Celebrity Big Brother’s Nicola McLean goes from WAG to squaddie in army cadet throwback pictures

NICOLA McLean is unrecognisable in these throwback army cadet pictures.

The Celebrity Big Brother star is best known for her being a WAG but it hasn't always been about bodycon dresses and perfect hair for the 35-year-old.

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In a series of throwback pictures, a 16-year-old Nicola can be seen in full army getup, brandishing a gun as she poses for the cameras.

With her blonde hair replaced by brown locks, the star is barely recognisable as she looks seriously down the camera lens in her helmet.

Nicola - who was a corporal with the Camden Detachment of the Army Cadets in north London - can be seen posing with her weapon in among some trees, getting ready to take aim.

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In other shots, the mother-of-two ditches the headgear and stands in front of the squad barracks in a classic military stance.

Nicola is currently doing battle in the Celebrity Big Brother house, and has come under fire from viewers for her close friendship with footballer Jamie O'Hara while her husband Tom Williams watches at home.

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But Nicola's friend, former Towie star Maria Fowler, has defended her, saying she has had to deal with a lot in the last few years and doesn't deserve the backlash.

She told : "Nicola has put up with a lot. When Tom cheated she made no secret of the fact that she felt let down and betrayed.

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“I don’t think Tom is in a position to criticise her. And he isn’t in a position to split up with her over it because she’s put up with a lot worse.”

Nicola and Tom separated for a year after it emerged he had strayed with another woman while on a trip to Las Vegas.

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Maria continued: "She thought, ‘he cheated on me anyway, so I didn’t do anything wrong’. And rightly so. I’d tell him, ‘you can’t say anything, you cheated on me’.

“I personally would never forget that. I’d have been gone. But she’s been with Tom for years and years. She stood by him after an affair.

“In fairness to Tom, she did give him a chance and he’s proved himself to her and they seem really happy now."