John Partridge has spoken out about his decision to take part in reality show Celebrity Big Brother 2016, saying he will use his fee to pay towards his mother’s healthcare needs.
Before entering the house, he explained why she is the reason he's taken part in this year's show.
“My mum has Alzheimer’s, I pay for her care and it is expensive. The honest answer is I’m here to pay her bill.”
The 44 year old, who plays Christian in EastEnders, was frank about both his mother’s illness and going into CBB, saying:
“She did live with us as a family, and in March we felt that we could no longer meet her needs, and she moved into a facility. That’s why I’m here. I’m not ashamed of it. I don’t care what people think.
“It is brutal and it is cruel and I have nothing good to say about it.”
John explained that his 80 year old mum, Bridget, has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for six years. He said:
"As a family we’ve dealt with it since then. She had to sell her home in order to pay for her care.”
"Unfortunately she only lived in a two-up, two-down, in a Northern town, so the money doesn’t go very far."
John was one of the few celebs who managed to get cheers from the live audience as they walked the red carpet into the house, proving he is likely to be popular with the viewers this year.