'Who they?' - Channel 5 boss admits he doesn't know who 'half' the contestants are on Celebrity Big Brother 2013

Dancer Louie Spence, football manager Ron Atkinson and model Sophie Anderton are among the 'famous' faces who have entered the house

(PA)

Channel 5 executive Ben Frow has admitted that he does not know who "half" of the contestants are in the latest series of Celebrity Big Brother.

After being shown a clip from the new series of the reality TV show, the channel's controller said, “I don't know half of them.”

Celebrity Big Brother 2013: Meet Dustin Diamond, Charlotte Crosby, Carol McGiffin and the rest of the new housemates

This series, which features football pundit Ron Atkinson, dancer Louie Spence and model Sophie Anderton among the names in the house, will be the twelfth run of the reality franchise.

The executive also described former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan as “the least intelligent celebrity I've ever met” - despite casting her in a new reality show.

The actress is one of the names signed up to a new show called Celebrity Super Spa where the contestants have to give facials and colonic irrigations to members of the public.

Other celebrity guests in the House for this series include US actor Dustin Diamond, best known for playing the role of Screech in the hit comedy series Saved by the Bell and Mario Falcone from the reality show The Only Way Is Essex.

The series originally ran on Channel 4 alongside its 'regular' counterpart, but was cancelled after its 11th run in 2010 due to falling ratings.

At its peak from 2002-2006, Big Brother was bringing in up to 8 million viewers. Audiences have since dropped off, particularly after 2007 when the channel broadcast racist comments from a number of contestants aimed at housemate Shilpa Shetty attracted 45,000 complaints to regulator Ofcom.