Celebrity Big Brother 6 (Jan 2009)
CELEBRITY Big Brother is to return — with cheeky MP Lembit Opik on it.
Limelight-loving Lembit has signed up for the show — back next January after a year’s break.
Bosses picked the goofy-grinned Lib Dem hoping he’ll reveal all about his doomed affair with Cheeky Girl Gabriela Irimia.
Lembit might even copy fellow MP George Galloway when he was on the show — and don a skin-tight red leotard.
Oddball Lembit, 43, and Gabriela, 25, got engaged after he popped the question in Rome in April, but split a few months later.
He’s also had a relationship with TV weather girl Sian Lloyd, 50.
A Celebrity Big Brother insider said: “Lembit is a brilliant signing for us.
“He’s wacky and funny, but more importantly it’s hoped he’ll spill the beans on his romance with one of the Cheeky Girls.
“We are all convinced he won’t be able to resist putting his mouth into gear about it — he seems a very outspoken character in general.”
Lembit, who quit his frontbench job in a bid to become the Liberal Democrats’ president, has a long list of entertainment credits to his name.
He’s been on Question Time and Any Questions, and hosted satirical BBC quiz Have I Got News For You.
He’s also appeared on Al Murray’s Happy Hour, The All Star Talent Show and All Star Mr and Mrs.
Other names in the frame for CBB include former Sugababe Mutya Buena, 23, and American singer Whitney Houston, 45.
CBB took a break in 2007 after alleged racist bullying of Bollywood babe Shilpa Shetty, 33, by Jade Goody, 27, Danielle Lloyd, 24, and 29-year-old Jo O’Meara.
Channel 4 was forced to broadcast three on-air apologies after Ofcom found that the series had breached the broadcasting code.
This year’s replacement E4 show Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack attracted only 600,000 viewers, so producers were keen to return to the original format
Mini-Me in Celebrity BB ?
TINY Austin Powers favourite Mini-Me is in talks to appear on Celebrity Big Brother.
The 2ft 8ins star — real name Verne Troyer — is tipped to be in the Channel 4 show in January.
Also in the frame are Cliff Richard and Whitney Houston.
Verne, 39, hopes he won’t be singled out because of his size.
The actor — whose hotel sex video with ex Ranae Shrider, 22, was leaked on DVD last year — said: “A lot of people look at somebody of my stature as being a leprechaun.
“I’d rather they look beyond that. I can do many things.”
Celebrity Big Brother race row over 'secret' David Irving invite
Big Brother bosses have been slammed for inviting infamous Holocaust denier David Irving to take part in the next celebrity show.
Irving, described as "anti-Semitic and racist" by a High Court judge, met producers about starring in January's series.
The disgraced historian, who was jailed in Austria for his beliefs, bragged on his website that Endemol sent him a "secret invite".
The 70-year-old was only told he had not made the final cut last week.
Jewish campaigner Mark Gardener said: "It's pathetic in the extreme that a Holocaust denier should even be considered as light entertainment for a reality TV show."
Endemol was criticised by media watchdog Ofcom after the Shilpa Shetty race row last year.
A spokesman said Irving was "not seriously considered" as a contestant.