Owen celebrates after winning Big Brother

He beat off weak competition from remaining housemates Les Dennis who got only 13.6% and glamour model Melinda Messenger who received just 9%.

The pint-sized former Take That singer, who won over the public with his happy-go-lucky attitude and boyish good looks, shed a few tears after hearing he had won.

But he emerged from the house looking delighted to meet his mum, dad and girlfriend to the sound of a screaming crowd and firework explosions.

He revealed that he had not expected to get a break again and the attention was somewhat scary.

“I’ve been at home for four years, trying to make things work then something like this happens and it’s a shock,” he said.

“I never expected to get a break again, I thought I would be at home forever, just trying and it’s scary when you hear people shout your name again, it’s a frightening thing.”

On his future plans he said: “It’s too early to think really.

“I’ve been working away. If I wasn’t in the house I would have been at home carrying on in pursuit of a second album. I’m not going to now stop making a second album because I came on this.”

He told presenter Davina McCall that his favourite moment was his “boo on Les when he was sleeping” – referring to a prank he played on Les earlier.

“I wanted Les to win because he’s been through a lot and he’s been a star in there,” he added

Asked what he enjoyed about the 10 days he said: “Just the experience. The people were all great.”

He said his best friend was Sue and his best moment was “just hearing my name” at the end.

“I just thought, ‘Oh no’. I just thought, ‘Shit’.”

Melinda was the first contestant to be booted out last night in the three-way phone-poll showdown, leaving Les and Mark in the house.

As Davina called out her name, Melinda looked shocked before embracing Les and Mark.

Melinda was likened to a “Vulcan” by comic Sue Perkins and the first evictee, actor and DJ Goldie, called her “Darth Vader”.

The three contestants had spent their last day in the camera filled apartment nervously awaiting the result of the final telephone poll.

Sue had been voted out of the house on Thursday following in the wake former TV host Anne Diamond and DJ Goldie.

When Mark was confirmed as the winner, gameshow host Les repeatedly said: “Well played mate”.

Speaking to the press after a few drinks with friends, Les called Mark “The Messiah” and said he and Melinda were just “Mark’s disciples” while Melinda said Mark won because “he’s a good man with a good heart”.

But Mark insisted he only won because he’s “friends with Robbie”,” referring to his fellow ex-Take That member.

On his relationship with Williams he said: “I don’t feel like I haven’t got a friendship with Robbie, I just don’t see him very often.

“I see him on the telly and there’s a bond there. If I bumped into him, like I’ve bumped into him in the last couple of years, we’ll say hello.”

Les insisted that he is sane when told of his newly acquired tabloid nickname “Loopy Les” following his emotional in the house.

“I’m not loopy, I’m a very sane human being and I had a ball. It’s a strange situation but I had a fantastic time,” he said.

Asked if he regretted his honesty Les said: “I wear my heart on my sleeve, what you see is what you get.”

He said he had “a lovely conversation” with his 31-year-old actress wife Amanda Holden who was unable to greet him on his eviction because of work commitments

“She said, ‘I’m very proud of you’,” he said.

Melinda said she and her husband, Wayne, would have a try at matching Goldie’s previous boast of having sex with his wife five times in one night.

“Hopefully we’ll get somewhere near that,” she said. She said she had taken all the jibes against her in good spirit and thought the Darth Vader nickname was “very funny”.