Stromness celebrates as Cameron wins Big Brother
By Sigurd Towrie
(Story dated: July 26, 2003)

The town of Stromness is no stranger to revelry. Its narrow, winding main street could almost have been designed for it.

But in all its years, Stromness has surely never experienced anything like it witnessed last night.

The producers of Big Brother couldn't’t have picked a better time to bring the fourth series to a close. At the height of Stromness’s annual gala week, spirits in the town were already high. And although Cameron Stout might not be partial to a tipple, there was no shortage of folk who were – the majority toasting the health of an unassuming 32-year-old fish trader.

For weeks the people of Orkney have watched Cameron Stout – who astounded the islanders by turning up on the programme in May. Could this local boy charm his way into the heart of the nation?

Apparently so. From the moment he entered the house, Cameron became a hit with the viewing public and, as the folk in Stromness were keen to stress last night, the Cameron we’ve been watching on Big Brother is no act.

That’s just the way he is.

From early evening Stromness thronged with revelers, the levels of nervous anticipation increasing with each hour. Although some remained in houses and pubs to watch the final, for many the only place to be was the pierhead – the “heart” of the town - where a viewing screen had been erected for the townsfolk to gather and watch.

“Why would we want to sit at home and see this on our own?” was one comment in the run up to the final. “Whether he wins or is the first out, when Cameron Stout comes out I want to be in the thick of it. He’s one of us and this just seems like the right place to be.”

"We work at Argos Bakery," said 18-year-olds Jenna and Nikki - just two of the supporters gathering outside the townhouse. "Everybody there has been behind Cameron all the way."

Even the most cynical and uninterested - and there remained a few - were soon caught up in the proceedings, their wry smiles perhaps hinting at secret support.

By the time the final Channel Four programme began at 10pm, the number of pierhead onlookers had reached the hundreds. There, along with family and friends, they waited with bated breath to see whether the Orkney boy could do it.

But despite the numbers, the street was eerily silent. An air of hushed tension hung over the final announcement and the minutes passed.

When the name “Cameron” echoed across the harbour, the silence shattered and the town erupted with cheers and sprays of champagne.

“He’s done it," said Janice Stanger of the Stromness Hotel. "Cameron Stout lived next door to me for 11 years. He's a great guy and if anyone deserved to win it, he did."

“There’s been an awful lot of rubbish been written about Cameron in the tabloids,” said another. “Thankfully the folk watching the programme haven’t been taken in by it at all.”

“Cameron Stout’s done more than win a TV programme. He’s put Orkney on the map and we’re all proud of him for that. Could we have wished for a better ambassador? I doubt it.”

In the watching crowd was Alistair Buchan - Stromness resident and OIC chief executive.

"This is just incredible," he said. "For a small place like this it's just absolutely fantastic. I'm not a particularly big fan for the programme myself but it has been interesting because Cameron was put in the house." he said.

"He's done tremendously well and deserved to win."

Colin Kirkpatrick had plenty to say: "The tabloids have painted a particular picture of Cameron and Graham Norton took that and added a wee bit. And the tabloids, of course, went further, took it back, tweaked it a bit more."

But quoting a Graeme Norton one liner about the Pope voting for Cameron from the night before, Colin added: "We can't ask for a better endorsement than that!"

With the announcement over, there was no sign of the party in Stromness abating.

Orkney has produced a number of famous sons over the years and the latest, although the means of his fame will be frowned upon by some, is undoubtedly a household name. Winner or not, Cameron Stout has always been assured of one thing. When he finally returns to Orcadian soil, he will return a hero.