Big Brother’s Jenny Baird is looking forward to 2026

She definitely lit up the Big Brother house, then herself, Santa Claus and Mayor Ruairí McHugh lit up a Derry City centre bedecked with Christmas lights.

Now, in an exclusive New Year’s Day interview with The Derry News, our own Jenny Baird (21) spills the tea on all things Big Brother and reveals some 2026 plans.

Big Brother aired from September 25 until November 14, when popular third place contestant Jenny left the house, just before runner-up Elsa Rae and winner Richard Storry.

Describing a typical day in the Big Brother house, Jenny laughed it was like “putting in a 12-hour shift”.

“What surprised me the most was just how long everything took,” she said. “For example, I watched back the ‘Doctor Task’ and on television it looks like it took 20 minutes tops but we were actually there from nine in the morning until half past ten at night. Things take a lot longer than viewers watching the programme at night would see.

“Even nominations. Nominations take about eight hours in all because they constantly rerun them. They will ask you who your first nomination is, and I say, ‘My first nomination is whoever’ and they would say, ‘Why? Why? Why? Why?’ and they basically keep prodding at you until they get you to say, ‘I hate Sam’, when in reality maybe your reason was just because Sam didn’t wash the dishes,” said Jenny.

Asked if there was a little bit of manipulation by the programme-makers, Jenny agreed. “Aye they want you to say something really bad,” she said.

To the horror of The Derry News, Jenny also revealed there are cameras and microphones in the Big Brother toilets - nowhere in the house is off-limits.

“When you are using the toilet, there is a camera right in your face and there is a microphone hanging down, nearly hitting you on the head,” she said.

“But, you get used to it after the first week. The first week you are trying to use the toilet with your legs crossed and your trousers just about down, but after about a week, you don’t care any more,” Jenny added with customary frankness.

“They don’t tell you this beforehand but I never thought to ask the question so it was all new to me when I got into the house. They don’t tell you anything. You don’t even get to see the Big Brother house until you get in and literally, after one week, you forget there are cameras even there.

“That’s not to say, although there are individual shower cubicles, the showers are in the middle of the room, so you could be in the shower and there could be five people all standing brushing their teeth.

“But, whenever I wanted to take a bath, I used to cordon off the bathroom and say to everyone, ‘Right, give me an hour, I’m getting a naked bath’ because I would have worn a swimsuit in the shower and sometimes you need a good wash.

“Overall Big Brother was a great experience,” smiled Jenny.

Big Brother viewers might be surprised to learn your day is not your own in the house. No napping or taking to your bed was allowed by the programme-makers.

“I used to always try and nap,” said Jenny, “because I love napping. I used to try and lie down but then you would hear the Big Brother voice saying, ‘This is Big Brother, Jenny. You are not permitted to nap during the day’.

“And then, see if you kept on napping, they used to play bird noises and chickens clucking and babies crying to get you back up,” laughed Jenny.

“And once the lights went out at night, well we could go and sit in the bathroom and chat but the Big Brother voice would come over again, especially if we were doing something early the next morning, and say, ‘This is Big Brother. Big Brother advises housemates to go to sleep,’” said Jenny.

As well as the presence of cameras and microphones in the toilet, Jenny divulged some other ways in which all is not what it appears to viewers of Big Brother - even announcements around evictions.

“On Week One, when Zelah (Glasson) got the ‘Evil Eye’ from George (Gilbert), we had to re-record that like five times,” said Jenny, “so, whenever you actually look at the episode, we probably don’t look shocked that Zelah got the ‘Evil Eye’ because we weren’t. It is wild for the person getting the ‘Evil Eye’ because they know they are getting it after the first time and, that time, the person giving it had to make his speech five times.

“Nominations take between five and eight hours because sometimes you are clutching at straws down there to nominate somebody, especially early on in the process when you like everyone.

“That was really hard because you are being pushed for a really dramatic reason for nominating someone because Big Brother doesn’t think ‘They left their washing in the machine all night’ is not sensational enough,” the young Brandywell woman added.
Jenny has remained friends with Big Brother housemates, Cameron (Kinch), Gani (Khan), Feyisola (Akintoge), Teja (Dalphy), Zelah and Richard, and Cameron B (Barnes) and Tate (Reynolds).

“I wouldn’t say I had any mortal enemies,” said Jenny. “Whenever I got out of the house, Sam had me blocked but he unblocked me and apologised. I just haven’t spoken to Nancy (Nocerino).”

Jenny also said she was overwhelmed by the massive support she got from Derry, and further afield.

“Oh my God, the support from the Derry people was unbelievable,” she laughed. “I actually couldn't believe it. Whenever I got out and my mammy was telling me about the billboards and that, I was like, ‘Let me see a picture’ and between City Competitions with the billboards and Ferry Clever with the mugs and jumpers and City Cabs with the text messages, the support was amazing.

“And there were so many other people supporting me, people that I love, influencers, it was unbelievable.

“Whenever I was going into the Big Brother house, I had only told my mammy, best friend, Shane, and my boyfriend, so nobody knew, and, even though you're on air, you're on the TV, you don't realize that you're on the TV. So, you’re thinking, once somebody annoys you, ‘Stuff this, I want to go home’ because you are thinking there is no-one watching.

“You’re wondering if anyone really cares because I'm just laughing or having a conversation. So I really, really appreciate all of the support I received,” said Jenny, who actually started her Big Brother journey back in April.

“I am so excited for 2026,” declared Jenny. “2025 was a great year for me but I've a feeling 2026 is going to be better.

“I am doing a few live shows. I am actually hosting a show around suicide awareness, which will be in Belfast. It’s called the ‘Stand By Me’ Ball. I am also going to Thailand for a month for work but it’s top secret at the minute.

“For something like this to happen to someone like me is amazing. I’m just in shock. I had the best night ever in The Diamond Nightclub with all of my Big Brother friends. They had an absolute ball. They loved Derry and got a fantastic welcome. Feyisola was telling everyone she was moving to Derry she loved it so much.”