BIRD IN THE HOUSE!

It’s the last series of Big Brother and Peterborough’s making a big impression with not one, but now two, local faces making it into the BB house. Evictee Sunshine has now been followed by Peterborough boxer JJ Bird!

The 23 year-old’s been featured several times in ESP and even modelled for us in the city’s Green Festival fashion show last year, now he’s found himself in the famous diary room.

Pro boxer JJ (Joe-John) who trained in Peterborough is goal orientated and driven to win, especially when it comes to money.

He says he hates losing with a passion and admits to being vain and cocky.

He got into boxing at the age of 13 and has had 12 professional fights – winning five, losing five and drawing two. His dream is to become a World Boxing Champion… or a television presenter. To support himself he’s currently working as a barman.

JJ has made it onto several quiz shows and made various TV appearances already but Big Brother is like no other so we’ll be watching with interest to see how he does.

ESP Magazine’s Man About Town columnist Pep Cipriano sparred with him at boxing training at Phoenix ABC in the city and in turn gave JJ media training.

“His trainer Gary De’Roux would let me spar with him (although JJ wasn’t allowed to hit my pretty face!) and JJ soon showed enough potential to turn professional, which he did,” explained Pep.

“He fought and beat some tough fighters and and his strengths were fitness, speed and style. He had a boxer’s heart too – he never  ducked an oppoent and always took on a challenge toe to toe.

“JJ had a big following so he’s used to being in the limelight. I think he’ll do really well in the house as he’s likeable and clever enough to see through any malicious mind games his fellow housemates might play.”

JJ told Big Brother he’s scared of potatoes and octopus’s which he can’t even look at.

He claims to be a compulsive liar, telling porkies when he doesn’t even need to.

He’s also a risk taker, once gambling a whole month’s pay on a horse race after a tip from a friend and claims that he’s rubbish at keeping any secrets.

On his competitive nature JJ believes winning is everything – “it’s first or nothing.”

He’s also always looking for new ways to get money and claims he’d sleep with someone for £100k… it’s probably good that he’s single then.

He’s got a celebrity friend in another Peterborough star – Aston Merrygold from JLS – but worries that when he meets new people they’ll look down on him.

JJ claims that he doesn’t hate anyone as hate is a strong word although he would hate someone who threatened to leave the Big Brother house once they were in there.

“In a way I was surprised the producers chose him,” added Pep, “ as traditionally Big Brother is the is a place for extroverts, loose cannons and people who, shall we say, are a little bit ‘strange’. JJ is a bit of a poser (in a nice way ) but other than that he’s quite ‘normal’!

“I’m not a BB fan but I’ll definitely be watching now and getting behind JJ just as I did when he was boxing.”

We’ll bring you more as soon as we can and feature more in next month’s issue of ESP Magazine but in the meantime… good luck JJ! We’ll all be glued to Big Brother.

Boxing photo: Studio One – not to be reproduced in any form without prior permission.