A cross-dressing musician entered the Big Brother house last night in a bid to become a "Tourette's celebrity".

Pete Stephenson, 24, lead singer of Brighton psychedelic rock band Daddy Fantastic, was among 14 housemates to arrive at the Channel 4 reality show's Elstree studios for what is being billed as "the most uncompromising summer of their lives".

Pete was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome - a neurological disorder characterised by multiple motor and vocal tics - when he was 14.

Wearing a top hat, pink glasses and a white tie, he kissed one woman and touched the hands of fans of the show.

As he staggered towards the front door he shocked a crowd of cheering fans with a tirade of swearwords apparently caused by the condition.

He fell down the stairs before the first housemate to enter the house, Bonnie, 20, from Leicestershire, giggled and asked him if he had taken something.

Opening the door he said: "Honey, I'm home" and asked her if she was all right before saying his first swear word.

He said: "Weren't that a bit nuts. It's snazzy in here, innit?"

The aspiring comedian and cartoonist told Big Brother producers he wanted to be in the show because he craved fame and wanted to pay off his mum's mortgage.

He said: "I want to reach the top of my spiral heaven and shine again."

Pete, who started wearing women's clothes when he was 16, lives alone and keeps a pet hamster for company.

Communards singer Jimmy Somerville commissioned him to paint a picture for his 40th birthday.

He told Big Brother's profilers rude people, jealousy and drum n' bass make him angry and he thinks his housemates might nominate him for eviction for his random swearing and twitching, for being too silly or because they hate him.

He told producers if he was an animal he would be a bird so he could speak their language and "fly around and poop on people's faces".

Pete, who joined Daddy Fantastic in 2004, is known as "The Daddy" on stage, where he wears a white wig, sunglasses and his trademark red-striped elastic trousers.

He failed to show for the band's Brighton Fringe gig at The Hope pub in Queen's Road, Brighton, on Monday.

He told friends he had gone to France to visit a sick relative but he was at a secret location on the orders of Big Brother.

Big Brother 7 will be the longest, lasting 13 weeks.

The house takes on an Inside-Out theme and is smaller, with plastic-covered furniture, an underwater camera in the swimming pool, a golden Big Brother chair and a water bed.

This year one of the highlights of the show will be a Willy Wonka-style competition.

One lucky fan will find a golden ticket inside one of thousands of Big Brother chocolate bars on sale.