Brian Dowling has hit out at Big Brother for holding ‘secret talks’ to hire Emma Willis behind his back.
The Irish presenter, 42, won Big Brother twice – in series 2 in 2001 and nine years later on 2010’s Ultimate Big Brother – before being invited to host the show when it moved over to Channel 5.
However, two years later he was replaced by Emma, 44, and Brian has now slammed the show for the way he was treated after he was axed.
Having his say: Brian Dowling has hit out at Big Brother for holding ‘secret talks’ to hire Emma Willis behind his back (pictured hosting Big Brother in 2011)
The popular host fronted the reality show for two series plus a handful of celebrity specials, before Channel 5 announced in 2013 that The Voice star Emma would be taking over.
Taking aim at the way in which he found out he was losing his job, Brian said it was ‘not a nice feeling’ to hear show bosses were in ‘secret talks’ with Emma.
Speaking to OK! magazine, he said: ‘A newspaper broke the story to me when I’d signed a contract and was coming back to host two more seasons. And to find out they were in secret talks with Emma the whole time, it’s not a nice feeling.’
He added: ‘But that’s just the industry we’re in. It happens and I just had to hold my head high and walk away from that. But when I look back on my time being a housemate twice and hosting it… you have to find the positives.’
Not impressed: Two years after getting the job, he was replaced by Emma Willis, 44, and Brian has now slammed the show for the way he was treated after he was axed (pictured hosting Big Brother in 2017)
Meanwhile, Brian, who took over from Davina McCall, added that although there’s ‘no rift’ between himself and Emma, it would have been nice if she had called or texted him before he heard the bad news.
He went on: ‘There was no rift. Were Emma and I friends? Probably more colleagues than friends, but that’s OK. She was in a situation where she was hardly going to turn down the job. I completely sympathise with the position she was in. It would have been nice to get a text or a call beforehand. We’re colleagues, right? It wasn’t nice and then having to watch the show…’
Brian also confirmed that with the exception of one ‘private conversation’, Emma had ‘never reached out’ to him in seven years, adding that the last time they spoke was ‘a month or two after the firing’ in 2013.
TV star: The Irish presenter, 42, won Big Brother twice – in series 2 in 2001 and nine years later on 2010’s Ultimate Big Brother – before being invited to host the show when it moved over to Channel 5 (pictured in the Big Brother house in 2001)
Speaking out: Taking aim at the way in which he found out he was losing his job, Brian said it was ‘not a nice feeling’ to hear show bosses were in ‘secret talks’ with Emma
He went on to say that he has ‘respect’ for the host and hopes that if they ran into one another, there would be a ‘big hug and big kiss.’
Emma went on to present the series until it finished on Channel 5 in 2018 with Rylan Clark-Neal hosting spin-off show Big Brother’s Bit On The Side.
Big Brother has once again become a talking point thanks to the current reunion show airing re-runs of classic episodes.
Before Thursday’s episode of Best Shows Ever aired, Rylan, 31, took to Twitter to respond to fans who criticised the series for making no mention of the fact Brian hosted the show during Wednesday’s episode when Emma made an appearance.
No contact: Meanwhile, Brian, who took over from Davina McCall, added that although there’s ‘no rift’ between himself and Emma, it would have been nice if she had called or texted him before he heard the bad news (pictured in 2018)
While Davina and Emma remembered their experiences hosting the show, fans noted Brian’s stint as host was not discussed.
Responding to the criticism, Rylan wrote: ‘I have seen some of you and Brian feel slightly let down and left out of the conversation between myself, Davina and Emma in Wednesday’s show.
‘I just want to clarify to you all that I’m fully aware Brian hosted the show as I was his last ever interview, which I hold dear to me as I said the night I won during the interview as I was and still am a massive fan of his.
Radio silence: Brian also confirmed that with the exception of one ‘private conversation’, Emma had ‘never reached out’ to him in seven years, adding that the last time they spoke was ‘a month or two after the firing’ in 2013 (pictured in 2019)
”Just to re-clarify what I said: “Seeing as I’ve got you both here, when you got the call to host the show, after working alongside the Big mother herself, what was going through your mind?”
‘I hope this shows I was just using that opportunity as a fan to ask that question with the two people in front of me, I would have asked the same question if it was Brian and Davina or Emma and Brian.
”I have a lot of love for Brian and would hate for him to be feeling upset and I hope this clears it up for those tweeting. Lets enjoy what Big Brother we have left. Enjoy the last show. #BBUK’.
Statement: Rylan took to Twitter to respond to fans who criticised the series for making no mention of the fact Brian hosted the show during Wednesday’s episode when Emma made an appearance