Oldest contestant walks out of Big Brother house

LONDON, Jun 9 (Reuters) A 60-year-old grandmother walked out of Channel 4's Big Brother contest today, saying she had run out of energy.

Lesley Brain said she was sad to leave after ten days inside the camera-filled house at Elstree, Hertfordshire.

''I feel that I contributed well, but my strength and energy in that department is running out,'' she said.

The Women's Institute member and oldest contestant on the show had previously said she was bored and ready to go home.

She is the second contestant to depart.

Student Emily Parr, 19, was thrown off the programme on Thursday after calling black housemate Charley Uchea a ''nigger''.

Channel 4 Chief Executive Andy Duncan later defended the show's decision to air footage of Parr using the racist term.

He said he regretted the incident had happened but felt the public should see for themselves.

Duncan said it showed the channel had learned from criticism by TV regulator Ofcom of the handling of a racist row earlier this year in its celebrity version.

That show was overshadowed by the racial abuse of eventual winner Indian actress Shilpa Shetty by other housemates.

Ofcom ordered the broadcaster to issue an apology before the current, eighth series of the popular reality show started.

More than 8 million viewers watched the opening night of the contest last month.

REUTERSAE HT1810