Tickle was everyone’s favourite geek – here is what he’s been doing since he left the reality show
There’s been no shortage of unusual characters in Big Brother over the years. One of the earliest, and most memorable, appeared in the show’s fourth series all the way back in 2003.
But stepping into the famous house, and into our hearts, wasn’t Jon Tickle’s first brush with fame. That came 12 years earlier, when he, along with his twin brother Phil, appeared on game show Blockbusters. Although they didn’t win a prize, a future TV star was born that day.
Jon, who earned a degree in physics from the University of Leicester, became one of the most memorable characters in a house full of big personalities. In the midst of the drama and chaos, he became known for his quietly intellectual attitude and quirky personality – and for discussing the Star Wars saga at great length.
He was so popular, in fact, that when viewers were given the opportunity to vote a candidate who’d left the house back in, Jon – who’d been voted out on day 29 – came out on top, and became the first ever contestant to return to the house. Although his return meant he wasn’t eligible to win, it was clear Jon would have a wealth of opportunities open to him once the camera stopped rolling.
He decided to use his infectious love of science to inspire others, and from 2003 until 2008 co-presented Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky One, carrying out weird and wonderful experiments – more often than not ending in a very big explosion. He is also a patron of SATRO, a charity that aims to inspire young people to engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Through this role, Jon participates in events and initiatives designed to foster curiosity and innovation among students.
And he’s made strides in the corporate world too. Jon currently serves as an enterprise information architect at Centrica PLC, the parent company of British Gas, where he focuses on structuring and managing information systems to enhance the company’s operations and customer service.
Despite his public profile, Jon maintains a relatively private personal life. His Twitter profile describes him as a “Feminist, Information Architect & TV’s Jon Tickle,” and he uses the platform to share insights on various topics, including science, technology, and social issues.
He’s probably best remembered for his quirky persona on Big Brother – including memorably sending one fellow housemate to sleep with his description of the plot of a Star Wars novel. But Jon is also the man behind an iconic TV moment which looms large in audience members’ minds.
An episode of Brainiac featured Jon demonstrating the properties of non-Newtonian fluids, which behave as solids under sudden force, but flow like liquids under slow movements, by walking across a pool filled with a custard-like mixture. The stunt is still amazing viewers young and old today.
One viewer wrote in the comments section of the YouTube video of the moment: “I’m taking my nephews to their swimming lesson and one of them asked how someone can walk on water. Naturally, this episode immediately came to mind, so I had to show them this video.”
Another wrote: “Reminds me of being a kid living at my childhood home with my parents… Man, time goes fast”. One fan pitched in with: “Probably the most iconic scene in television history”.