Brian Dowling

Brian Dowling was born on June 13, 1978, in Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland. Before his television career, he worked as a holiday representative and a flight attendant for Ryanair. His public profile began in 2001 when he participated in the second series of the reality show “Big Brother”, which he ultimately won. This victory marked a significant turning point, leading him into a media career that has spanned over two decades.

Following his win on “Big Brother”, Dowling transitioned into television presenting. He co-presented “SMTV Live” from 2001 to 2003, becoming the first openly gay children’s television presenter. He also hosted his own show, “Brian’s Boyfriends”, on ITV and narrated Channel 4’s reality series “The Salon”. His career continued to evolve with appearances on various reality shows, including “Hell’s Kitchen” (2007) where he placed third, and “Fáilte Towers” (2008), where he was a runner-up. In 2010, he returned to the Big Brother house for “Ultimate Big Brother” and was crowned the ultimate housemate.

In 2011, Dowling was announced as the new host of “Big Brother” and “Celebrity Big Brother” when the show moved to Channel 5, a role he held until 2013. He has also been a presenter and narrator for “The Real Housewives of Cheshire” since 2015, and “The Real Housewives of Jersey” since 2021. More recently, in 2023, he joined 98fm to present a weekday morning show and became a new presenter for “The 6 O’Clock Show” on Virgin Media Television. He has also explored personal topics through his documentary “Brian and Arthur’s Very Modern Family” and a co-authored book, sharing his experiences with family and surrogacy.