11 August 2005 17:59
Norfolk EDP
To a large extent the ordeal appears to be over for Craig Coates, his close friends and family.
But the Norfolk hairdresser will still have to face the reality of recent weeks following his eviction from the Big Brother house on Wednesday night.
In the absence of being able to speak directly to Craig himself thanks to careful “media management”, Edward Foss talked to his best friend.
The live television interview given by Craig Coates immediately after his eviction from the Big Brother house may well have turned many people's opinion of the 20-year-old on its head.
Widely regarded as a whinger, pilloried in the tabloid press for his frequent tantrums and described as a “bunny boiler” and “stalker” due to his relationship with housemate Anthony, the hairdresser from Cromer was expected to have his work cut out when he left the intense atmosphere of the house.
But his family and friends will be hoping that Craig's first 'outside' performance, a live interview with Big Brother presenter Davina McCall, will have convinced a large swathe of the public of what they have been saying all along.
They have insisted he is a genuine and loving young man put under a huge amount of emotional pressure by the goldfish bowl situation in which he found himself.
The way Craig conducted the interview will have helped his cause no end, coming over as a perfectly normal young man who has just had a bizarre and extreme personal experience which, despite everything, he seems to have enjoyed.
The support he receives from parents Yvette and Johnny will be backed up by his best friend Katie Fuller who spoke to the EDP late as she took a taxi to London immediately after Craig's eviction was announced.
“In some ways I am glad he is out, but I did wish he was in there for the final night,” said Katie.
“The plan is that Craig and I will be in an apartment in a secret location for a few days, just the two of us.
“He has a loving family and friends to help him get his head together after the emotional rollercoaster he has been on.
“It is good he is back to normality and the idea is that he will go on holiday to Florida, just to get away. Yvette and Johnny thought it would be a good idea and organised it as a surprise for him.
“He will need a lot if support, but by the end of it he will come through. We all love him.”
Asked what impact the last few weeks have had on Craig's immediate family and closest friends, Katie said: “Our lives have been turned upside down.
“Everything has been quite difficult, with people's negative reactions. We have had a hell of a time of it.”
A long time fan of the Big Brother series, which is now in its sixth term, Katie said she had dramatically changed her opinion of the show thanks to the last few weeks.
“I have found out a lot of things, how things are twisted and edited.
“Everything was done to Craig's disadvantage. 'Live' does not mean 'live' for instance, there is a fairly lengthy delay.”
The family have previously criticised the way the housemates were treated by the programme makers, in order, they say, to fuel certain types of behaviour and attract an audience.
Mum Yvette told the EDP earlier this week she was not impressed with the use of alcohol in the house, as well as being unsure of whether Craig was receiving enough practical support from producers.
Family members have also said they are confident Craig will be successful in returning to his Sheringham salon if that is what he chooses to do.
People who know Craig will tell you hes so loyal that is can come across as being obsessive. I actually see it as a nice thing in his personaity. If people, who do not knoe him and have only seen ghim on BB in a very unusal stressful enviroment dont like him cos he fancied Ant and was over protective. I personally think it says more about them then is does Craig!