Celebrity Big Brother fans have been left shocked after finding out Patsy Palmer’s real name.

During Wednesday night’s episode of the ITV show, the EastEnders actress, 52, joined Donna Preston, 38, in the kitchen for a chat.

Coming over to Donna, she said: ‘who ever knew that I could just be sitting here with you, meeting you, and eating a bit of bread.’

Donna replied: ‘Mhmmm, it’s crazy that I’m talking to you… Bianca. Pasty Palmer obviously, great name, really great name. But Bianca.’

‘My names not really Patsy Palmer though, it’s Julie,’ Patsy revealed.

A shocked Donna exclaimed: ‘F**k off. It’s not Julie,’ before Patsy replied: ‘It is, that’s my real name.’

Celebrity Big Brother fans have been left ‘shocked’ after finding out Patsy Palmer ‘s  (pictured) real name

During Wednesday night’s episode of the ITV show, the EastEnders actress, 52, joined Donna Preston in the kitchen for a chat (pictured Donna)

‘Is it? Why Pasty Palmer?’ Donna asked.

Patsy revealed: ‘It’s just my stage name. It’s my mums name.’

Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their shock at the revelation. They said: ‘Patsy telling donna her real name is Julie is the highlight of my celeb big brother so far #CBBUK;

‘The way Patsy revealed her real name was like something out of Eastenders… oh wait #CBBUK;

‘Everytime I see Donna realise Patsy’s real name is Julie, I burst out laughing! It’s comedy gold #CBBUK;

‘PATSY PALMERS NAME IS JULIE ????? #CBBUK;

‘Patsy Palmer real name is Julie?!! WHAAAT #cbbuk;

‘I love how casually Patsy just dropped the bombshell that her name is Julie #CBBUK;

As the two chatted, Patsy said: ‘My names not really Patsy Palmer though, it’s Julie’

Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their shock at the revelation

‘I never knew Patsy’s real name was Julie;

‘I can’t get over the fact that Patsy Palmer’s real name is Julie #CBBUK;

‘I was today years old when I found out;

‘Patsy Palmer is a stage name and her real name is Julie #cbbuk.’

Patsy actually adopts her married name when she’s hunkered down in her Malibu abode as she previously revealed Americans don’t know who she is

The actress has built a serene life by the beach, after re-locating with her family back in 2014.

Yet while rubbing shoulders Stateside with the likes of supermodel Cindy Crawford, she goes under her married name Julie Merkell.

However, the TV star’s birth name is in fact Julie Anne Harris.

The TV star’s birth name is in fact Julie Anne Harris (pictured at Smiley Charity Film Awards in March 2025)

During an appearance on This Morning in 2019, Patsy said: ‘They [fans] don’t know me [in America] and I have another name. My name is Julie really, so I thought, ‘I’m going to get back to calling myself my real name.

‘But I actually get so confused myself that sometimes I’ll say Patsy and sometimes I’ll say Julie. So now in Malibu they call me Patsy Julie.

‘Julie Anne Harris was my name, my married name is Julie Merkell’.

Read More Celebrity Big Brother cast’s pay ‘REVEALED’ as one star earns £480k MORE than lowest paid housemate

After joking that the two names even leaves herself confused at times, Patsy claimed that maybe she needs to go on Who Do You Think You Are to work it all out.

Patsy’s real name being revealed comes ahead of her entering ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother on Monday night.

Patsy is said to have been offered £100,000 for her time on the show, which is reported the ‘going rate’ for a long-running soap icon.

She is set to join the likes of Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke, dancer Jojo Siwa, presenter Trisha Goddard and TOWIE’s Ella Rae Wise.

Last year, Sharon Osbourne earned a whopping £800,000 for just an eight day stint as a ‘celebrity lodger’, with her pal Louis Walsh taking home £500,000.

This year, Hollywood heavyweight Mickey is the highest paid housemate, with the actor’s earnings being a whopping £480,000 more than the lowest paid star.

Meanwhile reality star Ella is this year’s lowest earning housemate with the blonde bombshell taking home £20,000.

CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER 2025: MEET THE LINEUP!

MICKEY ROURKE 

AGE: 72

FAMOUS FOR: The actor and former pro boxer is one of the show’s biggest ever signings and after public feuds with Robert De Niro, two marriages and a string of high profile relationships, producers will be hoping he brings plenty of drama.

DALEY THOMPSON

AGE: 66

FAMOUS FOR: The double Olympic gold-medallist is considered one of Britain’s greatest athletes, and he would no doubt cause a stir with younger celebrities if he entered the house. He broke the decathlon world record four times.

PATSY PALMER

AGE: 52

FAMOUS FOR: It’s an open secret that Patsy is leaving EastEnders, with the actress enjoying a wild leaving party this month. The Bianca Jackson star posted a snap of her character on Instagram with the caption: ‘Bye bye B, always grateful to see her again.’

DONNA PRESTON

AGE: 38

FAMOUS FOR: While Donna has featured in several TV shows and movies, the comedy star is known for hosting Apocalypse and for the role of a circus Compere in 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald. She plays Den in Coronation Street, has featured in Pants On Fire in 2019 and even wrote and co-produced BBC Three’s Comedy Threesomes.

CHESNEY HAWKES

AGE: 53

FAMOUS FOR: The singer topped the charts for five weeks in 1991 with his hit The One And Only, before making a string of acting and TV appearances. His arrival on CBB has been described by a TV source as ‘perfect timing’, as he’s set to release a comeback album in April.

ANGELLICA BELL

AGE: 49

FAMOUS FOR: The TV presenter is said to have landed a staggering five-figure deal to appear on Celebrity Big Brother. Fans will be keen to see if the CBBC legend spills all on her untimely exit from The Martin Lewis Show – which left fans baffled back in 2023. Angellica currently co-presents Hits Radio while Fleur East is on maternity leave.

 

DANNY BEARD 

AGE: 32

FAMOUS FOR: The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner – whose real name is Daniel Curtis – has signed up as a late entry. Danny previously made headlines after swearing on Big Brother’s Late & Live last March whilst doing an impression of housemate Louis Walsh. The incident saw the guest say the word ‘c***’ before immediately apologising after being informed they weren’t allowed to say that on the show.

CHRIS HUGHES

 AGE: 32

FAMOUS FOR: After shooting to fame on Love Island in 2017, Chris went on to become a sports presenter and regularly hosts the horse racing coverage on ITV.

JOJO SIWA

AGE: 21

FAMOUS FOR: The American singer, who sH๏τ to stardom on reality show Dance Moms, is expected to draw a big American audience. The hitmaker has made a name for herself in the U.S. pop charts and is known for her outlandish looks and being a vocal member of the LGBTQ+ community.

 

TRISHA GODDARD

AGE: 67

FAMOUS FOR: The talk show host regularly presented on ITV from 1998 to 2004 and then shifted to Channel 5 from 2004 to 2010. Trisha has been suffering horrible side effects of her chemotherapy – but has bravely battled on.

JACK P. SHEPHERD

AGE: 37

FAMOUS FOR: The actor has played David Platt in Corrie since 2000 and is following in his pal Colson Smith’s footsteps by taking part in the popular reality show. He has won a string of awards for the role including Best Actor at the British Soap Awards.

ELLA RAE WISE 

AGE: 24

FAMOUS FOR: Producers have been keen to land the TV personality, who previously dated Pete Wicks and has had an on-off romance with Dan Edgar. Bosses are hoping the TOWIE star might reveal all about some of her other famous exes.

MICHAEL FABRICANT 

AGE: 74

FAMOUS FOR: The former Conservative politician is understood to have signed a lucrative six-figure deal to take part after political stars were banned from the broadcaster’s other reality show, I’m A Celeb. He served as MP for Lichfield in Staffordshire from 1992 until his defeat in 2024 as well as vice-chairman of the party under David Cameron. But he is perhaps best known for his blond mop for which he has been widely ridiculed but repeatedly denies is a wig.