CBB 2016: Who is Jonathan Cheban?

Everything you need to know about Kim Kardashian’s BFF

Jonathan Cheban

by Emmeline Saunders |
Published on

Celebrity Big Brother 2016 is no doubt set to be an absolute banger – especially now Kim Kardashian’s flamboyant BFF Jonathan Cheban has signed up to go in.

So who is he? How did he become so famous? And what exactly has he done to his face? Let’s find out…

Why is Jonathan Cheban famous?

Even if his name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ll have definitely seen 41-year-old Jonathan (and it’s ALWAYS Jonathan – never John, Johnny, John-Boy etc, thank you very much) hanging out behind Kim’s giant arse in a pap shot or 15.

He’s been her faithful friend for “several years”, in his own words, having met her at a Hollywood birthday party back before she become super-famous. They clicked and fast became good mates, with Jonathan eventually working his way right into the heart of the Kardashian clan.

Jonathan Cheban with Kardashians

But it’s not always been smooth sailing between the pair – Jonathan has often fallen out with Kim over various things, including the time her ex-husband Kris Humphries interrogated him about his sexual orientation. Awkward.

He’s also had fights with Malika and Khadijah Haqq, the twin gal-pals of Khloe, but somehow always charms his way back into Kim’s good books.

What does Jonathan Cheban do?

Darling, if you’re asking that question, you just don’t get it, do you? Long story short: no-one seems to know. He used to be in public relations, where he hung out with the likes of Victoria Beckham and Mel B, then he kind of drifted into being a socialite and US magazine fodder. He’s also starred in Keeping Up With The Kardashians on a semi-regular basis, as well as having his own reality show, The Spin Crowd, which, er, got cancelled after one season… awkward.

His own big break came while he was working for a publicist in New York. When his boss turned down the opportunity of working on P Diddy’s 29th birthday party, Jonathan accepted the job himself – and the rest is history.

Jonathan’s also branched out into designing jewellery, launching his own clothing range, Kritik, opening a restaurant and, er, designing protective covers for phones. A man of many talents is he.

He’s most recently launched TheDishh{ =nofollow}, a lifestyle blog dedicated to highlighting the best food, gadgets and entertainment around.

Jonathan Cheban net worth

With all that on his CV, it’s no wonder Jonathan’s net worth is estimated at $3 million (£2.04 million). Tasty.

Kim Kardashian white suit and Jonathan Cheban

Jonathan Cheban Twitter

You can follow Jonathan on Twitter at @JonathanCheban. He only follows 39 people at the moment though, so don’t expect a follow-back. He doesn’t even follow Kylie or Kendall Jenner, or Kim’s brother Rob Kardashian. Again, awkward.

Jonathan Cheban Instagram

He’s also got an official Instagram account called jonathancheban. Hit that blue button for snaps of his posh dinners, sassy holidays, sultry selfies and occasional appearances from the Kardashians.

Jonathan Cheban in CBB

One thing’s for sure: this Big Brother housemate will NOT be holding back when it comes to confrontations. He’s already stated he doesn’t know how to do laundry and he’s not a fan of cooking and cleaning, so expect fireworks between him and some of the more hygienically minded celeb contestants.

Jonathan has also said he’ll “hit with a shoe” anyone who dares to trash-talk Kim in the house. Which we’d quite like to see, tbh.

Jonathan Cheban and Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

Is Jonathan Cheban married?

Uh, nope. For years fans of KUWTK thought he was gay, but when Kris Humphries asked him straight out on the show, he had a massive tantrum and told him to mind his own business. Since then, he’s dated stylist Anat Popovsky after they met while he was filming Kourtney And Kim Take Miami in 2012.

Jonathan and Anat spotted on a date on 18 November 2015

They broke up in December 2013 – though in November 2015 they were spotted out on a date in New York amid rumours they’d rekindled their relationship. Watch this space…

Has Jonathan Cheban had plastic surgery?

Short answer, again: no-one seems to know. He's certainly changed a lot since the geeky high-school yearbook photos did the rounds in 2014. If you look carefully, his nose seems to be much shorter than it did when he was a teenager, and his ears seem less prominent, so we'd hazard a guess at a nose job and ear pinning at the very least.

Who's going into CBB January 2016?

Gallery

CBB 2016: Who is Jonathan Cheban?

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Danniella Westbrook CBB3 of 16

Danniella Westbrook CBB

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