Chantelle the unknown wins Celebrity Big Brother
Previously-unknown Essex girl Chantelle pulled off an amazing coup tonight when she defeated a host of famous faces to win Celebrity Big Brother.
The 22-year-old, originally a novelty addition to the house instructed to pretend she was a pop star, seemed hardly able to believe it as her name was called out.
She wiped away tears and hugged entertainer Michael Barrymore, who came a respectable second and may have rejuvenated his career after scandals and breakdowns.
“Oh my God, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say,” she said.
Of those who voted for the final two Big Brother contestants, 66.4% wanted Chantelle and 43.6% wanted Barrymore to be crowned the winner.
Wearing a tiny cream ballerina-style dress, blonde Chantelle kept repeating “Oh my God!” as she dashed through the house to leave.
She called out as she trotted: “Are you sure you’ve got this right, Davina?”
When she walked through the door to volleys of fireworks and cheers, the newly-crowned winner – who received 54.6% of the final vote – still could not believe what had happened. She kept asking Davina: “Is it a mistake?” as they walked past the cameras and screaming fans.
When told she had won by a landslide, Chantelle said: “I'm just like, wowsers.”
Sitting in front of a flashing screen which read “Chantelle, Winner”, she was asked why she thought people had voted for her, and replied stutteringly: “Because I’m just down to earth and easy going?”
She said she had not felt “resented” by the other genuine celebrities, but some might have felt “a bit stupid” because they were fooled into believing she was famous.
And she insisted there was nothing going on with Preston, as he had earlier.
“I knew I liked Preston but I didn’t know why it was until… I realised it was because I trusted him and to be able to trust someone in there is a really big thing.”
She said she would like to see Preston again, but only if his girlfriend allowed it.
Chantelle said new-found fame would not change her: “I’ll never change. I’m just little old me.”
Overall three million votes were cast by the public during the Celebrity Big Brother series, raising £480,000 (€701,812) for the 11 charities nominated by the contestants.
Chantelle Houghton had been a red-hot favourite to win and bookies were cursing their luck tonight as they faced a huge payout.
Before coming into the house she worked as a temp and as a lookalike for US heiress Paris Hilton.
But she won the affection of millions of viewers with the way she handled her first task in the house, which was to pretend she was a member of fictitious girl band Kandy Floss.
She also provided the house’s main romantic interest, striking up a very close friendship with Ordinary Boys singer Preston.
Barrymore stepped out to the loudest cheers of the night, and proceeded to milk the acclaim for all it was worth.
The 53-year-old clenched his fists and gave a two-armed victory salute as he posed for photographs. Then he hugged Davina and broke down in tears.
The millions of votes he received from the public may signal a resurrection for Barrymore's showbiz career, which had all-but stalled after a series of scandals and breakdowns.
He moved to New Zealand after Stuart Lubbock was found dead in the swimming pool at his Harlow, Essex home in 2001.
He tearfully told host Davina that his time in the house was the “most brilliant time I have ever had”.
“I won before I got to this evening,” he said. “I’ve already won. I’ve had a brilliant time.”
He said he was glad the public could “see through” the negative media coverage he had received over recent years.
But he was “not sure” what the future held: “I’ve got me back. This is all extras.”
