THE Big Brother contestants had better watch out. Firefighter Jonny "Joker" Regan is certain to have a few tricks up his sleeves to keep eagle-eyed viewers amused.

Firefighters on blue watch at Peterlee fire station, County Durham, have revealed that laugh-a-minute Jonny is a bit of a practical joker.

The 29-year-old, who is already proving a hit with millions of viewers, likes nothing better than to wind up his workmates.

Typical antics by the North-East joker include putting flour in their protective helmets, filling their boots full of water and winding them up with crank phone calls.

Jonny, of Trimdon Grange, County Durham, has worked on blue watch for 11 years.

The 13 firefighters who make up the team have all fallen victim to his joking ways.

Sub-officer Kenny Carr said: "Jonny is a real joker. He is always playing practical jokes on us.

"He will catch the lads out all the time in different ways. Sometimes he will phone up the station and pretend he is a newspaper reporter and will ask whoever answers the phone loads of daft questions, and they haven't got a clue it's him.

"Other times he has filled our helmets with flour and put water in our boots. He certainly keeps us amused and is a very popular member of the watch and throughout the whole brigade."

Jonny managed to keep his Big Brother appearance secret from his workmates, but they are all giving him their full support. They only discovered he was to star on the TV programme hours before it went on air.

Kenny said: "His closest mates knew, but they were sworn to secrecy.

"The first the rest of the watch knew about it was a few hours before the show went on air. We are all rooting for him. If he is just himself then he will do really well, but then we are biased."

Jonny is not just well known as a wind-up merchant to the brigade. During his time as a firefighter with Durham County Fire Brigade Jonny saved a woman's life when she was trapped in a burning building.

He is also a member of the brigade's rope rescue team. Jonny is specially trained to take part in rescue operations that take place in difficult areas such as cliffs, quarries and high buildings.