He lasted 23 days in the Celebrity Big Brother house before becoming the eighth evictee in 2017.
Now as the show has been confirmed to return in the summer, Shaun Williamson has offered advice to any potential new housemates.
Reflecting on his series, which was ultimately won by late Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding, he exclusively told MailOnline: ‘I was lucky!’
Shaun, 58, revealed he’d been given advice by his late friend Keith Chegwin, who had made it to the finals of the show two years prior, who had given him a top tip.
He explained: ‘Keith told me to ask my agent for my own bed’ before I entered the house.
Speaking out: EastEnders icon Shaun Williamson has revealed what you didn’t know about Celebrity Big Brother as he offers advice to stars ahead of show revival
Top tips: Shaun, 58, revealed he’d been given advice to negotiate having his own bed before entering the house and revealed that producers don’t turn off the mics until everyone’s in bed
Shaun revealed that he was able to negotiate his sleeping arrangements into his contract before the show and was delighted not to be bunked up with his fellow housemates for his time on the show.
Yet while he may have been able to rest comfortably, he revealed actually falling asleep proved to be a problem because the producers insisted everyone keep their microphones on until the last housemate gets into bed.
This proved problematic for Shaun and his fellow early sleepers, who wanted to get their 40 winks, as the likes of Sarah, Amelia Lily, Marissa Jade, Jemma Lucy and Brandy Glanville and Paul Danan often up causing mischief into the early hours.
Giving next year’s housemates a heads up, Shaun confessed: ‘Everyone in the bedroom would be grumbling about the couple getting it off in the hot tub because we couldn’t sleep!’
While he appeared in Celebrity Big Brother, Shaun is best known for playing Barry in EastEnders.
Barry was killed off in 2004 when Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) pushed him off a cliff in dramatic scenes, yet he thinks there could 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 would be more interested to come back playing a ghost.
‘It would be a hell of a storyline!’ he mused. ‘I’d love to know what the writers come up with. Barry’s been hiding in Scotland – maybe with a broken leg!
‘Whenever people come back from the dead on EastEnders the viewers always have a big groan but the writers are so good – after a month it’s “fair enough!”
‘It’d be fun just to see the storyline. I’d love to be a ghost haunting Janine!’
Shock: Shaun is best known for playing Barry in EastEnders who was killed off in 2004 when Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) pushed him off a cliff in dramatic scenes
One to watch: Shaun also famously starred in Ricky Gervais’ comedy Extras playing himself and said he doesn’t think the comedian will ever get cancelled (pictured together with Stephen Merchant)
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 sells out concerts abroad, once you get that big unless you say something ridiculous, you are too big to get cancelled.
‘You’ve got to be careful but the way Ricky does it is clever. He’s intellectual.’
Shaun also credited his work in Extras with levelling up his fame, reasoning: ‘I think that’s the main reason why “Barry” has never gone away, because it reached a new generation with the Extras viewers.’
For now, Shaun is keeping busy working with Deliveroo’s collaboration 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 totally tuneless Christmas carollers.
The choir is singing to raise vital funds for food bank charity, the Trussell Trust, via Deliveroo’s in-app round-up feature.
Speaking about the experience, Shaun mused: ‘It’s a wonderful partnership. Carol singing evokes classic Christmas memories but people find it awkward and often don’t answer the door.
With us, because we were so bad we had a great reaction. We had doors slammed on bus but the kids enjoyed it and we had a few quid chucked at us!
Deliveroo’s Not So Silent Night Choir is singing to raise vital funds for food bank charity, the Trussell Trust, via Deliveroo’s in-app round-up feature. Head to @deliveroo on YouTube or Instagram to watch the video.
Hilarious: For now, Shaun is keeping busy working with Deliveroo’s collaboration 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 totally tuneless Christmas carollers
