We spoke to the voice behind Big Brother ahead the show's return

For the first time since it was axed two years ago, Big Brother is returning to TV for a series of ten hand-picked episodes from its golden years on Channel 4.

From Jade Goody, 'Nasty Nick' to Nikki Grahame and Brian Dowling, some iconic Big Brother characters are set to return in Big Brother: Best Shows Ever.

But ahead of its launch, The Echo exclusively spoke with Marcus Bentley about how he became the 'voice of Big Brother' and whether the show could return for good.

Picture: CHANNEL 4

Marcus, who was born in Gateshead but grew up in Stockton, had been acting in theatre and TV and voiceover work before life on the show in 2000.

He said: "I went to drama school and had lots of jobs, little bits on The Bill and quite a few 90s TV commercials."

He now lives in Bristol, having lived in the South-East for more than thirty years after leaving his Teesside home. 

He said: "I started doing voiceovers and fell in with a top agent at the time then all of a sudden there was talk of this programme that had been invented in Holland.

Jade Goody, left, Davina McCall, Nikki Grahame, Brian Dowling Picture: PA

"The speculation over this new show was building up and my agent said 'look at this, they’ve been looking for voice overs and they like your voice, would you like to do a test.' Did the test and got the job.'

Marcus, who had narrated the show up until 2018, said he didn't actually know why he had been picked for the role until a few years later.

'Do it less Geordie'

He said: "I later found out it was because Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor liked the way I said chickens, and it was a simple as that.

"When I first started I had producers, who had booked me for who I was and how I sounded, who stood over me and said 'could I do it less Geordie'."

Eventually coming up with his own style, he said it took several more series to develop the voice we have heard in recent years.

But for a long time, Marcus said he did not want to be solely known as the show's narrator as he pursued a career in TV acting.

He said: "I sort of didn’t want to be known as Marcus Big Brother.

"At the start, I would turn down TV appearances, which I regret now, and invitations and thought because I'm an actor. But of course, I'm really proud of it now."

It was not until 2006, when Big Brother producers choose to 'unveil' the man behind the famous voice, that he started getting used to making public appearances.

Since narrating every single episode for the past 18 years, Marcus has been inundated with requests from those wanting their very own quirky voiceover.

Revealing one of his requests as 'the strangest yet,' he said: "About five years ago this lady emailed me and said 'Hi Marcus, my mother is dying and she's the biggest Big Brother fan – it's her dying wish that you narrate her eviction from the world'

"I thought god, what do I do, and just did it."

Speaking about Big Brother, he said the show was destined to become a success as it was the first of its kind in the UK.

He said: "It had such an influence on genres, society – it held up a mirror up to society with racism, homophobia, transphobia and even whenever people have been looking down on classes.

"I remember the reaction to Jade Goody, people were saying 'OMG shut her mouth', because we weren’t used to getting these people on TV with great big characters with uncouth ways.

"Unlike Big Brother’s rivals like Love Island and The Only Way Is Essex, it was completely out on its own. It was filmed 24 hours a day, just completely different to those shows."

He said he remained hopeful the show would one day return for a full series and said it was not a case of if, but when.

• Big Brother: Best Shows Ever airs on E4 at 9pm on Sunday.