John and Darren have grown close during their time in the ‘CBB’ house, sharing the first night of the series away from the rest of the house, and later performing Liza Minnelli’s ‘Cabaret’ together in the house variety show.
So you can imagine Darren’s surprise when he discovered he was one of the two housemates John was nominating face-to-face.
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John Partridge
In scenes from Wednesday night’s episode, John tells the group: “Over the course of this week, I’ve seen Darren go from a happy-go-lucky guy into somebody that has withdrawn.
“I’ve seen him pick-up habits that he had discarded before he came into this house, and he’s using them as a coping mechanism.”
Darren - who has struggled from alcoholism and substance abuse issues in the past - then interjected: “Let’s just get this straight, that is the smoking and nothing else. I’m not drinking; I haven’t had a drink or anything.”
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Darren Day
John also told his housemate he hoped he would use the nomination as motivation to knock his smoking on the head, while Angie Bowie - who was also nominated by the former ‘EastEnders’ actor - remarked: “Sounds like a real friend.”
While John was forced to make his nominations face-to-face due to a previous task, the rest of the housemates made theirs privately in the Diary Room.
See the aftermath of the nominations bombshell in Wednesday’s ‘CBB’, airing at 9pm on Channel 5.
10 Stars You Forgot Did 'Celebrity Big Brother'
Mark Owen(01 of10)
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Mark even appeared to have forgotten that he'd done 'CBB' himself, when - shortly after Take That's comeback - they said they were pleased none of them had done reality telly in their break.So that wasn't you winning 'Celebrity Big Brother' in 2002, then, Mark? (credit:Rex/Philip Toscano)
Germaine Greer(02 of10)
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Feminist commentator Germaine Greer lasted just five days in the 'CBB' house before walking, following the arrival of her housemate, Brigitte Nielsen's mother in law, Jackie Stallone.Why anyone would pass up the opportunity to spend any time with Jackie is beyond us, but we're sure Germaine had her reasons. (credit:Rex)
H from Steps(03 of10)
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He may be a big character, but H's stint in the house in 2007 was somewhat overshadowed by the racism controversy that surrounded the series that year.Apparently, being a 'Celebrity Big Brother' housemate also made H forget how to do his shirt up properly too. (credit:Rex/David Fisher)
Tommy Sheridan(04 of10)
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Everyone remembers George Galloway's appearance on 'CBB' - largely thanks to one spandex suit, and one unforgettable cat impression - but he isn't the only Scottish politician to have been in the house. (credit:Rex)
Sue Perkins(05 of10)
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She may be now known as a co-presenter on the 'Great British Bake Off', but one of Sue's lesser known accolades is her stint in the 'CBB' house back in 2002, when apparently camouflage-print cargo trousers were all the rage... (credit:Andy Butterton/PA Archive)
Martin Kemp(06 of10)
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He started off the series as the favourite to win, but ultimately the former 'EastEnders' actor and Spandau Ballet guitarist's time in the 'CBB' house was surprisingly uneventful, and he finished in third place behind Colleen Nolan and Julian Clary. (credit:Ian West/PA Archive)
Vinnie Jones(07 of10)
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Hardman actor and ex-footballer Vinnie Jones spent four weeks shacked up in the 'Celebrity Big Brother' house with Stephanie Beacham, 'The Thong Song' singer Sisqo and Alex Reid - a far cry from his A-list life on set with Ian McKellen, Brad Pitt and Halle Berry. (credit:Rex/Channel 4)
Ivana Trump(08 of10)
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The highlight of Ivana's time in the house was when she'd been convinced as part of a task that she'd won a sought-after European award, only for her housemates to drink water out of it and, eventually, smash it. She also donned some questionable flesh-coloured underwear as part of a life drawing task. (credit:Rex/Channel 4)
David McIntosh(09 of10)
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David didn't have much time to make an impression on viewers during his short-lived time in 'CBB' last summer - he only managed to last 10 days before being given the boot. (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)
Jack Dee(10 of10)
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He might prefer not to mention it now, but Jack Dee was the first ever winner of 'Celebrity Big Brother' back in 2001. The whole series might have only lasted eight days - a walk in the park compared to latter day runs - but even that was too much for Jack, who at one point famously tried to tunnel his way out of the house. (credit:Rex/Julian Makey)