Long-time favourite Pete wins "Big Brother"

LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters) Bookies' favourite Pete Bennett showed he was also the viewers' favourite by winning the seventh series of the reality TV show ''Big Brother'', saying it was ''wicked'' to have scooped the 100,000 pounds prize.

In his interview with the show's presenter Davina McCall 24-year old Pete said appearing on the show had saved his life.

''Last year I went mad, a bit bananas. I was completely, absolutely at the end of my tether in life, and all that,'' he said.

In reference to a close friend who had died, Pete added: ''I had a huge visit from my mate in heaven. He came down and he showed me a huge spiral.'' ''Where I was, was hell. He showed me the only way to remember who I was, was to go up the spiral and on the way I had got to go into Big Brother and win and that's the only way.'' McCall told Pete he had been the ''most fancied housemate'' of all the series of the show and asked whether he had a similar effect on women outside the camera-filled house.

''I don't know ... I'm oblivious to all that. I don't know.'' But the Tourette's sufferer said it was ''wicked'' that he had raised awareness about the inherited neurological disorder which is characterised by tics - involuntary physical movements -- or verbal outbursts.

The Brighton-based musician is now expected to earn several hundreds of thousands of pounds in promotional deals and talk of a TV talk show and possible recording contract for his band Daddy Fantastic.

Pete emerged as the hot favourite shortly after the 3-month long show began, which will dent the pockets of the bookmakers who took a record six million in bets.

His popularity slipped slightly after he became close to one-time evictee Nikki Grahame who returned to the house, but Pete still managed to poll 61.2 per cent of the vote in the head-to-head with runner up Glyn Wise.

The popularity of the Welsh teenager, who took several weeks to come out of his shell before establishing himself as one of the higher profile housemates, surged in the closing weeks of the show.

In third place was feisty Londoner Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace whose put down to Nikki of ''You'd better know yourself, little girl,'' became something of a catchphrase for many ''Big Brother'' fans.

Liverpudlian Jennie Corner was the first to be evicted on the night followed by Canadian waiter Richard Newman and Nikki.

Some TV critics believe the re-introduction of the Watford girl was a mistake by the programme makers and the decision certainly did not go down well with some viewers.

Nearly 3,000 ''Big Brother'' fans have complained to the broadcasting watchdog saying they paid to have her evicted only to see her back in the house.

REUTERS DKA BD1835