bbspy

Why did you sign up?
I absolutely love the programme. I just thought it’d be a great opportunity. I don’t think people got to see the real me on the X Factor – who I am as a person or what I’m about. So it’s a great opportunity for my fans, my supporters and the general public to see the other side of Christopher Maloney.

During your time on X Factor, you got the most votes for seven weeks, but also had a rocky ride from the judges. How do you feel about it now?
It didn’t do me any favours, but on the other hand, you can’t buy that sort of press! The press that I got was just unbelievable.

Then there was a story about the final, that you turned up being drunk and abusive…
That didn’t happen. It was just pure speculation. People make up stories, do you know what I mean? And that’s what it was.

What side of you would you like CBB viewers to see?
The fun side. Not a person that’s weak. I think the X Factor portrayed me like I was crying all the time. I mean, yeah, I did cry, but that’s because they interview you and delve into your past and then you get emotional. But this is the best I’ve felt since the X Factor.

So are you determined not to cry on CBB then?
Oh God, I’m not saying that! I probably will cry, but no one will be there delving into your past to try and press that button – I think any tears will just come naturally!

What do you think your role in the house might be?
I’m hoping that I’ll be someone that can be the fun one, but also, I like to listen to people and look after them and stuff like that. Like a little uncle. Ella Henderson rings up and still calls me ‘Uncle Chris’ because I looked after her on the tour – I was her sort of chaperone throughout the whole of the tour.

Do you think there’ll be someone in the house who will take care of you too?
I hope so! I’m hoping so because my mum and my partner are not going to be around to look after me!

What do they all think about it?
They’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be something different – new and fresh. Hopefully this will bring out something positive after all the negative stuff with the X Factor.

Have you made them any kind of promises of what you will and won’t do?
No promises – I think we have an understanding where they’re just like ‘just be good’. Just be me and don’t put on any kind of fakeness or persona.

You’re looking very good at the moment after your plastic surgery – how do you feel about yourself?
Great. I feel a lot different, but I feel good. I can’t look at the pictures from the X Factor because you can see the stress on my face. I just look stressed and then obviously my hair started to fall out. It was just stressful. To go from working in a call centre and market stalls to the X Factor was just a big, massive step. Especially when all I wanted to do was sing. I was naïve about the whole thing. But now I’ve had my X Factor crash course in the entertainment world!

And you’re happy to carry on in that world?
Yeah. It’s not that I want to be famous; I’ve got my own school for kids in Liverpool which I opened two years ago. It’s going great. I still do my music, I still sing. People think that if you’re not on the telly all the time you’re not doing anything, but I haven’t stopped working since X Factor. I’ve got my own tour this year. I’ve got another single coming out, probably in spring. I’m working with great guys who worked with the Bay City Rollers. I’m just hoping that people will see me for who I am and not this diva that they think I am. I didn’t have any management and everyone else did – I didn’t have anyone looking after me! I was used quite a bit.

I’m sure you’ve seen some speculated candidates. Do any jump out at you?
Stephanie Davies springs to mind – she lives on the outskirts of Liverpool which makes her a fellow Scouser. It’s funny, in the housing association that I used to work for I worked with her auntie! And I met Stephanie through her. She’s crazy – in a good way!

Have you fallen out with your old friend Daniella Westbrook?
I don’t hold grudges. She fell out with me. When she split up with her partner, he was still trying to be my friend. I struck up a friendship with him and I was caught in the middle. I think she thought that I took his friendship over hers, but it wasn’t like that. I don’t hate her. It’s just that we haven’t spoken. She was patron of my academy, we did panto together, I’ve looked after her, but I’ve not had the chance to speak to her about everything because she changed her number.

Will it be awkward seeing her again?
Yeah, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t know how it’s going to be. I’ll just be polite. It’s hard, because as I say, I’ve not done anything bad. If I had I would feel guilty but I’ve not so I’ve got nothing to worry about.

What are you like with conflict?
It depends on the situation. Confrontation makes me very uncomfortable. I won’t sit back and let someone take the piss out of me. If I’m right then the viewers will know that I’m right, so I don’t need to make a big song and dance about it.

Would you like to win?
I’ve not had time to think about it. Just taking part I think is good enough for me. I’ve not thought about winning. I hope I don’t go out week one! The aim for now is to get past the first eviction.

What would wind you up?
People that are in your face that are too in your own space. I’ve seen a couple of videos of potential people that are going in and I’m like, ‘Oh no’. People that scream and shout and argue. Oh God.

So you’ll be the one sitting quietly at first, just assessing the situation?
Probably. I’ll go and do the dishes or something or run myself a bath.

Do you hope Louis Walsh and Gary Barlow will be watching so you can prove a point to them?
I’m still in contact with Gary after all these years. If I need anything I’ll text him. He got me tickets to the last Take That tour. I haven’t spoken to Louis. It’s a competition – they wanted their acts to win. Regardless of whatever tactics they used, I’ve still done well. The general public have seen through that I think – they’re not thick. They obviously didn’t think half of it was true anyway or they wouldn’t have kept voting for me for all that time. They had a lot of faith in me and I’ve got a lot of faith in them.

What are you going to miss most when you’re in the house?
My partner will kill me if I say my dog won’t he? Ha! No, I’m gonna miss everything. My partner, my mum, my dog. My phone and the television.