EastEnders icon Shaun Williamson reveals what you DIDN’T know about Celebrity Big Brother as he offers advice to stars ahead of show revival

He spent 23 days in the Celebrity Big Brother house before becoming the eighth person evicted in 2017.

Now that the show has been confirmed to return in the summer, Shaun Williamson has offered advice to potential new housemates.

Reflecting on his series, which was ultimately won by the late Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding, he told MailOnline exclusively: “I was lucky!”

Shaun, 58, revealed he had received advice from his late friend Keith Chegwin, who had made it to the final of the show two years earlier, who gave him a good tip.

He explained: ‘Keith told me to ask my agent for my own bed’ before entering the house.

Shaun revealed that he was able to get his sleeping arrangements written into his contract before the show and that he was happy not to be in bed with his fellow housemates during his time on the show.

But while he might have been able to rest comfortably, he revealed that actually falling asleep proved to be a problem as the producers insisted everyone keep their microphones on until the last housemate went to bed.

This proved problematic for Shaun and his fellow early sleepers, who wanted to get their 40 nods, as the likes of Sarah, Amelia Lily, Marissa Jade, Jemma Lucy, Brandy Glanville and Paul Danan often caused mischief until the early hours.

Giving next year’s housemates a heads up, Shaun admitted: “Everyone in the bedroom would be grumbling about the couple who took it off in the hot tub because we couldn’t sleep!”

While he appeared in Celebrity Big Brother, Shaun is best known for his role as Barry in EastEnders.

Barry was killed in 2004 when Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) pushed him off a cliff in dramatic scenes, but he thinks there may still be a way to bring him back.

EastEnders icons ‘Dirty’ Den Watts and Kathy Beale have both returned to Albert Square after being presumed dead, but Barry is said to be more interested in coming back as a ghost.

‘It would be a What a storyline!’ he mused. ‘I’d like to know what the writers come up with. Barry is hiding in Scotland, maybe with a broken leg!

‘Every time people come back from the dead on EastEnders there’s always a big groan from the viewers, but the writers are so good – after a month it’s ‘fair enough!’

“It would be fun just to see the storyline. I would love to be a ghost haunting Janine!’

Shaun also famously starred in Ricky Gervais’ comedy Extras, playing himself.

Speaking about the recent backlash Ricky has faced and the comedian’s ‘mission to get cancelled’, Shaun mused: ‘Ricky is selling out concerts abroad. Once you get that big, unless you say something ridiculous, you’re too big to be canceled.

‘You have to be careful, but the way Ricky does it is smart. He’s intellectual.’

Shaun also credited his work in Extras with increasing his fame, reasoning, “I think that’s the main reason why ‘Barry’ never disappeared, because it reached a new dimension.” generation with the Extras viewers.’

For now, Shaun remains busy with Deliveroo’s partnership with The Trussell Trust.

As part of their new campaign, Shaun and Honey G have teamed up for the Not So Silent Night Choir – an ensemble of completely voiceless Christmas carols.

The choir is singing to raise vital funds for the food bank charity, the Trussell Trust, through Deliveroo’s in-app round-up feature.

Speaking about the experience, Shaun mused: ‘It’s a wonderful collaboration. Carol singing brings back classic Christmas memories, but people find it uncomfortable and often don’t open the door.

With us, because we were so bad, we got a great response. We had doors slammed on the bus but the kids enjoyed it and had a few quid thrown at us!

Deliveroo’s Not So Silent Night Choir is singing to raise vital funds for food bank charity the Trussell Trust through Deliveroo’s in-app round-up feature. To watch the video, visit @deliveroo on YouTube or Instagram.