Kate Lawler posts mini-Big Brother reunion snap with 2002 co-stars including Alison Hammond... as she reminisces about going into the famous house exactly 18 years ago

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She was the very first female winner of Big Brother UK, winning the public over in series 3 in 2002.

And Kate Lawler has been feeling nostalgic this week, taking to social media to post throwbacks to this time 18 years ago when she made her first tentative steps into the famous house.

On Thursday, the reality star-turned-DJ shared a photo taken three years ago when she enjoyed a mini-reunion with some of her former housemates.

Looking back: Kate Lawler [far right] posted a mini-Big Brother reunion snap with her 2002 co-stars including [L-R] PJ Ellis, Alison Hammond and Jonny Regan

The pictures saw Kate sharing a laugh with Alison Hammond, Jonny Regan and PJ Ellis.

Kate, who turned 40 this month, captioned the snaps: '18 years have gone by and I love that we are all still friends.

'These pics [were] taken when we all met up three years ago for a little Big Brother reunion in Birmingham. Good times! #classof2002'

A couple of days prior to this, Kate celebrated the 18 year anniversary of the day she first walked into the house, on the launch night of series 3.

Memories: On Thursday, the reality star-turned-DJ shared a photo taken three years ago when she enjoyed a mini-reunion with some of her former housemates

Still friends: Kate, who turned 40 this month, captioned the snaps - '18 years have gone by and I love that we are all still friends. These pics [were] taken when we all met up three years ago for a little Big Brother reunion in Birmingham. Good times! #classof2002'

She doesn't age! Kate is now a DJ for Virgin Radio, having scooped the £70k prize and continued her career in the media

Uploading snaps of her sauntering in wearing a red football shirt and jeans, she captioned the image with the story of how she ended up on the show.

Kate wrote: '18 years ago today, I entered the Big Brother house for the third series.⁣

'I printed off the application form while sat at my office desk in a London investment bank, where I was working in I.T. support. ⁣

Heart of the nation: Alison now presents This Morning and is one of Daytime TV's biggest stars

No more TV: After the show, PJ got married in 2010 and works as a commercial lawyer in Bournemouth

Runner-up: Jonny came in second place on the series 

⁣'The application form was long, and back then, you had to send a three minute video too. I procrastinated heavily with the video, wondering what to do (to stand out) and almost sacked it off. However the day before applications were closing, I sent everything off.

'I then received a telephone call asking if I’d like to meet the producers at a secret location in London. It was a hotel room. I sat in front of three, warm, smiling TV Producers including the show’s Exec Phil Edgar-Jones and told them about my life.

'Afterwards, they sent me to see the show’s psychologist to deem if I was mentally stable to appear on this type of show. Believe it or not I was.

'I remember the call from Phil Edgar-Jones as I pulled up outside my parents house on a warm, sunny day of Spring 2002. I’d just turned off the ignition and answered the phone having no idea who it was due to ‘unknown caller ID’ flashing on my Nokia 5146. 

Memories: Kate has been feeling nostalgic this week, taking to social media to post throwbacks to this time 18 years ago when she made her first tentative steps into the famous house

Winner: Kate was the very first female winner of Big Brother UK, winning the public over in series 3 in 2002

Fan fave: Uploading snaps of her sauntering in wearing a red football shirt and jeans, she captioned the image with the story of how she ended up on the show

'"Hello?" "Hello Kate it’s Phil from Big Brother". My heart sank. It was at that moment I just knew what he was about to say. "We’d love you to be a housemate in this years series."

'I ran into my parents house and told them. Then s**t myself. Do I really want to appear on national television? Would my life change? If so, for better or worse? What if I got booted off in the first week? Shame. What if the British public turned on me? Aaaagggghhh. But the show’s a hoot! I could win £70,000!

'I was 21 and living at my Mum and Dads. This was my chance for independence. To buy my own property. To get out of I.T. Support which bored me. If I said no, I’d regret it.

Starry series: The 2002 line-up also included Adele Roberts [second right] who is also now a radio star

Tragic: The same year made a star out of Jade Goody, who sadly died of cervical cancer in 2009

'That Friday night in 2002, when I met the likes of Jonny, Alison, Spencer, Jade, Alex, etc & thought, I’m NEVER gonna win this but I’m gonna have a lovely time. And I did. There are so many wonderful memories! What was your favourite from BB3?x [sic].'

This comes as Big Brother's 20th anniversary creeps closer, with Davina McCall and Rylan Clark-Neal hosting the show's biggest moments.

Davina, 52, and Rylan, 31, will look back over the show's history, which made the likes of Jade Goody and Nikki Grahame stars. 

Big Brother: The Best Shows Ever Show will allow E4 audiences to get their reality fix for the summer revisiting some of the juiciest, most memorable Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother episodes.

TV veteran: To mark Big Brother's 20th anniversary, Davina McCall [pictured] and Rylan Clark-Neal will host the show's biggest moments

Davina, who filmed from her home during lockdown, said: 'I lived and breathed Big Brother for 11 years of my life. I didn't miss one single episode. 

'Not one week goes by when I don't quote Big Brother in some form. It made me laugh, it made me cry and most importantly it taught me to never judge a book by its cover. 

'I love the show with all of my heart and can't wait to share it with a whole new audience. And of course, all you diehard fans out there...It's good to be back. Big Brother's missed you.'

Rylan said: 'I'm so excited to be bringing some much-needed Big Brother back to our lives'

Rylan, who presented Big Brother's Bit On The Side and starred in the celebrity version of the show, added: 'After being off air for nearly two years I'm so excited to be bringing some much-needed Big Brother back to our lives. 

'Over the years Big Brother has brought ground breaking television moments for many reasons, but now so more than ever whilst we're all playing the role of housemates, let's go back and rewind the clock to some of our favourite ever episodes. 

'There will be laughs, tears and drama, but most of all we get to relive some of Big Brother's greatest episodes.'  

When Big Brother first hit screens in 2000, the entire country was captivated by the ins and outs of a group of strangers locked in a bolthole while watched at all hours by cameras and given tasks. 

Here we look back on some of the most memorable moments: 

Season One - 2000

Shocker: Craig Phillips from Seaforth, Merseyside. A staggering 3.5million people voted for the Liverpudlian builder to win

Prize fund: £70,000 

Winner: Craig Phillips from Seaforth, Merseyside. A staggering 3.5million people voted for the Liverpudlian builder to win. The then 28-year-old donated his eye-watering prize fund to his best friend's cousin, Joanne Harris. At the time, he said: 'I thought my time was up every week. I was more nervous in the nominations than coming out tonight... Joanne needs a heart and lung transplant and they won't put her on the waiting list in England'  

Stand-out moment: Big Brother's inaugural series captivated the nation due to the then-unheard of 'social experiment' style compound. As viewers continued to be enthralled with the season, the behaviour of Nick Bateman was the most shocking. The city broker won the nickname Nasty Nick after he attempted to cheat in the game and pass notes between contestants to sway nominations. He was confronted by eventual winner Craig.    

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Shock: School teacher Penny Ellis came under fire in the outside world after she was seen showering in the nude on-screen

Season Two - 2001

Prize fund: £70,000

Winner: Brian Dowling. Arguably one of the most successful stars of the show, the Irish former flight attendant has gone on to win huge success on TV, scoring huge presenting gigs, voiceover work and his own show Brian's Boyfriends. He is currently the host of The Real Housewives Of Cheshire reunion show. 

Stand-out moment: School teacher Penny Ellis came under fire in the outside world after she was seen showering in the nude on-screen. Her headteacher, Cauthar Tooley, of the all-girl Sarah Bonnell secondary school in Stratford, east London, said: 'If she chooses to behave in a lewd manner she will have made the choice to leave the school. I told her that she would have to maintain certain professional standards. 

She is well aware of that responsibility. I gave her all the advice I could. But obviously now that she is inside the house I can't do any more. It may be that she has decided to go down the road of enhancing her career in other directions.' 

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Shocking: The introduction of Jade Goody to UK TV screens was undoubtedly the height of drama. Jade passed away after battling cervical cancer in 2009

Season Three - 2002

Winner: Kate Lawler, from Beckenham, London. After becoming the first female winner of the show with 58.05% of the vote, Kate enjoyed huge success as a DJ (pictured 2002)

Prize fund: £70,000 

Winner: Kate Lawler, from Beckenham, London. After becoming the first female winner of the show with 58.05% of the vote, Kate enjoyed huge success on the outside world as she forged a career as a DJ, glamour model and enjoying further reality work - including an appearance in the original version of Love Island in 2005. 

Stand-out moment: The introduction of Jade Goody to UK TV screens was undoubtedly the height of drama. The late Essex girl, who passed away after battling cervical cancer in 2009, captivated and stunned viewers due to her shocking lack of general knowledge. Memorably, she believed Cambridge was in London, and when its positioning in East Anglia was announced, she revealed she believed East Anglia was not in Britain and was pronounced: East Angula.

In 2007, Jade returned to the house in Celebrity Big Brother 5 and became embroiled in one of the most shocking reality TV rows of all time. Jade along with her housemates Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd were accused of racism against their Bollywood actress co-star Shilpa Shetty.

Jade was heard calling the star 'Shilpa Poppadom', while Danielle told her to 'go home'. Such was the backlash against the women, effigies baring Jade's image were burnt in India and she was evicted from the house with no audience and total oblivion to the horror waiting on the outside.

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Season Four - 2003

Prize fund: £70,000 

Winner: Cameron Stout, from Stromness, Orkney. The devoutly Christian fish trader earned a whopping 1.9 million votes - 500,000 more than runner-up Ray Shah. He was well-known in the house for revealing he was a virgin and was waiting till marriage to have sex. Many on the outside world branded him 'a bible basher'. 

Stand-out moment: The show was widely-deemed the 'most boring' however one of the most memorable moments was Cameron's involvement in a swap with the Big Brother Africa house. He swapped places with housemate Gaetano Kagwa and then gained immunity from eviction for a period of two weeks.

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Season Five - 2004

Prize fund: £63,500

Winner: Nadia Almada, from Ribeira Brava, Madeira, Portugal. The star was the only even transgender winner of Big Brother. She kept her transgender identity as secret from the rest of the house yet viewers were informed. She became a fast favourite and won a huge 74% of the vote. Long-time presenter Davina McCall previously revealed that Nadia was her favourite housemate of all time.    

Stand-out moment: The series featured a host of shocking moments, yet none more so than Fight Night. On 17 June, Emma and Michelle Bass re-entered the house after a false eviction landed them in 'The Bedsit', where they watched on as their housemates spoke about them. Upon their return, the house became embroiled in a food fight. As arguments escalated, Nadia slapped Jason Cowan. 

After this Emma and Victor both threw trays at each other before they were separated when she screamed: 'I will f*****g kill you'. When the fight kicked off, BB placed guards at the camera runs and while the shocking activities escalated guards were sent into the house via the bedroom, where the were stationed while the stars slept.

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Shocker: Winner Anthony and Makosi Musambasi were deemed a possible couple in the house leading to a boozy night in the pool in which they appeared to engage in sexual activity

Season Six - 2005 

Prize fund: £50,000 

Winner: Anthony Hutton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Geordie dancer and hairdresser walked away with 57.2% of the vote as he beat out Eugene Sully to the prize. Following the show he released a poorly-received workout DVD centered around Seventies dance moves. In 2007 he featured in the TV show, Premier League All Stars, representing Newcastle. 

Stand-out moment(s): - Winner Anthony and co-star Makosi Musambasi were deemed a possible couple in the house leading to a boozy night in the pool in which they appeared to engage in sexual activity. While he vowed they never had sex, 48 hours after the moment she claimed she was pregnant with his child. After leaving the house she insisted she believed she was pregnant, however crowds chanted 'Liar' at her during the final. 

- Kinga Karolczak entered the house late in the series and caused possibly one of the most shocking moments of the entire show. The half Polish, half Kuwaiti market researcher from London left viewers aghast when she famously used a wine bottle as a tool for masturbation in the communal garden. 

In 2012, she spoke about the incident saying: 'I can't believe the reaction. I was just messing around because I was tipsy, but it never actually touched me. On Big Brother they want you to go crazy so give you loads of alcohol. And drinking makes me behave like a completely different person. So I just put the bottle between my legs, ran into the garden and did it again. I know I didn't even lift up my nightie. I didn't have sex in the pool or in the house, but everyone's labelling me as the slapper.'

- Maxwell Ward was given a warning by Big Brother for throwing a glass of water over co-star Kemal Shahin's head. Further adding to the controversy surrounding the hopeful, he caused mass disgust in the public when he claimed to have put scabs into Kieron "Science" Harvey's food.

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Here he is! Pete Bennett. The lovable winner had originally auditioned for the fifth season of Big Brother but failed to get through

Season Seven - 2006 

Prize fund: £100,000

Winner: Pete Bennett. The lovable winner had originally auditioned for the fifth season of Big Brother but failed to get through. The star, who suffered with Bennett's Tourette's syndrome, was the bookies favourite throughout and eventually won with 61.2% of the final vote 

Stand-out moment: Outrageous star Nikki Grahame entered the house in a pink Playboy bunny outfit and became one of the most temperamental stars to ever grace the show. Her temper tantrums were legendary, ranging from her claims that the air-con was like a blizzard and a rant about an MP3 player. The most memorable however was her attack on Susie Verrico, after the latter put her up for eviction. 

She launched the venomous rant: 'I'm feeling very venomous and angry. How dare she vote for me, she doesn't even know me. What have I f***ing done?... She's just marched in in her golden gown and just ousted me out, and it's not fair! Who is she? Who is she? Who is she? Where did you find her?'

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Winner, winner! Brian Belo. The Essex-native was famed for his ditzy attitude and lovable nature - which eventually landed him 60.3% of the final vote

Season Eight - 2007

Prize fund: £100,000 

Winner: Brian Belo. The Essex-native was famed for his ditzy attitude and lovable nature - which eventually landed him 60.3% of the final vote. He left the house and later became involved in a messy legal battle as he claimed he was the brains behind the original concept for ITV2 hit The Only Way Is Essex. 

Stand-out moment: Emily Parr, then-19, was ejected from the house in the early hours of the morning for using the N-word. Emily meanwhile, was removed from the house at 3.30am on 7 June 2007 after she was heard to use the racial slur to housemate Charley Uchea while they were chatting in the garden hours before, as she said: 'Are you pushing it out, [N-word]?'

Both Charley and Nicky Maxwell, who was also present, were stunned at her use of the word however she swiftly insisted it 'was a joke'. She was later called to the diary room and told of her ejection by Big Brother.

At the time of Emily's removal, Head of the Big Brother commissioning team at Channel 4, Angela Jain, said after the incident: 'In the wake of Celebrity Big Brother, we must consider the potential offence to viewers regardless of Emily's intentions and her housemates' response.

'The word 'n****r' is clearly racially offensive and there was no justification for its use. We have removed Emily from the house to once again make it clear to all housemates and the viewers at home that such behaviour won't be tolerated.' 

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Season Nine - 2008

Prize fund: £100,000

Winner: Rachel Rice, from Pontypool, Wales. The actress and model won the show by an incredibly close 51.3% to her runner-up Michael Hughes. She is now a fully-qualified at Abersychan Comprehensive School. 

Stand-out moment: Lisa Appleton and Mario Marconi were the first couple to ever enter the house. They were given a task to hide their relationship however he failed immediately. They sent shockwaves when they involved in some biscuit-based intimate talk - as they memorably used custard creams as a euphemism. 

Despite being evicted in week six, Mario Marconi made a sensational return to the house in order to propose to girlfriend and fellow housemate Lisa Appleton. The pair had made history as the first contestants to enter the house as a couple, but competed on the show as separate housemates. 

Bodybuilder Lisa was left astounded when Mario proposed on a heart-shaped plinth in the garden, holding up placards with his proposal on whilst she watched on through the windows of the living room. The couple went on to marry the next year, but divorced after two years together. 

- Housemate Dennis McHugh was ejected from the house for spitting in Mohamed 'Mo' Mohamed's face during an argument. He was banned from returning to the house for the final due to inappropriate behaviour.

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Season 10 - 2009

Prize fund: £71,320

Winner: Sophie Reade, from Cheshire. The buxom blonde glamour model walked away with a huge 74.4% as she beat London-based event organiser Siavash Sabbaghpour to the win. 

Stand-out moment: Winner Sophie controversially changed her name to Dogface by deed poll to become a housemate in the show's first week. As a special prize from Big Brother on day 72, Dogface was given permission to change her name back to Sophie.  

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Season 11 - 2010

Winner: Josie Gibson, from Bristol. The lovable blonde left with 77.5% of the vote before using her prize money to invest in properties

Prize fund: £100,000 

Winner: Josie Gibson, from Bristol. The lovable blonde left with 77.5% of the vote  before using her prize money to invest in properties. She has just welcomed her first child. After the show she enjoyed huge success as a fitness guru.

Stand-out moment: The eleventh season was the final for Channel 4 before it made its big move to Channel 5. The relationship between Josie and hunky John-James captivated viewers as they went through a series of ups and downs in the otherwise uneventful show. 

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Shock arrival: Both housemates and viewers were in awe when they walked into the house to discover Pamela Anderson waiting in the house

Season 12 - 2011

Prize fund: £100,000. Half the fund was given to the winner and the rest split between the five finalists. 

Winner: Aaron Allard-Morgan, from Weston-super-Mare. The contract manager walked away with £50,990 and enjoyed success elsewhere with various TV appearances. He opened a bar when he left the show yet reports suggest the spot has now shut down.

Stand-out moment: Both housemates and viewers were in awe when they walked into the house to discover Pamela Anderson waiting in the house. Immediately one of the housemates shouted: 'Oh my god, it's Pamela Anderson!' She remained in the house and set tasks for the housemates throughout. 

 Later on in the series, Big Brother threw a party for previous stars Paddy Doherty, Bobby Sabel, Lucien Laviscount, Nikki Grahame and Imogen Thomas. Hollyoaks actors Kieron Richardson and Bronagh Waugh, singer Michelle Heaton and reality star Katie Price.

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Season 13 - 2012

Prize fund: £100,000 - yet the total was split between the winner and runner up after the White Room twist

Winner: Luke Anderson, a South African chef from Flintshire. He became the second transgender contestant to win after Nadia.

Stand-out moment: Aaron Frew was removed from the house for 'inappropriate behaviour', after he was seen repeatedly flashing and making unwanted sexually-charged advances at housemate Joel Williams.

The then-24-year-old was seen shedding tears as Big Brother informed him that his two-week stint would be coming to an abrupt end. He seemed to know that his removal was on the cards as he spoke with Big Brother, weeping as he said: 'I'm sorry. Oh my God, I can't believe it.. I really didn't mean to take it that far.

'I'm so sorry, that's all I can say... I'm so sorry Mum, and my friends. I can't describe how I feel... I can't believe my journey's ended like this. It's really meant so much to me. I'm really so upset.'

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Season 14 - 2013 

Prize fund: £100,000

Winner: Sam Evans, from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, South Wales. After he was crowned winner of the show, Sam revealed he would return to working in Debenhams.

Stand-out moment: Regulatory body Ofcom received More than 150 complaints after Big Brother issued Jemima Slade a formal warning for her offensive comments towards Gina Rio. Gina slammed Jemima for her comments about disliking dating black men - after which she accused her of being racist.

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Season 15 - 2014

Winner: Helen Wood, from Bromley Cross, Bolton. Prior to entering the house, Helen was best known for being involved in a threesome with Wayne Rooney

Prize fund: £100,000

Winner: Helen Wood, from Bromley Cross, Bolton. Prior to entering the house, Helen was best known for being involved in a threesome with married footballer Wayne Rooney. After leaving the house she scooped a number of columns as well as becoming in online spats with fellow stars.

Stand-out moment: Housemates Steven Goode and Kimberly Kisselovich famously got together after four weeks in the Big Brother house.However, just a few weeks after they shared their first kiss and moved their relationship on to a sexual level, Kimberly had to leave the house on Day 44 because of 'illness'.  

She later disclosed the reason she had left was due to falling pregnant with Steven's baby, but miscarried due to an ectopic pregnancy. It wasn't long before Steven was voted out and in September 2014, he proposed to his American lover in the Big Brother house. Steven convinced the show's bosses to allow them access to the Elstree compound so he could pop the question in the Diary Room.

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Season 16 - 2015

Prize fund: £116,100

Winner: Chloe Wilburn from Doncaster. The office administrator beat out bookies' odds to reign victorious and walked away with an extra £5,000 during the Cash Bomb Week.

Stand-out moment: Big Brother received more than 2,000 complaints about the 'bullying' behaviour of former winner Helen Wood. The celebrity, who won last year’s show and was a guest star in this series, caused controversy when she described another former winner, Brian Belo, as 'looking like a murderer and rapist'.

Ofcom said it received 2,024 complaints about the 'offensive' language used in the Channel 5 show, but said it would not investigate. A spokesman said: 'Ofcom assessed a number of complaints about bullying in Big Brother and has decided they do not raise issues under our rules warranting further investigation.

'We were satisfied that Channel 5 had broadcast clear and appropriate warnings about the potentially offensive content, and that it intervened in heated exchanges and situations at appropriate times.

'We also took into account audience expectations for this reality format and the fact that the series was broadcast after the watershed.' 

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Complaints:  Laura Carter, who previously claimed to have bedded Justin Bieber, soared to prominence again in the summer following an on-screen romp with Marco Pierre White Jr

Season 17 - 2016

Prize fund: £100,000

Winner: Jason Burrill from Brighton. At 45, the property developer and salon owner, became the oldest winner of the show in its entire history at that time.

Stand-out moment: Housemate Laura Carter, who previously claimed to have bedded Justin Bieber, soared to prominence again in the summer following an on-screen romp with Marco Pierre White Jr. 

The duo garnered a huge number of Ofcom complaints due to their overtly sexual behaviour, including Marco biting her nipple before they engaged in sex on the programme.

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Season 18 - 2017

Prize fund: £65,000

Winner: Isabelle Warburton from Warrington. The lovable star departed the house on the final day with 52.71%.

Stand-out moment: Ex On The Beach star Kayleigh Morris was kicked out of the house for making 'violent threats' against fellow EOTB alumni Chanelle McCleary yet after leaving the show she stood by her behaviour.

Having touched on her removal from the Channel 5 show, in an epic Instagram outburst, she went on to lash out at producers for the way in which she was edited, while also slamming the acts of Geordie Shore cast members and the general culture of reality TV.

Chanelle and Kayleigh had clashed with each other in a conversation about Ellie Young, with Chanelle smashing Kayleigh's glass in front of her. Her actions prompted Kayleigh to jump on the defence.

She threatened to 'grab a sharp object' and 'smash' Chanelle with it, after which she was ejected from the house on Big Brother's no tolerance rule on violence. Chanelle, meanwhile, had been given a formal and final warning by Big Brother. 

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