Where are they now: Saxon from Big Brother

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Saxon's Big Brother highlights0:33

Watch some of the highlights from Big Brother's season three housemate, Saxon.

• April 3rd 2017
• 6 days ago
• /video/video.news.com.au/Entertainment/

Saxon, whose real name is Daniel Small, was a contestant on Big Brother season three.

SAXON WAS the 19-year-old surfer from the Central Coast who lasted nearly two months in the Big Brother house in season three, and was eventually beaten by crowd favourite Reggie Bird.

But his biggest headlines came after his eviction thanks to a rumoured relationship with Big Brother’s then host, Gretel Killeen.

Now 14 years after his appearance on the reality show, we tracked down Saxon (whose real name is Daniel Small) to get his take on what being a Big Brother contestant was like, what he’s up to now and what really happened with Gretel:

What made you want to apply for Big Brother in the first place?

Weirdly enough my mum had a dream that I was on the show. She went online the next day and it was the last day for applications so she thought that was a bit interesting that those two things collided. We put together a short video and sent it off and then I got a phone call about a month later.

Your real name is Daniel but you were called Saxon on the show. How did that come about?

There was two Daniels so one of us had to change our name [Daniel McInnes from Adelaide was the other Daniel]. I’m not sure how they decided who would have to change their name, but it was me. My last name is Small and I’m used to being called Smally so we were trying to think of names that started with an S. We came up with the name Saxon and I liked the name and it stuck.

Daniel’s mum, Jenny, back in 2003. Picture: Steve MorenosSource:News Limited

Daniel enters the Big Brother house.Source:News Limited

What surprised you most about your time in the house?

The thing that stood out the most was just how much everything in there was exaggerated, like your feelings and emotions. I think it’s because everyone’s stripped of their normal ways of de-stressing and logic testing. You can’t call your family or friends, I couldn’t go for a surf. Everything’s kind of in this heightened mode, which is great, but it also leads to people doing silly things like crying a little too much.

Big Brother Uncut was still on air during your season and thanks to the internet, screenshots and videos of you naked are easily accessible. Does that bother you?

It doesn’t bother me at all. I was 19 and I very consciously made myself promise before I went in there that I wasn’t going to let anything bother me at a later date. It was funny though with my recent job, the day that I started, some of the girls from work googled me and the first thing that came up was a completely naked photo of me standing in the shower. I look back on all of it, even the nudity, quite fondly.

Saxon made the most of his time in the spotlight. Picture: Troy SnookSource:News Limited

What were the weeks like immediately following your eviction?

I was single and 19 and came out with a reasonable bank balance because you get paid a wage when you’re on the show. I thought I was the world’s largest playboy. I just spent those weeks catching up with mates by bringing them on the road with me as I did the standard nightclub promotional tour. I got to see an enormous amount of the country without too much concern for how much money I was spending. It was really amazing and I was really lucky.

Gretel Killeen with Big Brother evictees Daniel (Saxon) and Kim.Source:News Limited

Did you make the most of the female attention at the time?

I think I did what any single 19-year-old would do when he saw an overnight explosion in attention from the opposite sex ... But it definitely didn’t turn into a debaucherous, groupie road tour or anything like that.

There were rumours that you had a relationship with Gretel Killeen after your time on the show. Did you?

I was really fortunate to form a really close relationship with Gretel. We shared a passion for documentaries and films and photography. We were actually lucky enough to work together on an idea of hers around a documentary about the HIV/AIDS orphans in Africa. We worked really closely together on that and travelled to Africa twice and spent a lot of time at her place in Sydney and at the Channel 10 studios. It never got to the stage of a romantic relationship like the media outlets wished. She is still today one of the most remarkable women I’ve ever met and is still probably the most frighteningly intelligent person I’ve ever met. That’s probably one of my fondest memories from being on the show, the time I got to spend with her.

Daniel and Gretel, just mates.Source:News Limited

The pair went to the opening of De La Guarda in 2004.Source:News Corp Australia

What have you been up to since appearing on the show?

I think everybody comes out of the show thinking they’re a movie star to a certain extent or everyone comes out thinking they could potentially be the next breakfast radio host in a capital city. You have to get through that kind of cloud of bulls**t that you get fed by the people around you that are also benefiting from your experience at that point in time. I jumped straight back into uni 12 months after the show to get back on track with my study. Then I picked up a cadetship at an accounting firm so I went from hero to zero very quickly after the show. I did two years at the accounting firm and then jumped into retail banking and made my way into managing bank branches. Then I worked at the Macquarie Bank as an analyst and then moved from there into the job I’m currently in on the Gold Coast with SurfStitch. I look back on the show as a really good litmus test for how you deal with pressure in the workplace and how you deal with different personalities in the workplace. It’s amazing how often I find myself drawing on those two/three months nowadays.

Do you still speak to any of your fellow housemates from your season?

I still speak to Chrissie [Swan] regularly. We formed a really special relationship and I think I’ll carry that as long as I’m walking around this earth. I speak to her quite a bit and call her for guidance on things. Outside of that, no, I don’t speak to anyone [from my year]. I think the way that I’ve always explained that to people is if you got to a party and there are people of all ages and walks of life, chances are the next day you’re not going to choose to stay in contact with all of them.

The final three in Big Brother 2003: Regina, Daniel and Chrissie Swan.Source:News Limited

And are you still single?

I’m in a relationship now. We’re doing the serious relationship thing up on the Gold Coast ... I’m the luckiest man alive. She’s the most wonderful cook and she’s got the largest heart out of anyone I’ve ever met.

Daniel Small and his girlfriend recently.Source:Supplied