CLydebank-born actor James Cosmo is adding an unusual touch of name recognition to Celebrity Big Brother this year.

The 68-year-old Game of Thrones and Braveheart actor travelled south of the wall to join the Channel Five programme on Tuesday night.

Betting bosses give him a 8/1 chance of being the overall winner, sitting in the middle of the pack of 14 people with Calum Best currently on top at 6/1, reports the Clydebanl Post. 

James, who summed himself up for the show as "contrarian, autodidact and fat", will be on the big screen this month as well with a reported reprisal of his role as Mr Renton in Trainspotting 2.

As well as film and TV roles stretching back 50 years, he has found renewed fame through his role as Jeor Mormont on Game of Thrones, as Father Kellan Ashby on Sons of Anarchy and in a series of Bank of Scotland adverts dressed in the style of his Mormont character.  

Last March James gave a special reading at the 75th anniversary of the Clydebank Blitz.

Councillor Denis Agnew of Clydebank Blitz Memorial Group commissioned The Holy City from playwright Stewart Conn with James reading it at Kilbowie St Andrew’s Church.

As he entered the Big Brother house, he said: “I wouldn't say I'm scared about going into the house. One of the things that I'll miss is listening to Eminem.

”I'm in here for an experience, I hope I'm going to enjoy it and that's it. Game, set, match and nothing else.”

He asserted: "There are not many people I could not live with for even a short period of time."

Other CBB contestants alongside Best and James include Ray J, known for making a sex tape with Kim Kardashian, American reality TV star Speidi, and Jasmine Waltz.