Two Trannies, A Maggot And An MP

Roll up, roll up, ladies and gentlemen: the annual Celebrity Big Brother freak show has rolled into town.

Last night 11 brave contestants " some stretching the term celebrity beyond the bounds of all credibility, others desperately clinging to fast-diminishing reputations " entered the TV prison they will call home for the next three weeks. Representing music, and at the more credible end of the scale were Goldie Lookin' Chain's Maggot and Samuel Preston from The Ordinary Boys.

Tabloid fave Jodie Marsh and former Baywatch 'actress' Traci Bingham are providing this year's babe factor " although cross-dressers Pete Burns (from 80s band Dead or Alive) and Dennis Rodman (a former Chicago Bull) must be hoping to give them a run for their money.

But the biggest surprise of the night came in the form of Respect MP George Galloway, the former Labour rebel who branded the Government "Tony Blair's lie machine".

Michael Barrymore, 53, and Rula Lenska, 57, are representing the older generation (as a sprightly 51-year-old Galloway is just one of the kids), and they quickly made a b-line for each other when Rula entered the house.

In the 'desperado' category competition is fierce. Of course the natural winner should be wild-card entrant Chantelle " a non-celebrity whose mission it is to fool the real stars that she's a member of a girlband. But with the inclusion of final housemate Faria Alam " a woman whose only claim to fame is sleeping with various members of the football association " it seems we have a tie.

Never ones to sit on the fence here at MTV.co.uk, we're firmly behind Maggot's bid to be crowned king of the Celebrity Big Brother house 2006.

JH