DAPPER DAN’S ON THE
DAPPER Laughs has credited CBB with rebuilding his reputation. Four years ago, the comic was feeling suicidal and boozing to cope after a rape gag ruined his career.
But after a stint on CBB, he is now engaged and planning a comeback.
The comic, real name Daniel O’Reilly, 33, said: “All I wanted to do was prove I’m not as evil as I was portrayed before. I was true to myself and I tried to be honest.
“If that’s how I’ve come across then I’m happy. And if people now look at me slightly differently then that’s fantastic.” Daniel left to cheers after being evicted on Friday night and moments later proposed to girlfriend Shelley Rae, inset, live on air.
Looking back, he said: “My last year has been a rollercoaster. My dad passed away and I’ve had a baby. I haven’t been in a great place in my head and Shelley had to take a back seat.
“But as soon as I was put in an environment where I had hours and hours to think I suddenly realised that all I wanted when I came out was her.
“I wish I’d done it sooner. I basically regretted every day that I hadn’t asked her. I committed to myself that I wouldn’t spend another day not having asked her. That meant I had to propose on Big Brother. I was terrified because I had no idea how I’d come across on the show. I’m glad she said yes.” Daniel’s life fell apart in 2014 after footage emerged of him joking about rape during a stand-up gig.
His ITV2 series On The Pull was axed and a planned tour was canned.
Before entering CBB Daniel, right, insisted he had been unfairly treated but in the house he made lewd comments about housemates including Jess Impiazzi, 28.
Daniel said: “There are probably a couple of things I said in there that offended people. But it never offended the people in the house.
“My persona is jokey and flirty. I mess around. If I was to censor myself then I wouldn’t have been myself. “The important thing to look at is how comments are received. They were jokes. They weren’t derogatory. “I’m not ashamed of anything I said.”