By Big Brother's new housemate Kieran McLeod is feeling good. "I don't do nervous," he told us when we met him at the contestants' top secret hotel, where they're being kept before tomorrow's live launch. And he doesn't think he has reason to be nervous - when we asked him if he would be anxious about facing eviction, he replied: "I doubt that will happen." And when we asked how he would feel if he was the first out, he replied: "Pardon? That's not an option."
So yep, Kieran's feeling very confident indeed. We sat him down for an exclusive chat about why he's playing the game, why he wants exposure, and why women can be a distraction...
1. Kieran is very much in this for the fame.
"Big Brother's a stepping stone for me to ram myself and get more exposure out there, because I believe that I can bring my confident, bubbly personality to the TV game and entertain the nation," he said. "[I'm doing it] for the fame, and obviously it's a stepping stone for me to branch out and let people know who I am and show them what I can do as well." In fact, Kieran said his ultimate dream is to be "in Hollywood, working with all the stars, the red carpet treatment and just to be known for my capabilities and the work I can do to entertain and make it happen". And he said he wants to do acting, presenting, reality work, "whatever the stepping stone, wherever the path goes". "I want it all, to be honest," he said.
2. And Kieran doesn't care if you think he's a wannabe.
"I don't care what people think," he said. "People are going to think what they want to think. That's just life, isn't it? We're all different and at the end of the day a lot of people would say that, but then people would turn around and say, 'What is the point of coming on the show in the first place?' We ain't come here to make friends, have we? We haven't come here to have a life experience. It's a game show. We're here to win. Well, I'm here to win - I don't know about anybody else! I'm speaking for myself. I suppose everyone's got different reasons for why they're coming here but I can only speak for myself." But Kieran doesn't have a game plan. "It's just being myself," he said. "Just doing what I do best, that's it."
3. Kieran isn't ruling out making friends in the house - but he's not that bothered to be honest.
"There's bound to be people that you get along with, people that you have a good time with and there probably will be a connection - without a shadow of a doubt there will be a connection with people," he said. "So I can't say I'm not going to make friends. I won't say that. Acquaintances." But would he bothered if he didn't see them after the show? "Not really. But at the same time, if I did have a bond with someone I felt kind of close to, I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't say no." And the type of person he wants in the house? "Likeminded people like myself - very positive, outgoing, know how to hold a conversation. Have aspirations and goals in life."
4. Kieran has a lot of energy.
"I can go all day," he revealed. "A bit too much sometimes. You've got to know when to pump the brakes sometimes, haven't you?" But he's not worried about annoying his fellow housemates. "You don't want that awkward silence," he said. "If you have an awkward silence, most people would be like, 'Why is no-one talking?' I would probably be the person who would start or spark a new conversation or just keep the conversation going."
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5. Kieran is not looking forward to being around people who don't listen.
What would rub him up the wrong way? "People that always think they're right and are very opinionated, but never want to listen to anyone else and always think they're right when they're not," he said. "Well, okay, in your world, but sometimes you have to let people feel like if they always think they're right and always want to talk, let them talk." He added that it's "inevitable" that he will end up in rows ("I will say my piece") but explained that it takes a lot for him to lose his rag.
"I'm not going to belittle anyone or make anyone feel small, I'll just bring them to the side and say, 'This is the situation'," he said. "I tend to believe if I'm going to let it fester, somebody's going to say something or something's going to happen and it's just going to explode, so I'd rather make it come out than hold it in."
6. Kieran isn't worried at all about the Timebomb theme.
Not even if they bring up something from his past. "If I'm going to get exposed, I'm going to get exposed," he said. "It's part of it all." Wait, is there something about him that could get exposed? "Not that I know of! I don't think so. I'm trying to think about it! No, not that I know of. I'm a cool guy."
7. Kieran is going to be a fierce competitor.
"I wouldn't say ruthless - I would say stubborn to a certain degree," he said. "Because I want to win, maybe I won't take somebody else's feelings into consideration or maybe look at someone else that can contribute to the team, because I'm thinking, 'I just want to win'. But obviously if I know that, psychologically I know that already, so I'm thinking maybe I'll have to pump on the brakes just a bit and make everyone join as a team and make us win together."
He's also more than happy to take charge in tasks to make sure they win food, but added: "I don't class myself as a leader but then I don't class myself as a follower. I like to call myself a stray dog. I make my own path and go my own way. If people want to follow that's entirely up to them." (He's not worried about former housemates coming in as competition, either: "Everyone's competition but for me, I don't have any problem. I don't think anyone's really going to be a threat to me.")
8. Kieran thinks he's just being honest.
"People are thinking of it as a game," he said. "Don't get it twisted. They're just not coming out with it, whereas I'm just straight to the point. It is a game, because everyone that's going in there has got a game plan, but me, I will let people know from the get go. It is a game, that's exactly what it is. But that's just me." Is he going to be open about it with his fellow housemates, though? "It depends what characters are in there," he said. "That's why you have to gauge certain people. If I go out to ruffle feathers on week one, people will be like, 'Well... okay, we know he's a threat'. You have to know what you're doing."
9. Kieran wouldn't be averse to a bit of romance in the house...
"I don't know about a relationship," he said. "You can have a bit of fun. It's harmless fun, isn't it? You can have fun always, can't you?" But how far would he go? "It depends who's in the house - I wouldn't rule it out!" Wait, though - wouldn't a romance be a distraction from his game? "Of course it is," he said. "But then a lot of people like romances. It will be a distraction but then at the same time your mindset has to be right, doesn't it? But females are a distraction, aren't they? Keep your eye on the prize!" (We had to ask if he often gets "distracted by females": "Not at all. I used to - I'm not going to lie, I used to. But not no more.")
10. Kieran is looking forward to the live launch the most.
"What I'm going to be wearing is going to be explosive," he teased. "Put it like this - wait and see and you'll see I told you so. The launch is the first impression, isn't it? You've only got one chance to do that - there you go."
11. Kieran might be quiet. That doesn't mean he's not up to something.
"I can be mischievous at times," he said. "When I'm quiet I'm always up to something. That means I'm thinking of something. So I'll have quiet moments to myself but that means I'm planning a reply." But he took exception to our suggestion that he'd be scheming: "Scheming's devious! I wouldn't say scheming. For instance, you can stir the pot, but then there's stirring the pot and taking food out. I feel like I'll stir the pot, have a look in, and then close it back. You can have a little dabble while you're in there but you can't do it too much because people might get sick of it. People might notice as well. The greatest trick the devil ever played is making people believe he didn't exist."
12. Kieran is a terrible liar.
"That's one thing that I can't do," he said. "I'm shocking at lying - I just end up laughing. That's why I always tell the truth, because I can't lie. If I try to lie I just end up laughing. People know when I'm lying because my cheekbones go up. I'll see what happens. I'll try my best." But what if he's given a secret mission? "I would have to try to conduct myself in a proper manner. Just to complete the task. But it's going to be hard!"
13. Kieran's hoping for a fun series.
"All the series that have been on, it's nothing but arguments and who's got the bigger mouth and who's got the best group," he said. "What's all this about? Alright, where's the entertainment? Who wants to watch TV to see people arguing? It's not Jerry Springer, is it? I want it to be fun. Have some love, peace and love. Don't get me wrong, there's going to be confrontation in there. That's just normal, isn't it?"
Big Brother kicks off on Tuesday (May 12) at 9pm on Channel 5.
