Austin Armacost – 7 things you didn’t know about the Celebrity Big Brother star and American model
AUSTIN Armacost is a reality TV star and American model who had not one, but two goes at winning the Celebrity Big Brother crown.
The reality TV veteran first appeared on our screens in series 16 of the show, competing for 'Team USA'.
He then returned for Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, where he once again failed to triumph - being voted out after his housemates branded him the least entertaining member of the house.
Austin, who will appear on Channel 5's Big Brother's Bit On The Side tonight, is arguably best remembered for his bromance with former Apprentice contestant James Hill – with the nation falling for the pair's special friendship.
Away from CBB, Austin made a name for himself as a model and also as a star on Logo’s The A-List: New York – an American reality show following LGBT personalities living and working in the Big Apple.
Austin made headlines at the end of 2016 during the launch of World AIDs Day as he penned a heartfelt open letter in GuysLikeU detailing his own HIV scare following a traumatic date rape.
The star has also expressed his love for British men – he split with his husband and partner of eight years Jake Lees in 2016.
While Austin’s plutonic bromance with James Hill and heartfelt personal life confessions might be well known – here are 7 facts you might be aware of about the CBB 2017 contestant.
Designer dater
Austin had a brief relationship with fashion designer Marc Jacobs back in 2008 but things ended suddenly when Austin broke one of Marc’s strict house rules.
“The relationship between Marc Jacobs and I ended very abruptly,” Austin revealed when starring on The A List.
“The one rule he told me not to break was to bring friends back to his home, which ultimately I did after a few cocktails, and all my stuff was gathered in a matter of five minutes, and I was out on the street with two trash bags and my brand new Louis Vuitton duffel bag.”
Clearly it’s a good idea never to cross Mr Jacobs.
Naked ambition
In 2012 Austin stripped off in front of a catwalk audience to raise awareness for Peta.
In a bum baring shoot, the Indiana born star posed with a sign that read “Turn your back on fur”.
The campaign also involved Project Catwalk judge Tim Gunn and was aimed specifically at the gay community – with Austin stating: “I’m a big advocate for anti-fur… I asked Marc Jacobs ‘why do you use fur? It’s not necessary anymore ’ and he really doesn’t have an answer.”
All The Small Things
While Austin may have impressed Peta with his naked photo shoot, it seems the producers of erotic porn magazine Playgirl were less enthused after they paid him to pose starkers back in 2012.
"I low-balled him with a $3k offer to pose, thinking he'd never take it," then-editor Daniel Nardicio said.
"He was insecure about the small size of his penis, which is why I was so complimentary. I always have to stroke models’ egos, but he was understandably embarrassed. Soft it's tiny… It made me think of the Dolly Parton song Little Sparrow."
Ouch.
Exhibitionism runs in the family
While Austin is happy to strip for the welfare of animals it seems he isn’t the only Armacost to love being at one with nature.
During an interview with After Elton in 2012, he made the unusual confession: “This might sound crazy, but I like when my family sees me naked. Now, it’s not incestuous, but we’re very free. We’re all very free.”
Explaining further, he added: “At any one time in my living room, my dad might be in the jacuzzi naked out back, my mom might be powdering her tits, and I might be s***ting with the door open.”
Acting up
Far from being a mere reality star, Austin claims to be a fully trained actor.
Following his appearance on CBB in 2015, the star landed a role in panto – and in an interview the following year he revealed to Attitude magazine that he was glad to stretch his thespian legs once again.
“I starred in my first panto in December 2015 – I was a trained actor long before my reality TV career,” he revealed.
Family drama
While in the CBB house back in 2015, Austin hinted that his mother was behind bars – but didn’t go into detail.
However the Indiana Business Journal had reported that his mum, Karen Armacost, had been sentenced to six years in jail on theft and forgery charges.
She was sent down in 2013 after stealing over $680,000 (over £550,000) from her workplace in Greenwood Orthopedics and making fake prescriptions for Vicodin.
Anti-American Men?
When it comes to dating, Austin says he is mainly attracted to British lads – and is far from complimentary about his USA brethren.
“American men can be pathetic, whiny, b**ches! I don’t have time for that,” he said to Attitude last year.
While previously dismissed American males, saying: “I feel English guys grow up and mature much faster than American men. A lot of the time in America growing up, you are coddled by your parents and don’t learn about the real world.”
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