‘I spent 97 days in a hotel and had a chaperone after Big Brother win’ says Craig Phillips

Craig Phillips,who was the first winner of Big Brother back in 2000, has opened up about his time on the show and has revealed how his life changed after leaving the iconicBig Brother house.

During his time on the show, Craig,who now creates DIY videos with his wife Laura, spent 64 days in the house before being crowned winner by hostDavina McCall.

Having run a building company before signing up for the show,Craig’s life changed dramatically when he left the Big Brother house and, speaking in an interview with OK!, has revealed that he didn’t go home for nearly another 100 days.

“When I got out, I was living in hotels for another 97 days. It was crazy. I had a chaperone, bodyguard, press officers and agents who would take me to different places morning, noon and night,” he said.

“Whether it was paid personal appearances, charity work, photoshoots, guest spots on TV, every night I was juggling so many things. I wouldn't even think about what I was doing the day after or the week after.

“I just had to get up that morning in the hotel and have a look at my itinerary to see what I was doing and where I needed to be. I was just going with the flow in what was a wonderful life changing period of my life.”

Despite being launched into the limelight, Craig continued to follow his passion for construction and it is stillsomething he pours his heart into 23 years on.

“Since Big Brother, I've never actually worked for a customer doing building work. Luckily for me, because I had the building background and the skills to go from design to completion, I was quickly spotted by the BBC to be a guest on one of their programmes,” he said. “I think I ended up with something like a four-year deal with them where I’d do over a 100 shows a year.

“In between media work, I’d go to auction and buy a rundown house and do the building work and that’s something I still do now. I really enjoy building, construction and DIY and doing that keeps me up-to-date with everything I need to know about the industry.”

Craig has recently teamed up with Santander UK as part of the ‘Santander Greener Streets’ campaign in a bid to show people how easy it can be to make small eco-changes that are better for the planet, but also for their bank account.

With new research from Santander UK finding that, despite 70% of homeowning Brits being more concerned than ever about the impact they have on the environment, the same proportion find it too overwhelming to know where to start when it comes to making eco-upgrades to their homes, Craig has shared his top tips.

According to Craig, they can be split into five categories: LED Lighting, air gaps, upgrading, loft insulation, sorting radiators and insulating pipework.

“LED light bulbs are quite cheap, so swapping an all halogen light to an LED one is a quick, easy and inexpensive fix to make when it comes to making your home more eco-friendly,” he explained. “My second tip is to close air gaps around the house, such as getting draft excluders to stop cold air coming in through your doors and windows. Even sealing gaps with silicone sealant can do so much for your home.”

“People should also upgrade their loft insulation. If you’ve had your loft insulation for 15 years, it could have degraded away, so buying more rolls of insulation can help you get the best benefit,” he added.

“Sorting your radiators is another quick fix while the fifth tip is to insulate any pipes throughout the house, even in the attic and basement areas. It keeps the hot water in them so your boilers use a lot less energy trying to circulate around the house and reheat it.”

For more information on how Santander can help with eco improvements please visit the Santander UK website.

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