CBB: Natalie Nunn tells Chloe Ayling 'You're not a celebrity' Chloe Ayling's life took an unexpected turn when she was abducted in 2017 by a Polish computer programmer. At just 20 years old, the London-based model, who worked for lawyer Phil Green, found herself at the centre of a media storm following her release from captivity in an Italian farmhouse. The public watched on as she waited to learn the fate of her captors, Lukasz and Mikal Herba.
The brothers initially received sentences of nearly 17 years, but this was reduced on appeal in 2021, allowing Ayling to finally put the ordeal behind her. In the summer of 2018, Ayling gained significant media attention by joining the Celebrity Big Brother house, rubbing shoulders with famous faces such as Love Island's Gabby Allen, former footballer Jermaine Pennant, soap actors Roxanne Pallett and Ryan Thomas, psychic Sally Morgan, and Married at First Sight UK star Ben Jardine. During her time on the show, Ayling and the then-married Pennant were noted for their flirtatious behaviour, despite Pennant not disclosing his marital status.
Post-CBB, Ayling expressed her views to The Sun, saying: "I don't think he's mature enough to realise he's doing wrong but hopefully he will learn," reflecting on Pennant's actions during the series. During her stay in the celebrity-packed house, she opened up about her kidnapping ordeal from the previous year, providing viewers with a more emotional perspective than what was portrayed in the media. .