With the return of Celebrity Big Brother, rumours have again swirled about how much cash the stars are offered to take part.
The X Factor icon Sharon Osbourne, 71, is the show’s first ‘celebrity lodger’ as she will stay in the house for just one week.
But while her time in the house may be short, her fee is most definitely not small – as it was reported she will be taking home an astonishing £100,000 for every day she is in there.
Insiders told The Sun that her fee was too high for ITV for her to stay the full length, so her final total will be determined by when she leaves.
Before Sharon’s final fee is revealed, MailOnline takes a look at the stars who have bagged the highest pay outs for their stints in the CBB house over the years.
The X Factor icon Sharon Osbourne, 71, is the show’s first ‘celebrity lodger’ as she will stay in the house for just one week – and will take home a whopping £100,000 per day
1. David Gest – £600,000
American film producer David Gest has been revealed as Celebrity Big Brother’s highest paid celebrity ever – getting £600,000 for his stint on the show.
Gest starred on the 17th series of the show alongside Tiffany Pollard, Jonathan Cheban, Danniella Westbrook, Gemma Collins, Darren Day and Jeremy McConnell, but he left after 13 days for medical reasons.
He was involved in one of the show’s most iconic scenes – when TV personality Tiffany confused David Bowie’s death for that of her housemate Gest.
Angie Bowie, who was married to pop icon David Bowie for 10 years, was told off-camera about the singer’s passing from cancer.
Angie returned to the house, clearly upset about the news, and told EastEnders actor John Partridge about it, asking him to keep it to himself. She also told Gest, who was in fact feeling unwell during his time on the show, and had took himself off to bed.
Angie decided to then tell Tiffany, only for the US reality star to assume ‘David’s dead’ meant she was referring to Gest – who was bedridden at the time.
Sadly Gest passed away aged 62 in April of that same year, just months after appearing on the show.
American film producer David Gest has been revealed as Celebrity Big Brother’s highest paid celebrity ever – getting £600,000 for his stint on the show
2. Katie Price – £500,000
Katie Price made a shock late entrance to the Celebrity Big Brother house during the 15th series in 2015.
But despite her late arrival, Price, 45, soared to victory and it was reported that Katie earned a whopping £500,000 for her appearance.
Price beat out controversial TV personality Katie Hopkins to take the win that series – with Hopkins later slamming her win as a ‘con’.
‘There’s no part of Katie Price that deserved to win,’ Hopkins told the Daily Star Sunday at the time. ‘She’s just a nobody with a pair of t**s – and those t**s aren’t that great either.’
Price clapped back at Hopkins, branding her ‘vile’ and claiming the columnist had appeared ‘excited’ to meet her when she entered the house.
Katie Price made a shock late entrance to the Celebrity Big Brother house during the 15th series in 2015
3. Katie Hopkins – £400,000
Katie Hopkins appeared alongside Price on the show in 2015 – which appeared to be a high paying series.
The media columnist was reportedly paid £400,000 for her appearance on the show, and she came runner up to Price.
Hopkins entered the CBB house in 2015 to a chorus of boos – and later attacked winner Price.
‘She had no conversation to offer and I found her to be a very tedious individual,’ Hopkins told the Sun On Sunday at the time. ‘Frankly, if I’d been watching with the British public I would have switched off.’
Katie Hopkins appeared alongside Price on the show in 2015 – which appeared to be a high paying series
4. Kellie Maloney – £400,000
Kellie Maloney was said to be the highest paid celebrity on 2014’s Celebrity Big Brother – reportedly raking in £400,000.
The boxing promoter, 71, who is transgender, later revealed that her stint on the show helped her daughters see her as a woman.
Opening up about her relationship with daughters Sophie and Libby after leaving the house, Maloney revealed it had brought them closer.
‘After nearly two years of living alone and as a recluse away from my family I can’t believe what has happened,’ she told the Daily Mirror at the time.
‘When I left Big Brother I told the girls I was buying a flat on the Kent coast and they said, “Why don’t you come back to live closer to home? We can have two homes then,”‘ Maloney said.
Kellie Maloney was said to be the highest paid celebrity on 2014’s Celebrity Big Brother – reportedly raking in £400,000
5. Jonathan Cheban – £300,000
Kim Kardashian’s friend Jonathan Cheban was one of the stars in arguably the show’s most iconic casts – series 15.
The American reality star, 50, took home £300,000 for his time on the show alongside highest paid star Gest.
Cheban was again set to enter the house the following year in 2017 – but was axed from the show after demanding £100,000 a day.
He took part in intense negotiations with the CBB team the following day which ended in feisty disagreement.
Kim Kardashian’s friend Jonathan Cheban was one of the stars in arguably the show’s most iconic casts – series 15
6. Janice Dickinson – £300,000
Janice Dickinson entered Celebrity Big Brother in 2015 on the second day, before being evicted on day 27.
The Brooklyn-born star, 69, was greeted by a sea of cheers as she made her exit from the Channel 5 competition after bagging £300,000 for her appearance.
However, she suffered a wardrobe malfunction when her microphone fell into her underwear.
Fortunately, her modesty was saved by an advertisement break,.
Janice Dickinson entered Celebrity Big Brother in 2015 on the second day, before being evicted on day 27
7. Stephanie Pratt – £250,000
The Hills reality TV star Stephanie Pratt was another high paid celeb to grace the Big Brother house.
Pratt, 37, found romance with George Gilbey during her time in the house – but after being evicted she was left heartbroken when he moved on.
But her time in the house during series 14 was definitely not for nothing, as Pratt was paid a hefty fee of £250,000.
The Hills reality TV star Stephanie Pratt was another high paid celeb to grace the Big Brother house
8. Danniella Westbrook – £250,000
Another star to feature on the iconic 2016 series, Danniella Westbrook was paid £250,000 for her stint.
The actress, 50,memorably broke out of the house twice with Gemma Collins during her time as a housemate after fights with Stephanie Davis.
But in 2023, Danniella admitted she was doing ’11 bags’ of cocaine per day in the lead up to entering the house.
Speaking on the podcast, Danniella told how ‘no one’ knew of the extent of her addiction at the time.
Another star to feature on the iconic 2016 series, Danniella Westbrook was paid £250,000 for her stint
9. Ulrika Jonsson – £175,000
Ulrika Jonsson took part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2009 and went on to win the series, returning the following year for Ultimate Big Brother.
The Swedish-British presenter and model, 56, famously did not get along with Austin Powers star Verne Troyer during the show.
Speaking on their feud years later, she said: ‘The late Austin Powers actor Verne Troyer — who everyone seems to admire greatly — was actually not a particularly nice person.’
Ulrika Jonsson took part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2009 and went on to win the series, returning the following year for Ultimate Big Brother
10. Christopher Biggins – £150,000
Christopher Biggins was a highly paid housemate despite actually being removed during his series in August 2016.
The actor, 75, was removed from the Celebrity Big Brother house after reportedly offending Jewish housemate Katie Waissel with an ‘anti Semitic’ joke.
The former X Factor star was reportedly ‘reduced to tears while other housemates looked on in shock’ following the comment.
Biggins was later called to the diary room and given a formal warning – and told he would be sent home, although he apologised.
Christopher Biggins was a highly paid housemate despite actually being removed during his series in August 2016
