Big Brother star Jon Tickle is diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease 23 years after rising to fame on the hit reality show - as he reunites with co-stars

Published: 14:00 EDT, 8 November 2026 | Updated: 14:40 EDT, 8 November 2026 Big Brother star Jon Tickle has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The TV presenter, 52, rose to fame on the fourth series of the hit reality show in 2003.Despite being evicted Jon was allowed to return to the house after winning the public vote on which housemate could come back. And reuniting with his fellow housemates, 23 years after appearing on the show, his co-star Ray Shah took to Instagram as he shared the sad news. Sharing snaps of the group together he penned: 'It has taken us 23 years but we finally got to have a big brother reunion with most of the gang.'For those that don’t know, we were Big Brother 4…one of the OG’s. What a great laugh we had meeting up last night in London. Big Brother star Jon Tickle has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis, 23 years after rising to fame on the hit reality show - as he reunited with co-stars at the weekend (Jon pictured with Sissy at the reunion) The TV presenter, 52, rose to fame on the fourth series of the hit reality show. Despite being evicted Jon was allowed to return to the house after winning the public vote (pictured in 2003)'There’s a touch of sadness to it though as Jon Tickle was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease a few months ago but fair play to Sissy, she helped get us all together.'Planning the next meet up already and we will get EVERYONE back this time. Until the next time legends.'Fellow co-star Justine Sellman commented: “Omg it was such a magical night seeing everyone again! Big hugs and love to our very special friends group xxx.”One fan wrote: 'This is great, feel bad for Jon though. I saw a thread about Brainiac recently and people were wondering where he ended up...'Motor neurone disease – known as MND – affects 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time, with about 1,100 diagnosed each year. The terrifying, rapidly fatal condition destroys the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, robbing sufferers of their ability to move, eat and eventually breathe. It currently has no cure. After his appearance on Big Brother, Jon went on to co-present the Sky One TV series Brainiac, appearing in all six series of the show. This year's series of Big Brother concluded last Thursday, with housewife Rochelle Rackham crowned the winner after a close public vote, with much of the crowd booing her exit after she beat rival Lucinda Burnett, known as Twinks. His co-star Ray Shah wrote: 'There’s a touch of sadness to it though as Jon Tickle was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease a few months ago but fair play to Sissy, she helped get us all together' However this series has proven to be one of the most contentious in the show's 26-year run.Running at eight weeks, it seemed an extended run led to tensions between housemates being more heightened than ever, as the series has become one of the most complained about in reality TV history.In total the show has received over 22,000 complaints to media regulator Ofcom, with a majority relating to Omar El Mayer's 'coercive and controlling behaviour' towards his girlfriend Rhianna Collins.The controversies have done nothing to dampen ratings, with this series exceeding 56m streams – an increase of over 22m streams compared to Big Brother and Big Brother: Late & Live last year.Indeed, the final alone brought in 770,000 viewers, a huge boost on last year's finale which drew in 516,000 overnight viewers.WHAT IS MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE?Motor neurone disease is a rare condition that mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, but it can affect adults of all ages.It's caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones. These cells gradually stop working over time. It's not known why this happens.Having a close relative with motor neurone disease, or a related condition called frontotemporal dementia, can sometimes mean you're more likely to get it. But it doesn't run in families in most cases.Early symptoms can include weakness in your ankle or leg, like finding it hard to walk upstairs; slurred speech, finding it hard to swallow, a weak grip, and gradual weight loss.If you have these symptoms, you should see a GP. They will consider other possible conditions and can refer you to a specialist called a neurologist if necessary.If a close relative has motor neurone disease or frontotemporal dementia and you're worried you may be at risk of it, they may refer you to a genetic counsellor to talk about your risk and any tests you can have.Source: NHS UK