Calum Best

Calum Best
Calum Best in 2010
Born
Calum Milan Best

(1981-02-06) February 6, 1981
San Jose, California, U.S.
Citizenship
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Ireland
OccupationTelevision personality
Years active1996–present
Parents
RelativesSamantha Womack (cousin)

Calum Milan Best (born February 6, 1981) is an American-born British television personality, entrepreneur, and former model. He is the only child of footballer George Best. He is also the chairman of the Dorking Wanderers women's team.

Early life and upbringing

Calum Milan Best was born on February 6, 1981, in San Jose, California, the son of British parents: Angie Best (born MacDonald-Janes), an English model, and the Northern Irish footballer George Best. Through his mother, Best is a cousin of British actress and singer Samantha Womack (nee. Janus): Angie's brother Noel is Womack's father.[1][2] He was raised in Los Angeles, where he became a model in his mid-teens.[3]

Career

While working as a pizza boy in Malibu, California, Best began his career in modelling at 15 in Los Angeles, working with Kraft Ketchup, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Guess jeans, before relocating to London, where he modelled for Burberry.[4][5]

Best has taken part in the reality TV shows Fool Around With on E4 and The Match on Sky One.[6] In 2005 and 2006, he was featured in both series of ITV's Celebrity Love Island, winning the second series on August 28, 2006.[7] Around this time he played himself in the final episode of ITV's Footballers' Wives. In September 2006, Best appeared in the ITV2 series Calum, Fran and Dangerous Danan,[7] in which he was seen traveling with Paul Danan and Fran Cosgrave from Texas to Los Angeles on America's U.S. Route 66.

In late 2006, Best launched a men's fragrance called "Calum",[8] made by Jigsaw ESL.[9]

In 2008, Best appeared in the fifth episode of presenter Lucy Kennedy's RTÉ series Livin' with Lucy.[10] Later that year, he featured in MTV UK's Totally stand, Totally Calum Best, detailed Best's attempts to remain celibate for fifty days.[11] In 2009, he appeared as a guest judge in the reality television show Paris Hilton's British Best Friend, in which he tested the contestants' flirting abilities.[12] In November 2009, he presented the BBC TV Documentary Brought up By Booze: A Children in Need Special, which highlighted the plight of children brought up by alcoholic parents. Best drew upon his relationship with his own father in the making of the program, which the BBC described as a 'raw and often distressing journey'.[13]

In 2010, Best appeared in Channel 4's Come Dine with Me, where he dined with Janice Dickinson, Samantha Fox and presenter Jeff Brazier.[14] In 2012, Best hosted via webcam an Online bingo session at Bingocams UK on April 20, 2012.[15] The same year, he won Ireland's Celebrity Bainisteoir, managing Moy Davitts of County Mayo.[16][17]

In January 2015, he took part in the fifteenth series of Channel 5's reality series Celebrity Big Brother.[18] He made it to the finale, coming third overall.[19] In 2016, Best was a member of the cast of the E! series Famously Single, which follows eight single celebrities in their search for love. He also returned for the second season of Famously Single which premiered June 25, 2017.[20] On January 3, 2017, he returned to compete on the nineteenth series of Celebrity Big Brother,[21] in which he finished in seventh place.[22] Also in 2017, he presented the documentary My Best. and appeared in third series of Celebs Go Dating.[23][24]

In 2020, Best appeared on the first series of Celebrity Ex on the Beach.[25] In 2022, Best appeared in and jointly won the fourth series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Described as a "brutal" final, 3 other surviving celebrity contestants also won the shows final tasks.[26]

Charity work

Since 2016, Best has been a patron of the UK charity National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA), and has spoken out about his own struggles dealing with an alcoholic parent.[27]

In 2022, Best organized the My Tribute football charity event at Vitality Stadium, which raised funds for the Cherries Community Fund and NACOA. The event was attended and supported by Ant Middleton, Jeremy Lynch, James Arthur, Dwain Chambers, and Harry Redknapp.[28] In 2023, he donated 100 items of his own clothing to a NACOA auction, which all proceeds would go to support.[29]

Personal life

Best dated actress Lindsay Lohan from 2006 to 2007; according to him, the relationship ended due to his infidelity, though they remained friendly.[6][30][31]

Relationship with father

Since his father's death in 2005, Best has spoke about their tumultuous relationship, caused by his father's alchoholism. In his 2015 memoir, Second Best: My Dad and Me, Best recounts when his father disowned him at 14 after George accused Calum of having an affair with his second wife, Alex.[32]

During his stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015, Best revealed he was left no inheritance from his father, as his father's estate of over £500,000 went to his sister and Calum's aunt, Barbara.[33]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2004 The Match Contestant
2005 Fool Around With Contestant
2006 Calum, Fran and Dangerous Danan Himself
2005-2006 Celebrity Love Island Contestant Series 2 winner
2008 Livin' with Lucy Himself Series 1
2008 Totally Calum Best: The Best Is Yet to Come Himself
2009 Paris Hilton's British Best Friend Guest Judge
2010 Come Dine with Me Himself
2011 Celebrity Salon Contestant Series 2
2012 Celebrity Bainisteoir Contestant Series 5 winner
2015 Celebrity Big Brother 15 Contestant Series 15 - 3rd place
2015 Autopsy: The Last Hours of...George Best Himself Channel 5 documentary
2016-2017 Famously Single Himself Series 1 and 2
2017 Celebrity Big Brother 19 Contestant Series 19
2017 In Therapy Himself Series 2
2017 Celebs Go Dating Contestant Series 3
2017 My Best Himself
2017 Retribution Demeteri Direct-to-DVD film
2017 Dangerous Game Chris Rose Direct-to-DVD film
2018 Just Tattoo of Us Himself Series 3
2020 Celebrity Ex on the Beach Contestant Series 1
2020 Celeb Ex in the City Himself Series 1
2021 George Best: True Genius Narrator
2022 SAS: Who Dares Wins Contestant Celebrity Series 4 Joint Winner[26]
2022 Squad Goals: Dorking 'Til I Die Himself BBC Three Documentary

References

  1. ^ The Eternal Portal. "George Best (The Belfast Boy) Online Memorial Tribute". theeternalportal.com. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  2. ^ Couzens, Gerard (August 30, 2024) [January 9, 2024]. "George Best's son Calum accused of sex assault on woman at Ibiza beach club". SundayWorld.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  3. ^ This Morning, January 17, 2014.
  4. ^ "Calum Best: 'After my dad died I ate beans for Christmas dinner'". Irish Independent. September 30, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  5. ^ "Calum Best: I went bald after 'Croydon facelift'". The Standard. October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  6. ^ a b Heller, Corinne (November 1, 2017). "Reality Stars Who Found Love in Hollywood and the Music World". E! Online. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  7. ^ a b Lewis, Anna (June 5, 2018). "Remember when the original Love Island had celebrity Islanders?". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  8. ^ Nolan, Emma (September 24, 2006). "Second Best at scoring and boozing". Irish Independent. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  9. ^ Barriaux, Marianne (August 27, 2007). "Jade and Jordan boost the less sniffy end of scent market". The Guardian. London. Retrieved February 18, 2010.
  10. ^ "Episode 5: Calum Best". www.rte.ie. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  11. ^ "Calum Best Comes To MTV". MTV UK. June 11, 2008. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  12. ^ Lazarus, Susanna (January 29, 2017). "Who is Calum Best? Celebrity Big Brother 2017 profile". Radio Times. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  13. ^ "BBC.co.uk Brought up By Booze: A Children in Need Special". BBC. November 11, 2009. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  14. ^ "Come Dine with Me – Episode Guide – Channel 4". Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  15. ^ "Calum Best to celebrity host at Bingocams UK". bingocams.co.uk. April 20, 2012. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  16. ^ "Watch out girls, Calum signs up for 'Celebrity Bainisteoir'". Evening Herald. Independent News & Media. June 13, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  17. ^ "Calum Best is Moy Davitts Celebrity Bainisteoir". Mayo Today. July 23, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  18. ^ "Who is Calum Best? Meet the Celebrity Big Brother 2015 contestant". The Telegraph. January 8, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  19. ^ "CBB final 2015: Calum Best becomes third housemate to be evicted – taking THIRD place". Mirror Online. February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  20. ^ "Meet Calum Best From 'Famously Single'". Bustle. June 15, 2016.
  21. ^ ""Who is Calum Best? Celebrity Big Brother 2017 profile"". Radio Times.
  22. ^ "Calum Best in shock eviction from Celebrity Big Brother missing out on live final". January 31, 2017.
  23. ^ Tutton, Charlotte (August 23, 2017). "Celebs Go Dating series 3: Who's on the line-up, when does it start?". OK! Magazine.
  24. ^ "'My Best' - interview with Luigi Maria Perotti - LIDF - Documentary Film Festival". www.lidf.co.uk. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  25. ^ Edwards, Chris (December 9, 2019). "Celebrity Ex on the Beach confirms Joey Essex and Love Island's Georgia Harrison on official line-up". Digital Spy.
  26. ^ a b "Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins - All 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  27. ^ McConville, Marie Louise (April 30, 2018). "George Best son, Calum Best to scale highest mountain in Alps in aid of children of alcoholics". The Irish News. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  28. ^ "Calum Best's 'My Tribute' a stunning success". Nacoa. December 5, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  29. ^ "Calum Best donates his wardrobe for Nacoa auction". NACOA. October 17, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  30. ^ Cohen, Jess (June 13, 2016). "From Nick Cannon to Lindsay Lohan: See the Famously Single Cast's Surprising List of Celeb Exes!". E! Online. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  31. ^ "Lohan Rings In 21st Birthday In Malibu". CBS News. July 3, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  32. ^ Egan, Barry (April 6, 2015). "The day George Best told Calum 'You're not my f***ing son'". Irish Independent. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  33. ^ "Best's will leaves Calum nothing but a watch". The Standard. April 11, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
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