Revealed: The celebrity Big Brothers threatening to overshadow the 'gifted housemates'

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These are the famous faces chosen for Celebrity Big Brother replacement Celebrity Hijack - who are in danger of putting the "gifted" housemates in the shade.

Little Britain star Matt Lucas will replace the normally faceless Big Brother for the launch night tomorrow and a variety of celebrities including fellow comic Jimmy Carr and ex-England footballer Ian Wright will also give the show their unique twist.

And with the line-up including punk legend Malcolm McLaren and outrageous art critic Brian Sewell, the stars are threatening to thoroughly outshine the talented but unknown housemates.

The show - a replacement for controversial Celebrity Big Brother which saw an acrimonious race row in its last series – sees twelve youngsters who all have a special talent competing for £50,000.

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The hijackers: Clockwise from top left... Leigh Francis' Keith Lemon character, Joan Rivers, Matt Lucas and Jimmy Carr

Producers were hoping that the housemates would become the real stars of Celebrity Hijack, which will be hosted by Dermot O'Leary, but in trials with "guinea pigs" the celebrities were far more entertaining. Producers are now desperately attempting to liven up the show ahead of its launch.

The celebrity line-up is completed by conceptual artist brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman, Leigh Francis' Bo' Selecta! character Keith Lemon and comedian Joan Rivers.

In contrast to previous Big Brother contestants, this year's housemates have been chosen because they each have a special talent - which isn't jumping on the celebrity bandwagon.

They include an Olympic boxing hopeful, a classical musician, a MOBO-nominated singer, an internet entrepreneur and the chairman of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

There is also a racing driver, a dancer, an Oxford University-educated conceptual artist, a fashion designer and a brother-and-sister circus duo.

Even the beauty queen and former Miss Essex has been a member of Mensa since the age of four. Here they are in full:

Talent: Politician

John is chairman of the Scottish Youth Parliament and was the first teenager ever appointed to the position.

He manages a team of staff, most of whom are in their 30s and 40s.

He hopes to run for office next year and is studying for a politics and sociology degree. Tackling child poverty in the UK is one of his main aims.

John says he would like to show the world "that being intelligent and politically active doesn't mean you have to be boring and geeky".

He would also like to see a change in attitude towards red-haired people.

Talent: Entrepreneur

Liam started his own business selling web space aged just eight. He is now managing director of his own internet business.

By the age of 16, and while still sitting his GCSEs, he employed 12 staff. The business hosts two million websites for clients and currently has a turnover of £200,000.

Liam also acts and has had bit parts in Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Jude Law film Alfie.

Talent: Dancer

Latoya has appeared in more than 20 music videos for the likes of Madonna, Jamelia and Craig David.

She is most proud of being booked as a concert dancer for Mariah Carey, as Mariah doesn't usually use British dancers. She was nominated for best female in the Dance Off Awards 2007 and worked as a dancer and choreographer for the MOBO tour.

She credits her success to "years of hard work" and aspires to run her own dance agency.

Talent: Boxer

Anthony won gold at the Junior Olympics in 2004, where he captained Great Britain, and was named world under-17 champion in 2005.

He hopes to represent Britain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and London in 2012.

He boxes under the name "Beautiful Brown Suga" and dreams of becoming the first mixed-race James Bond.

Name: Calista Robertson

Age: 19

From: London

Talent: Classical musician

Calista began playing the violin aged three and her parents are both classical musicians.

She is in her second year at Kings College London and is studying for a BA with the Royal Academy of Music.

She has written over 100 songs, ranging from orchestral to pop, and her MySpace page features a picture of her straddling a piano.

Calista teaches piano and violin lessons to 7 to 9-year-olds. Her ambitions are to tour the world, work with major artists and write big-budget musical and blockbuster film scores.

Talent: Beauty queen

Jade was a Miss England runner-up and her beauty pageant titles include Miss Essex 2006 and Miss Winchester 2007.

She recently won the European section of the Miss Global City contest and was awarded Miss Sunshine beauty 2007.

A member of Mensa since the age of four, Jade won a scholarship to a school for gifted children.

She recently graduated from the Urdang Academy in London's Covent Garden, where she was awarded a scholarship for Professional Musical Theatre.

An award-winning dancer, she competed internationally in artistic gymnastics and won third prize for most expressive floor routine.

Talent: Singer-songwriter

Nathan was nominated alongside Amy Winehouse, Ne-Yo, Lemar and Akon for best R&B act at the 2007 MOBO Awards.

He has had a top 40 hit and his debut album, Masterpiece, was critically acclaimed. At 15 he sang with Alicia Keys after winning a school competition.

He recently returned from performing in Japan and counts rapping and music producing among his talents.

Talent: Conceptual artist

Amy is currently studying a BA in Fine Art at Ruskin College, Oxford.

She won the Geoffrey Rhodes Prize for the highest first-year exam results and is a multi-award winning conceptual artist working with photography and installations.

She doesn't paint as she finds it "too messy".

Amy wants to use her experience in the Big Brother house as a Turner Prize entry. She is also an accomplished musician who plays the saxophone, piano, clarinet and trombone.

Talent: Circus performer

Emilia performs as a double act with her brother Victor at circuses around Europe.

She is a roller-skating contortionist. The siblings have performed for Princess Anne and the Prince of Wales.

Emilia comes from seven generations of circus performers and has been in training since she was four.

She made her professional debut aged six and has sustained a list of injuries including a broken knee, shoulder, wrist, fingers and several ribs.

Talent: Circus performer

With Emilia, Victor is the star attraction at the Palazzo Variety Show in Berlin where they perform a dangerous acrobatic roller-skating act on a high platform.

He has won numerous awards and competitions, and practises for up to eight hours each day.

He has broken a knee and several fingers, and his elbow is held together by a metal screw.

Talent: Racing driver

Jeremy is being hailed as the next Lewis Hamilton.

The first time he got behind the wheel of a go-kart, aged eight, Jeremy broke the track record on his first lap.

He won the British Cadet Kart Championship in 2000 before graduating to racing cars.

In 2006 he was nominated for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year and last year was named the British Racing Drivers Club Rising Star. The BRDC has classed him among the top six best young drivers in the UK.

Jeremy has won several Formula Renault UK races.

Talent: Fashion designer

Jay has won the Tyler Media award for young designers and has showcased his collections at New York Fashion Week.

He is stocked by some of the top designer stores in Manhattan and describes his range as "chic, classic and simplistic".

Jay is on the lookout for a muse and hopes the Big Brother house might be the place to find one.

He hopes to land a job working for Michael Kors or Marc Jacobs within the next five years.

Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack kicks off on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight.

 

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