Big Brother winner praises advice from Davina McCall

The original Big Brother winner Craig Phillips has praised presenter Davina McCall for offering advice that steered him right after his stint on the show ended.

Scouse handyman and TV personality Craig, who scooped up the title back in 2000, has reflected on what went down after the cameras stopped rolling.

was hailed as a top television experiment at the time - with a varied selection of people thrown together to live in close quarters under the watchful eyes of the nation, all day, every day of the week.

Viewers were transfixed as Craig and the rest tried to settle into their new environment, and the Liverpool-born builder won viewers' hearts when he squared up to 'Nasty Nick' Bateman for trying to cheat the system with some sly note-passing.

Now, Craig's opened up about how he got help from TV legend , who hosted the show in its original run, reports .

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Chatting to , he said: "She (Davina) gave me her number and I did call her a few times when I was in trouble. I asked her for advice and guidance and she'd put me in touch with the right people."

He sang her praises, adding, "She was extremely helpful, kind and caring, and she's a great lady! ".

Looking back on walking out of the Big Brother doors as the first champion over two decades ago, Craig revealed he didn't return home for nearly 97 days as the papers claimed Beatlemania-style frenzy was kicking off in his home city once again.

Craig reflected on the chaos that followed his Big Brother victory: "When we first came out of the house, we did a Big Brother book tour, it was mayhem in Liverpool, I had about 6 bodyguards, and the front pages of the Liverpool Echo, who said Beatlemania had come back."

The reality TV star also detailed the support he received from : "Channel 4 had me sit down with a psychiatrist every week to make sure I was okay. What was happening to me had never happened to anyone before! ".

He shared how surreal life became after the show: "All these , wonderful things were exciting, but it could be scary sometimes. I didn't go home for 97 days after. I changed hotels every single night. I was chaperoned by bodyguards and chauffeurs and press officers and agents. I had this whole entourage who planned every moment and interaction. It was such a whirlwind, a completely different ."

Recounting a standout encounter, Craig unveiled a cheeky comment from Posh Spice herself: "I had dinner with major big name celebrities like Victoria and . Victoria said, 'If I wasn't married to David, Craig, I would have come down on the last night of Big Brother and proposed to you! ' Which was very flattering and not something an A-List celeb says to you everyday."

Big Brother is back on our screens via , enticing a fresh batch of hopefuls aiming to emulate Craigs win.

Among the new faces vying for the prize, Lily Benson has already marked her territory as the punters' favourite to win.

The worker from a Chinese takeaway in Warrington, currently holds odds of 11/4 with bookies and could potentially clinch the title, despite eliciting varied responses from the audience.

Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.