Fresh out of the Big Brother UK house, Smashby – better known as Sam Ashby – is wasting no time in turning reality TV drama into pop gold. The 27-year-old singer has returned to the spotlight with his latest single, ‘CODE’, a track forged in the heat of televised tensions and delivered with the kind of high-gloss confidence that demands to be played loud.
Inspired by his stint on the long-running social experiment, ‘CODE’ pulls no punches. Ringing out of the speakers with a glistening backbeat, the single unfolds as a sticky slice of contemporary pop, brimming with drama and emotion. It packs a punch from the outset, primed and ready for the dancefloor with fizzling basslines and shimmering toplines that give it an unmissable melodic edge. As defiant as it is infectious, ‘CODE’ stands its ground as a true dance belter that refuses to let up.
For Sam, the release is both catharsis and celebration. Diving into the story behind the track, he explains: “This feels like my JoJo Siwa ‘Karma’ moment. This song was inspired by all the drama in the Big Brother House. The code names, the mean girl allegations, the stuff with Zelah, it felt good to write about it all and have some fun with it.”
Hailing from Skipton, North Yorkshire, Smashby has carved out a reputation as a British pop artist with a knack for silk-smooth earworms and emotionally charged hooks. Since making his debut in 2016, he has steadily built a loyal following, racking up thousands of streams and becoming a familiar face on the Pride circuit. His time on Big Brother UK in 2025 propelled him further into the national conversation, as he became central to several of the season’s most talked-about storylines, turning more than a few heads in the process.
Beyond the house, his creative career has been punctuated by high-profile collaborations, including work with RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Divina De Campo and Aja, underscoring his strong ties to LGBTQ+ pop culture. Rounding off last year, shortly after his eviction, he released the festive single ‘Christmas Number One’, a tongue-in-cheek reminder that even amid controversy, Smashby knows how to keep the spotlight firmly fixed in his direction.
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