The Ordinary Boys

A whirlwind romance on Celebrity Big Brother with fellow contestant Chantelle Houghton propelled indie heartthrob Preston onto the front pages of every gossip magazine in the country in 2006. But there was a time pre-Chantelle when he was causing a stir for his music. Inspired by mod, ska and indie acts such as The Jam, The Specials and The Smiths, his band the Ordinary Boys formed in seaside town Worthing in 2002 and steadily built up a loyal fanbase known as the Ordinary Army. Debut album Over The Counter Culture (2004) reached Number 19 in the UK thanks to the storming single Talk, Talk, Talk and a brash mix of spiky Brit-pop, but it wasn't until Preston's appearance on the Channel 4 reality show that the band really found mainstream success. The ska-pop single Boys Will Be Boys shot to Number 3 upon its re-issue, followed by the hit collaboration Nine2Five with female rapper Lady Sovereign. Brassbound (2005) reached Number 11 in the album chart, but their polished up, clean-cut, teen-friendly sound proved a bit of a flop on third record How To Get Everything You Ever Wanted in Ten Easy Steps (2006). The band split in 2008 and Preston returned to the BB house in 2010's Ultimate Big Brother.

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