THERE’S LOTS OF chatter about who is going to be in the new Celebrity Big Brother house – with talk that they’re going to attempt to pull off an “all-couples” version this summer.
That would be ~something~.
In the rich history of Irish participation in the show, there has been one contestant that has stood out more than any other for the sheer number of iconic moments. And that’s Spiral
Or, to give him his full title: DJ Spiral.
Granted, Ireland isn’t short on stellar Big Brother alumni – from Brian Dowling to Anna Nolan, right up to Hughie Maughan in the modern day.
But not one of them have composed a timeless rap while in the house
Who could forget the moment when Spiral rapped to Aisleyne:
I’d do everythiiing to you
And the video premiering on Big Brother’s Little Brother
This is the kind of unironic, joyous thing you wouldn’t get in today’s media-managed world.
Rapping played a big part in Spiral’s persona in the house – like that time he had to try and write one with a little toy xylophone
You can’t ask him to work with such rudimentary instruments!
Perhaps his greatest contribution to Irish life was, of course, ‘Finglas’. Written long before he made it into BB – it’s worth a listen for pure nostalgia alone
He laid down his marker – and it stormed the charts just after he got out:
I’m Spiral, I mean what I say / I’m Spiral, writing raps every day
It’s the kind of song that stays with you, always
Whoops!
We couldn't find this Tweet
Whoops!
We couldn't find this Tweet
Remember when he tried to get the shift off Aisleyne?
She said she was too old for him. FOUR YEARS, AISLEYNE. Can’t a rapper catch a break?
And his argumentative streak – wonderfully compiled here
Primary sources featuring Spiral’s time in the house are scant online, but this interview with Dermot O’Leary gives us an insight into the immediate aftermath of his stay
And the origins of the So Sexy Video.
Other Irish Big Brother contestants might have gone further in the show, won it outright, or even forged a career as a bit of a celeb across the water – but could they honestly say they rivalled Spiral’s on screen presence?
Well, maybe.
But still:
I’d do everythiiing to you
A golden age.
