It has been 21 years since the sixth season of Big Brother aired in 2005, a series remembered for its romances and controversies. Among the memorable moments were winner Anthony Hutton's night in the jacuzzi with Makosi Musambasi, which nearly led to the first Big Brother baby, and Kinga Karolczak's encounter with a wine bottle.
Viewers also watched the bond between Saskia Howard-Clarke, a 23-year-old promotions girl, and Maxwell Ward, a 24-year-old maintenance engineer, develop on screen. The pair entered the house on the first day and quickly became close, but their romance divided viewers and housemates alike.
Romance and Eviction Drama
Kemal Shah called the pair out for their closeness in the bedroom, prompting Maxwell to pour water over him, which earned him a stern warning from Big Brother bosses. In a Big Brother first, the couple faced off against each other in an eviction after receiving the most nominations from fellow housemates.
Saskia was evicted on day 36 with 71% of the public vote, and Maxwell was booted out the following week. The pair dated for over a year and even bought a home together before their relationship ended. Maxwell confirmed their split in an episode of After They Were Housemates in 2007, announcing he was moving out.
Post-Show Paths and Reflections
In 2010, Maxwell appeared to take a swipe at his former flame in a chat with Heat Magazine, claiming he could have won the show if they had remained single. He said, "I'm not blowing my own trumpet, but if I hadn't got with you [Saskia], I would've won the show hands down." He added, "If I had the time again, and I'm sure you'd say the same thing, I wouldn't have got with you and you wouldn't have got with me."
In a 2020 interview, he reflected on their time in the house, saying, "You're going to be propelled to the best looking bird with a massive pair of, you know… She was the best of a bad bunch. We were [an item for a white], we bought a house together. When you're on Big Brother and you meet someone like that, I was insecure. There's 12million people watching that series."
Maxwell has stayed out of the spotlight since the show, while Saskia embraced fame and worked as a glamour model. She stepped back from the public eye when she became a mum to her son, Phoenix, with her ex-husband, but has since turned to OnlyFans. In a rare 2023 interview, she revealed she had found love again on Tinder.
Saskia's Take on Their TV Romance
Speaking to The Sun, Saskia described her TV romance with Maxwell: "He laughed me into bed, that's the best way to describe it. He's a really nice, funny guy and very persistent, I'll give him that, but time in there is slow, right? I think I was in there for five or six weeks and you've been away hiding for two weeks before with no contact with your family, it's a long time. Then to get close to somebody…"
She added, "It happened organically but, listen, if I'd met him on the outside, I don't mean to be horrible, but he wouldn't have been my type at all." Reflecting on their split, she said she found the public reaction more difficult than the romance ending, explaining, "What was frustrating for me was more the 'told you so. I knew she wouldn't be with him,' and I felt bad for him because he had a lot of stick saying that he was punching, which is not nice."
