Big Brother fans are losing their minds after discovering that this year’s breakout star, Sam Ashby, has been hiding a juicy reality TV past. The 27-year-old singer and Zumba instructor – currently battling it out for the £100,000 prize in the iconic house – already starred in a forgotten MTV dating series five years ago.
Sam’s rollercoaster Big Brother journey has kept viewers glued to their screens. From surviving a dramatic fake eviction (where the public voted him into a secret room with two returning legends) to sparking endless romance rumours with housemate Zelah, the flirty singer has become impossible to ignore.
But the real plot twist? Sam was already a reality TV veteran. A resurfaced clip from 2019’s short-lived MTV gem Love Squad shows a baby-faced Sam auditioning as a potential date – and he’s almost unrecognisable.
Hosted by Charlotte Dawson, the chaotic dating show handed control of hopeless romantics’ love lives to their “Love Squad” of friends and family. In the viral clip (still circulating on social media), Sam gets grilled by the squad – and his answers are pure gold.
Embed X: https://twitter.com/MTVLoveSquad/status/1183830701789138950
When asked how he’d spend £1,000, Sam quipped: “Probably get more filler.” Iconic.
Speaking to LGBTQ+ magazine Spill the Tea about his surprise TV debut, Sam laughed:
“That was so random. Reality TV is my guilty pleasure – I was approached and thought, why not? I’d definitely do more. I have a pretty fun personality and would love my own show one day.”
Sam isn’t the only housemate with a secret CV. Political events manager Emily Hewertson (165K+ X followers, 24K+ on Instagram) was already a familiar face online. And before his shock exit, eagle-eyed fans clocked George in Heartstopper on Netflix and even EastEnders.
From filler jokes to fake evictions, Sam Ashby was born for the cameras. Is this just the beginning of his reality TV empire? Watch this space.