Celebrity Big Brother is a mental challenge, says John McCririck

Horse racing pundit John McCririck has defended Channel 5 reality show Celebrity Big Brother, describing it as a "mental challenge".

McCririck appeared on the reality show twice when it was on Channel 4, cameoing for the second time on Ultimate Big Brother in 2010.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live about the reality show's critics, he said: "They are wrong. It's entirely up to taste and if you don't like it, don't listen and don't watch. But when you go in there it is a mental challenge.

"They asked me in the jungle and I wouldn't go. I didn't want to be thrown from aircrafts and eat slugs and that kind of thing. But Big Brother is a mental challenge. It is reality television and there are no scripts.

"People go in with their ambitions and agents give them lists of things to do, but in the end they can be broken down. In the end, I always think Big Brother has triumphed when a housemate walks out. It is a mental challenge."

Offering advice to this year's housemates, he said: "My advice to anyone going in, is be low key early. Play a long game. Don't antagonise the public, don't antagonise the housemates. Keep quiet. But don't stay quiet all the time."

McCririck dismissed accusations of exploitation by having X Factor's Frankie Cocozza involved, arguing that it would only be exploitation if the singer "didn't want to do it" or "didn't know what was going to happen".

The Channel 4 TV presenter offered one cautionary note for this year's contestants, adding: "They hope their careers will take off and they won't. They hope their fading careers will be resuscitated. They aren't."

Celebrity Big Brother launches tonight (January 5) at 9pm on Channel 5.

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