Big Brother icon Helen Adams pictured 22 years after her ditsy antics and romance with Paul Clarke shot her to fame on the reality show

She changeable to fame arsenic a instrumentality favourite housemate connected nan 2nd bid of Big Brother.

But Helen Adams lives a very different life 22 years connected from starring connected nan deed reality show.

The BB icon, now 45, was spotted retired and astir successful her location metropolis of Bristol this week, wherever she useful arsenic a hairdresser.

Helen was conscionable aged 22 erstwhile she took portion successful Big Brother's 2nd bid successful 2001, and quickly became 1 of nan favourites to triumph pinch her loveable and ditsy nature. 

She became celebrated for her iconic comment: 'I for illustration blinking, I do.' 

It's thought that on pinch moving to Bristol to activity successful hairdressing, Helen has since joined and now has a daughter.

Helen and Paul Clarke captivated nan world pinch their blossoming romance during their clip successful nan Big Brother location successful 2001.

Reaching nan final, Helen vanished successful 2nd spot down victor Brian Dowling, and was seen embracing and reuniting pinch Paul extracurricular nan house. 

As 1 of nan show's original lovebirds, nan brace changeable to fame and went connected to person a successful narration for 5 years.

Helen went onto make a slew of TV appearances connected shows specified arsenic Loose Women, GMTV and Ready, Steady Cook earlier she and Paul divided successful 2006. 

The mates blamed nan pressures of fame connected their breakup, pinch Paul telling Heat Magazine astatine nan time: 'For nan past 5 years, connected a regular ground group person been asking me, ''how's Helen? When are you getting married?'' and I've ne'er met these group earlier successful my life. It starts to drain you.

'It's not that I don't for illustration talking astir Helen, I conscionable wanted to get distant from it and beryllium a backstage personification again.'

Helen added: 'I felt for illustration nan Wicked Witch because I was first to opportunity something. But past Paul said to me, ''would you want to wed me?'' and I said, ''I don't deliberation I would'' and he said, ''well, I don't want to wed you either''. And we laughed.

After nan unit of nan media led to their breakup, Paul stepped retired of nan limelight and built a successful profession successful car design.

Now successful his mid-40s, Paul, who is based successful Buckinghamshire, yet near his bosses to group up his ain company, moving arsenic an independent advisor since 2019.

He describes himself arsenic a 'passionate forward-thinking individual' connected his LinkedIn and says he is 'a driving leader successful challenging and processing group to beryllium nan champion they tin beryllium and make a quality each day.

Big Brother has returned to TV this autumn and is presently airing nightly connected ITV2.