Brian Belo
Encyclopedia
Olawale Mohammed "Brian" Belo (born 10 July 1987 in Nigeria
) is a Nigerian entertainer, raised in Basildon
, Essex
. He first came to the public's attention by winning the eighth series
of the British version
of Big Brother
. Since the programme, he has become an internet columnist for Heat magazine, a TV segment entertainer for Harry Hill's TV Burp
and Big Brother's Big Mouth. In the programme's twelve series in the UK, Belo is notable for being the only series winner not to have entered the House on the series' launch night; all eleven other winners entered the contest on Day 1 of their respective series.
, claiming that he had never heard of the playwright. As Belo entered the final week of the competition, it was speculated that he would come in second place behind Sam and Amanda Marchant; Ladbrokes
placed the Marchant twins as favourites at 2/7 and Belo at 5/2. However, Belo was announced as the winner of the series on 31 August 2007 with 60% of the vote to win. Belo is the youngest winner of the programme, and is the only black winner so far.
in The Vegemite Tales
opposite Jonathon Dutton
and Blair McDonough
at The Venue off Leicester Square. Belo then made a cameo appearance in the 20 November 2007 episode of Hollyoaks
; he expressed his enjoyment of the programme whilst in Big Brother. Belo later became a regular on the ITV1
comedy show Harry Hill's TV Burp
, where he gives his thoughts on the week's television. Along with Harry, he sings, "Ebony. And Ivory. Side by side by the piano keyboard. Oh Lord, why don't we . . . ", and Harry sprayed him with a stinger. Belo returned to the Big Brother franchise when making a brief appearance in E4's Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack
, in which Radio DJ Chris Moyles
had sent him into the house to surprise the housemates. Belo performed segments of Shakespeare’s plays as part of Stratford-upon-Avon
's Shakespeare Aloud initiative in March 2008 in order to bring the works to a wider audience. In July 2008, he released a single, entitled Essex Boy
, which failed to chart. In October 2008, Belo appeared in TV horror series Dead Set
, both as himself and as a zombie. From June 2009 onwards, Belo became a columnist for Heat Magazine's website, documenting the events of the tenth series
of Big Brother and he also holds a regular slot on Big Brother's Big Mouth. In order to commemorate the tenth year of Big Brother, Belo temporarily returned to the house in July 2009 to participate in a task alongside Charlie Drummond, as he was struggling to find employ.
In October 2010, Belo appeared on Gayle Tuesday: The Comeback, as Tuesday had made his likeness onto a potato on Can't Stand the Heat.
.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
) is a Nigerian entertainer, raised in Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. He first came to the public's attention by winning the eighth series
Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Big Brother 2007 was the eighth series of the United Kingdom reality television programme Big Brother, airing on Channel 4, with a number of closely associated programmes also airing on E4....
of the British version
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
of Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
. Since the programme, he has become an internet columnist for Heat magazine, a TV segment entertainer for Harry Hill's TV Burp
Harry Hill's TV Burp
Harry Hill's TV Burp is a British television comedy programme produced by Avalon Television for ITV and hosted by comedian Harry Hill. The show presents a satirical look at the week's television, including extracts from TV shows with added sketches, observational voice-overs, and guest appearances...
and Big Brother's Big Mouth. In the programme's twelve series in the UK, Belo is notable for being the only series winner not to have entered the House on the series' launch night; all eleven other winners entered the contest on Day 1 of their respective series.
Big Brother
Belo entered the Big Brother house on 15 June 2007, alongside Billi Bhatti, Jonathan Durden and Liam McGough. He was noted for his apparent ignorance in regards to William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, claiming that he had never heard of the playwright. As Belo entered the final week of the competition, it was speculated that he would come in second place behind Sam and Amanda Marchant; Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...
placed the Marchant twins as favourites at 2/7 and Belo at 5/2. However, Belo was announced as the winner of the series on 31 August 2007 with 60% of the vote to win. Belo is the youngest winner of the programme, and is the only black winner so far.
Post-Big Brother
Less than a month after leaving the programme, Belo made his stage debut as the Guardian AngelGuardian angel
A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity...
in The Vegemite Tales
The Vegemite Tales
The Vegemite Tales is a comedy theatrical production written by Australian playwright Melanie Tait. The play revolves around the lives of a group of young antipodeans sharing a flat in London. It has been described as an Australian stage version of Friends...
opposite Jonathon Dutton
Jonathon Dutton
Jonathon Dutton is an actor who started his career playing the role of Tad Reeves in the Australian soap opera Neighbours....
and Blair McDonough
Blair McDonough
Blair McDonough is an actor who is best known for playing the role of Stuart Parker in the Australian TV soap opera Neighbours. He first shot to fame in 2001, when he finished runner-up in the inaugural season of the reality TV series Big Brother Australia...
at The Venue off Leicester Square. Belo then made a cameo appearance in the 20 November 2007 episode of Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
; he expressed his enjoyment of the programme whilst in Big Brother. Belo later became a regular on the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
comedy show Harry Hill's TV Burp
Harry Hill's TV Burp
Harry Hill's TV Burp is a British television comedy programme produced by Avalon Television for ITV and hosted by comedian Harry Hill. The show presents a satirical look at the week's television, including extracts from TV shows with added sketches, observational voice-overs, and guest appearances...
, where he gives his thoughts on the week's television. Along with Harry, he sings, "Ebony. And Ivory. Side by side by the piano keyboard. Oh Lord, why don't we . . . ", and Harry sprayed him with a stinger. Belo returned to the Big Brother franchise when making a brief appearance in E4's Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack
Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack
Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack was an E4 temporary replacement to Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off series of the British reality television programme Big Brother, airing on E4, with a number of closely associated programmes also airing on the same channel...
, in which Radio DJ Chris Moyles
Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
had sent him into the house to surprise the housemates. Belo performed segments of Shakespeare’s plays as part of Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
's Shakespeare Aloud initiative in March 2008 in order to bring the works to a wider audience. In July 2008, he released a single, entitled Essex Boy
Essex man
Essex man and Mondeo man are stereotypical figures which were popularised in 1990s England. "Essex man" as a political figure is an example of a type of median voter and was used to help explain the electoral successes of Margaret Thatcher in the previous decade...
, which failed to chart. In October 2008, Belo appeared in TV horror series Dead Set
Dead Set (TV series)
Dead Set is a critically acclaimed BAFTA-nominated horror drama created by English writer Charlie Brooker.The series takes place primarily on the set of a fictional season of the real television show Big Brother...
, both as himself and as a zombie. From June 2009 onwards, Belo became a columnist for Heat Magazine's website, documenting the events of the tenth series
Big Brother 2009 (UK)
Big Brother 2009, occasionally referred to as Big Brother 10, was the tenth series of the British reality television series Big Brother. It began on 4 June 2009 and was aired on Channel 4 and E4 for 93 days, concluding on 4 September when Sophie "Dogface" Reade was crowned the winner with 74.4% of...
of Big Brother and he also holds a regular slot on Big Brother's Big Mouth. In order to commemorate the tenth year of Big Brother, Belo temporarily returned to the house in July 2009 to participate in a task alongside Charlie Drummond, as he was struggling to find employ.
In October 2010, Belo appeared on Gayle Tuesday: The Comeback, as Tuesday had made his likeness onto a potato on Can't Stand the Heat.
Personal life
After Big Brother, Belo entered a relationship with fellow participant Amanda Marchant. However, the pair announced their separation in January 2008. He practises Cosmic OrderingCosmic Ordering
Cosmic ordering is the name given to a version of positive thinking that was renamed by Bärbel Mohr of Munich, Germany. She first outlined her own version in her own magazine called Sonnenwind , and then expanded these ideas into a book called Cosmic Ordering Service: A Guide to Realising Your Dreams...
.