Dermot O'Leary introduced 12 contestants to the Celebrity Big Brother house on Thursday. They will be ordered around by celebrities while they compete for the �50,000 prize.

Calista Robertson, 19, is a violinist studying for a BA with the Royal Academy of Music. Fashion designer Jay Wilson, also 19, has showcased his collections at New York Fashion Week.

John Loughton, 20, is chairman of Scotland's Youth Parliament, and hopes to prove politicians aren't "boring and geeky". Beauty queen Jade Eden, 21, is a member of Mensa.

Brother and sister Emilia and Victor Arata are performers at the Palazzo Variety Show in Berlin where they perform a dangerous acrobatic roller-skating act on a high platform.

Oxford student Amy Jackson is a conceptual artist who hopes to win the Turner Prize. Jeremy Metcalfe, 19, was named a rising star by the British Racing Drivers Club last year.

Latoya Satnarine, 19, has worked with Madonna and Mariah Carey. Nathan Fagan-Gayle, 21, was nominated alongside Amy Winehouse for best R&B act at last year's Mobo awards.

Liverpudlian Liam Young, 19, is an internet entrepreneur with his own business. Boxer Anthony Ogogo, 19, won a gold medal at the 2004 Junior Olympics.

The contestants will live under the command of celebrity taskmasters like Jimmy Carr and Joan Rivers in a newly-decorated Big Brother compound.

The first celebrity to act as the voice of Big Brother was Little Britain's Matt Lucas, who spoke to the housemates sitting in the neon purple diary room chair.