Michael Barrymore is joining the Celebrity Big Brother presenting team when the new series of the Channel 4 show launches in January.

The entertainer, a onetime housemate on the programme, will be a roving reporter for the spin-off E4 show Celebrity Big Brother’s Little Brother.

Once one of the UK’s best-known TV presenters, Barrymore, whose career suffered after the body of Stuart Lubbock was found in his swimming pool, will take a backseat to George Lamb, who returns as host of Little Brother.

Lamb, who presented last year’s badly-received season of the non-celebrity version alongside Zezi Ifore, will fly solo after Ifore was rubbished by viewers and became increasingly sidelined as the series progressed.

Long-time host Davina McCall returns for the main Channel 4 show, which was rested last year following the race row over the treatment of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.

“It's good to be back. Can't wait ...it's going to be amazing!" McCall said.

Comedian Jack Whitehall has been recruited to front E4’s second spin-off show Celebrity Big Brother’s Big Mouth.

While the presenters have been announced, producers are keeping the celebrity housemates’ names close to their chests.

Executive producer Sharon Powers said: “Everyone is asking me, ‘Just who have you got in the house for 2009?’. Given I’m excited about the line-up; it’s a hard one to keep secret. But it’s worth it when on launch night each car pulls up and the door is opened to reveal a celebrity.”

The new series launches on January 2.

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