Big Brother contestants revealed

Rylan Clark will be going in to the Celebrity Big Brother house X Factor contestant Rylan Clark and horse racing champion Frankie Dettori are among the stars in this year's Celebrity Big Brother house.

Dettori was given a six-month ban from racing following a positive drugs test in Paris in September which he says that left him feeling "ashamed and embarrassed".

Rylan Clark finished in fifth place on last year's X Factor.

They are joined by former Steps star Claire Richards and Gillian Taylforth.

Model Paula Hamilton and former footballer Neil Ruddock will make an appearance as well.

Also taking part are Neighbours star Ryan Maloney, who has played Toadfish in the Australian soap since 1995, as well as former Coronation Street actor Sam Robertson and Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt from MTV series The Hills.

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are two of this year's housemates

Ex-Heartbeat actress Tricia Penrose and glamour model Lacey Banghard complete the line-up.

There had been rumours that Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan would be taking part but she was missing from the list of stars who entered the studios at Elstree in Hertfordshire.

Continue reading the main story Rylan ClarkFrankie DettoriClaire RichardsGillian TaylforthPaula HamiltonNeil RuddockRyan MaloneySam RobertsonTricia PenroseLacey BanghardHeidi Montag and Spencer Pratt

Jim Davidson was also not on the final list of contestants despite reports in the press that he had been due to take part but was dropped.

The comedian was arrested and questioned by detectives over allegations of sexual offences.

The 59-year-old's solicitor said his client, who has been bailed to return to a London police station in March pending further inquiries, "vigorously denies" the claims.

The series is expected to last three weeks, with the first eviction due on Wednesday.

It's the fourth series to be screened by Channel 5 in the last 18 months after Channel 4 cancelled it.

The most recent Celebrity Big Brother, which finished in September, was won by Julian Clary but drew an average of just 2.3 million viewers, its lowest ever audience.

That figure was almost 3 million down on the 5.2 million average audience for the first series in March 2001.

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