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Veggie Sissy curries favour on Big Brother

Kate Stirrup
29/ 5/2003

IT'S a world apart for Big Brother contestant Sissy Rooney who's traded her modest bedsit flat for the TV show that will change her life for ever.

And as fame and fortune beckons, neighbours from Albert Road, Levenshulme are rooting for the down-to-earth girl who loves nothing better than vegetable curry from the takeaway downstairs.

Fashion designer Sissy, 26, lives with her boyfriend above a shopping parade. She said: "It's a lifetime experience that looks loads of fun, and an opportunity to cohabit with people who you wouldn't normally live with."

Imtiaz Arifeen who runs Riaz's Takeaway just below Sissy's flat and says the veggie regularly calls in for a curry. He said: "She is a vegetarian so she always bought things like vegetable curry and byrianis."

And he thinks she'll fit in fine with her fellow Big Brother contestants. "Sissy is a very good neighbour, and is a lovely girl. We have been here for two years and she was living in the flat above when we arrived. Both she and her boyfriend are very quiet, and we didn't know she was on Big Brother until we spotted her on television. Our children keep telling their friends that Sissy from Big Brother is their neighbour."

Mr Arifeen added: "I hope she does very well and wins. I would be happy to vote for her. And when she gets out of the house and comes back here, I will welcome her back with a vegetable curry - she'd be able to afford one with all that money!"

Julie Bolton works in a pharmacy below Sissy's flat said she was shocked when she spotted Sissy on the cult show.

Julie said: "It was amazing seeing Sissy on Big Brother, I couldn't believe my eyes at first when I realised I knew her. None of us on Albert Road knew anything about it so it was a big shock. It's nice to have someone from Levenshulme on it. I definitely hope Sissy wins."

Originally from Liverpool, Sissy moved to Levenshulme when she was studying for a fashion degree.

She now works as a designer of children's clothes. Sissy is locked up in Channel 4's Big Brother house with 11 other people trying to win the £70,000 first prize.