Glen Coroner, who prefers to be called 'Spiral', was among a batch of five new secret contestants who have been brought in by programme bosses to stir things up among the other housemates.

The Big Brother 'twist' comes amid criticism that this year's house of hopefuls are the most boring ever seen on the series.

Irish contestants have traditionally been very popular with viewers, and it came as a surprise to fans when there was no Irish housemate in the original line up. The arrival of 22-year-old Spiral may boost flagging viewership figures among the Irish audience.

The young DJ, who lives at home with his parents in Finglas, describes himself as "positive, funny and sexy".

He left school after sitting his Junior Cert and started working in a printing factory in Cabra. However, according to his friends, his heart has always been with his music and his dream is to "make it big" as a famous rapper. He used to work in pirate radio station Pulse FM, but now dedicates his time to playing gigs and volunteering at his local youth club, where he teaches kids how to spin the decks.