. Marcus was born in Gateshead, near Newcastle and his North-Eastern accent has become a well- known trademark part of the series.  Many fans believe the show wouldn't be the same without hearing his iconic voice.

What else does Marcus Bentley do? 

Before he became the voice of Big Brother in 2000, Marcus Bentley had a career in acting. He had roles in the British television series 'Finney' and 'London's Burning.' as well as featuring in films 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen'. Since he rose to fame on Big Brother, Marcus Bentley's voice has featured on TV shows such as 'The Friday Night Project', 'Dead Set', '15 Kids and Counting' and 'Geordie Shore'. 

Who is Marcus Bentley married to and does he have any children? 

Marcus Bentley has been married to wife Julie Bentley since 1997. The couple share three children and reportedly live in Kent. Speaking to OK! about the reboot, Marcus revealed his children are very excited he is back narrating the show. 

Marcus said: “My children are in their early twenties and it’s been a big part of their life. My youngest were babies when the show first started and they’ve grown up with it. They didn’t watch Big Brother much, but my youngest daughter gets a lot of her Big Brother knowledge from TikTok. She says, ‘Oh my God dad, I can’t believe your voice is on this clip!’”