In May 2001 two of the Big Brother housemates said that they are to have a baby together. Claire Strutton and Tom McDermott were secretly dating for five months and are said to be delighted at the news. Florist Claire ditched long-term boyfriend Troy Harrigan to get together with hunky Irishman Tom. She was pregnant within a few weeks of them getting together. Claire said: "When I found out it was a shock - not a bad one, just a shock - because it wasn't intentional to have a baby. I was scared how Tom would react. He was thrilled and everybody is really happy for us. He's the love of my life."
Tom said he was delighted about the baby. He added: "Love just happened - and now I'm going to be a dad." And talking of his love for Claire, he went on: "We laugh at the same things and have similar personalities." Tom split with girlfriend Julia May-Brown in December and then whisked Claire over to Ireland for a romatic break.
The news stunned fans of the Channel 4 show as Tom and Claire never hit it off in the Big Brother house. Tom flirted outrageously with the other women and gave Mel B lookalike Melanie Hill rubdowns in a house bedroom.
Claire joined the house halfway through after Nasty Nick was booted out for cheating. She is expecting a baby in November and they plan to move in to a house together in London. They have not discussed marriage.