<img src="http://www.bbfans.com/images/PJ11.JPG" align="left">We now have yet another interview from PJ for you, this time it is thanks to BBFans member kimbccx. The interview was actually conducted on 3rd. March, so some of the answers may seem a bit out of date, but I've decided to include them anyway. Thanks Kim and PJ.
Kim: You look well! How are you?
PJ: I’m doing well thank you very much! I’m actually at work at the moment. I’ve got my own business doing Speed Dating and Under 18 nights, I’m event manager. It’s going really well, I’m really busy. I’ve lost all my hair now. I was bald when I went into the house but now I’m even worse! I’m really finding it difficult to get back into normal life; the past 2 years have been really easy for me. I’ve been getting paid a lot of money to do basically nothing! I’m my own boss, so my hours are flexible, but it’s quite difficult to get back involved and get my head down. It takes a while to get used to what you’ve all been doing – working hard, but I’m looking forward to it!
I really want to leave Big Brother behind now but being an events manager I need to get the advertisement, PR and the press and so I need to use my name and obviously it goes back to Big Brother, which I don’t mind as it gives me fantastic free press! If I hadn’t have done Big Brother, it (the business) wouldn’t have grown quite as quickly, so I’ve got to thank Big Brother for that. I don’t regret it at all.
Kim: I know it’s been a while but what have you been up to since leaving the Big Brother house?
PJ: For the first 6 months it was absolutely mad. I was speaking to Ray and he didn’t do as much as me, so I was really lucky. I was in a really good Big Brother. There were so many amazing characters in there like Jade, Spencer, Kate and of course Sandy escaping!
Anyway, I was going to clubs, record stores, opening shops, OK and Heat photo shoots; it was something I’ve always dreamed about. After that I started getting more serious offers like TV work. I presented MTV for a bit. I did a radio show in Cambridge with Spencer, a lot more career based stuff. The radio career didn’t really kick off.
The past 6 months I’ve been really lucky to do a lot for charity. I’ve been doing a lot for the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Cancer. That’s been cool. I wasn’t getting money but I thought maybe I could help people.
Recently I’ve been really concentrating on my career. I don’t know what I want to do. I don’t want to go back to Law just yet so I thought I might try and use the fact that I’ve met so many people and maybe try and start a career.
I still do things like opening supermarkets now and again but it gets embarrassing. I just thought, this isn’t for me now. I don’t really like it and when it gets to the point where you’re not enjoying it you have to move on. I have been really lucky, I’ve looked back on the last 18 months and I’ve had such a great time. I’ve got a house and a car that I’ve always wanted and I’ve met so many new friends.
Kim: Do you still speak to any of the Housemates from Big Brother 3?
PJ: I still speak to Kate. I don’t speak to Jade anymore. We used to text a lot but she’s gone into the Back to Reality house now.
I speak to Alison, Spencer and Jonny and I emailed Tim the other day. I lost touch with Lee and Sophie after the wedding.
Kim: How about the Big Brother 4 Housemates?
PJ: I only speak to Ray and Jon (Tickle).
Kim: Have you been watching Back to Reality?
PJ: I know what’s happened because my mom and dad are massive fans. I’ve watched it but obviously Jade, my mate, is in there so it’s weird to see her doing something we’ve all done before. To be honest I don’t really like the show, it’s not as good as Pop Idol and I’m a celebrity. I really got into that (I’m a celebrity get me out of here!) this year.
I have watched bits of Back to Reality. I saw Jade pole dancing, that was funny! I watched it one night and they were talking about what’s in thier contracts and what they don’t want to do. I think that takes the reality out of reality TV. We went in Big Brother with a contract that said they can change the rules whenever they want and we can do what we like.
Kim: Would you ever consider doing anything like Back to Reality?
PJ: There was talk, when it first started, of me going on, obviously it didn’t happen. I would have done it, not to try and increase my celebrity status but for the fact that it’s for charity. Those in there have an amazing opportunity to win £75,000 for charity.
I would have loved to do something like I’m a celebrity. I wouldn’t want to be in the Channel 5 studios for a couple of weeks, but I would have considered it.
Kim: Who would you like to win Back to Reality?
PJ: I think James has got a good chance, he’s a cool bloke, but I would like to see Craig win.
Kim: What do you think of the idea of open auditions for Big Brother 5?
PJ: I have 2 opinions really. I think a lot of people are put off applying for Big Brother because they have to do a video but at open auditions all sorts of people come along. That could also be a sign that Big Brother isn’t doing too well because obviously they need to encourage more people to come along and audition.
You’ll get a lot of wasted time at the open auditions if a lot of people turn up. They don’t even know if they’ve got a criminal record!
I think though that open auditions are a good way to give everyone a chance, but I think it’s bad because you don’t know what kind of people are going to turn up and how many.
Kim: Are you going to watch Big Brother 5?
PJ: I’ll have to. I’ll be doing things for radio. I’ll watch it - its part of me now. It’s difficult not to watch it. It’s on every advert and magazine. It will be on Channel 4 24 hours a day!
It will be difficult for me a) to avoid it and b) not to want to watch it. I won’t watch it religiously, I didn’t last year. It’s weird to see people in the house. I don’t know whether they’ll knock it down and build a new one, but it’s like they’re living in my house!
Kim: Do you think Big Brother has had its day what with all the other reality shows out there?
PJ: I don’t think it will ever die because people are still talking about me and Jade and Kate and Spencer on the website so it’s definitely popular.
Big Brother was the first ever reality show and it’s got Channel 4 a lot of money and it’s made 40 odd people’s lives so different.
I think maybe it will last a couple of years more but I think you’ve got to leave it golden. I hope they do. I want people to have pleasant memories of it and not just think ‘Oh God, is it still going on?’
Also I’m a Celebrity is massive now and Pop Idol plus you’ve got all the new stuff like Joe Millionaire and There’s something about Miriam.
Kim: Which do you think is better? Celebrity reality shows or public reality shows?
PJ: It’s weird because with public reality shows now, there are so many people that go in there with tactics. They’ve watched it; they know everything about it and how to win it. They get in there and use it to build a career.
That’s also the same for celebs, because a lot of people say they are doing it to rejuvenate their career, but I like celebs to be honest. I love I’m a celebrity because you always feel like you know them but you see the real side to them on the show.
Kim: Do you think there should be another teen Big Brother?
PJ: I don’t think that really worked. I thought it was going to be educational for the young people.
I didn’t think it was very nice to show Jade and Tommy having sex. It didn’t really open them up to the best of people’s opinions.
Kim: And finally, shall we expect to hear or see anything of you in the future?
PJ: I don’t think so. I think that’s it now. I really enjoyed it and I still enjoy it now – going out and people recognising me, but there’s a downside. You’re in a situation where everyone’s coming up to you, everyone wants a bit of you, a picture or an autograph or a little chat. I don’t mind because everyone’s been really nice but I don’t want to be famous any more.
Thanks once again to Kim and PJ for that.
Some good questions there and some good, in depth answers.
If you wish to comment on this interview or anything that PJ said, then please do so
HERE.
