Former Celebrity Big Brother star Chantelle Houghton has opened up about her encounter with Richard Madeley saying he made her feel ‘really small’
15:25, 17 Feb 2026Updated 15:27, 17 Feb 2026
A TV star claims Richard Madeley was ‘so rude'(Image: ITV)
A former Celebrity Big Brother contestant has revealed details of an uncomfortable meeting with Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley, confessing “he made me feel really small”.
Chantelle Houghton was just 23 when she stepped into the Celebrity Big Brother house alongside well-known personalities including glamour model Jodie Marsh, TV presenter Michael Barrymore and American actress Traci Bingham.
The reality television personality, now 43, rose to fame and became an iconic figure of that series because she wasn’t actually a celebrity.
Producers placed her in the house amongst a group of famous individuals and gave Chantelle the challenge of persuading the other celebrities she belonged to a made-up girl band called Kandy Floss.
Chantelle Houghton was just 23 years old when she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house (Image: ITV)
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This premise led to numerous memorable scenes that transformed Chantelle into a beloved public figure almost immediately, reports the Mirror.
At the peak of her celebrity status, Chantelle mingled with numerous prominent figures in the entertainment world, though not everyone was prepared to embrace her warmly.
Discussing celebrities who proved less than welcoming, she revealed to Betway: “Richard Madeley, he was so rude. I went on a TV show, I think it was Richard and Judy on Channel 5 and he just made me feel really small.”
She added: “He was like, ‘Oh, the nation might love you now, but it won’t last. Soon they’ll be tearing you to shred and no one will be interested in you anymore’.”
The celebrity confessed: “It just made me feel tiny. Ruby Wax was similar. She said, ‘Oh, you’ll only be around for 15 minutes, so see you later.”
Chantelle claims Richard told her ‘the nation might love you now, but it won’t last'(Image: PA)
Cornwall Live has approached Richard Madeley and Ruby Wax’s representatives for a response.
However, she did find some warmth in the industry, revealing: “Jamie Oliver has always been one of the nicest celebrities. We both appeared on a show together and he took the time to talk to me about sudden fame and coping with it.”
She continued: “He even invited me out to eat with his wife, Jools. Dermot O’Leary is also wonderful. I ran into him recently, and he’s just such a nice man.”
This comes as Chantelle shared insights into her relationship with Ordinary Boys frontman Samuel Preston, two decades after their first meeting.
Back then, she found herself in one of Big Brother’s most captivating love stories, caught up in a whirlwind romance with Samuel, despite his girlfriend waiting outside the house.
Richard hosts Good Morning Britain(Image: ITV)
They tied the knot that same year but sadly divorced just months later. Fans have always held out hope for a reunion between the pair, but it simply wasn’t in the cards.
When questioned about their current relationship, she disclosed: “Yeah, we still message every now and then. I think he’s engaged to someone now. I don’t know if that’s public knowledge, but hey! We’re still friendly, there’s no bad blood. We didn’t have an awful falling out.
“Obviously, there were problems and a bit of animosity at the time, but no, I genuinely wish him well. We’ve been through so much together that no one else will really understand. That friendship still matters. It’s good memories, and it’s something we did once in our lives. It was just a great experience.”
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