Big Brother star set to be ordained a deacon after becoming a vicar – 20 years after finishing runner-up on reality show
A BIG Brother fan-favourite is set to be ordained as a deacon as he continues on the journey of a huge career change.
The 2006 show star has opted for life as a man of the cloth almost 20 years after finding fame on the reality TV series.
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Glyn Wise, 37, who previously told how he "prayed my way onto Big Brother", is now in the midst of training to be a priest himself - a mission he started five years ago.
At a service at St Asaph Cathedral, in north Wales, on Saturday June 28 he will be formally recognised and commissioned.
After the ceremony Glyn, who finished runner-up in his Big Brother experience, will be empowered by the church to serve in a ministry of service, liturgy and proclamation of God's word.
The work of a deacon focusses on spreading and serving the Church in poor and marginalised communities.
Glyn's next stage of training will see him based in the Aled Mission Area around Old Colwyn and Betws yn Rhos, according to the diocese of St Asaph.
He has already completed a 770km pilgrimage to the iconic Santiago de Compostela in Spain, believed to be the burial site of the apostle St James, as part of his faith journey.
DIVINE INTERVENTION
Glyn previously spoke out about his work at a church in Camden, London.
And recently, he told how he prayed for a spot on the reality TV series which saw him rocket to fame.
Speaking on This Morning in 2022 about how faith has always been a huge part of his life, Glyn said: 'I grew up in a religious family and I prayed my way onto Big Brother.
"I was asking God can you please just get me into Big Brother.
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'I was 16 thinking there must be so much more to life, life is so predestined, school then university and I wanted something so different for me.
'Big Brother was what I wanted and it changed everything.'
Previously, he told how he counts Hollywood actor and Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds as one of the congregation at his local church in North Wales.
TOUGH TRAINING
After dropping out of the limelight, Glyn went on to have a normal life, heading to university two years after Big Brother before becoming a teacher.
Glyn then decided to go travelling and ended up working in Shanghai, China, where he 'got rid of the Glyn from Big Brother tag'.
With Christianity growing at a massive scale across Asia, Glyn, always a Christian, embraced his faith and decided to train as a vicar once he got home in 2020.
He previously opened up on what his course entailed and said: 'I'm learning theology, going into depth about the Bible and learning how to cope with people, because you're not only the vicar, you're someone to listen, you're a psychiatrist, you have to help sort people's lives out and spread the good word.
'So there's a concoction of stuff that you need to learn before you become a vicar.'
Despite sporting a very different look now, Glyn says he still gets Big Brother fans coming up to him in church — and he will often weave his past into his sermons.
He says: 'I've got a beard now, I've shaved my head, I'm a man not a boy, but yeah, there's conversations about Big Brother that still come up. People come to church and are like, 'I really loved you when you cooked that egg'.
'And I'm like, 'Can we talk about Jesus Christ now, the Saviour?'.
'But I feel like when you've lived a good life, you've got a lot to talk about when you're up in the pulpit doing a sermon.'
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