Black Tory leads white witch into the transparent Big Brother house

The politically-incorrect Derek Laud, who became the first and only black master of New Forest Foxhounds in 1999, was picked alongside a white witch, a former table dancer and a male belly dancer for the sixth Channel 4 series.

Last night was the first time a public figure has been thrown into the non-celebrity version of Big Brother.

Seven men and six women will live in the claustrophobic transparent BB house in Elstree, Hertfordshire, for the next 11 weeks to compete for fame and 100,000 - the biggest winner's prize yet.

This series also sees contestants face the psychological challenge of living in a house deliberately constructed with no walls to ensure a complete lack of privacy.

Host Davina McCall greeted the housemates live as they entered one by one just after 9pm to explore their new home which has just 11 beds and an outdoor bathroom.

Political analyst Mr Laud, who rose to prominence in the 1990s when he became the first black member of the right-wing Monday Club, described himself as "black and gay".

A former lobbyist who has worked as a speechwriter in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, he had to withdraw his candidature from the 1997 general election after being convicted of drink-driving in the US.

He was in the news recently when his friend, Tory MP Gerald Howarth, ran into controversy when he described him "as black as the ace of spades".

He has written speeches for high-profile MPs including Margaret Thatcher, Michael Heseltine and Alan Clark.

Last night he said: "I'm charismatic, I'm different and I would want to win."

Christine and Neil Hamilton were dining with him when they were falsely accused of a sexual offence.