Anne attacks Big Brother

Anne Diamond has hit out at the bosses of Celebrity Big Brother for being "manipulative" and "nasty".

"I really feel that Big Brother is thinking hard today about how to set us against each other because we have had a bit of a love-in," a near-tearful Ms Diamond told Davina McCall after leaving the Channel 4 show.

"I just wanted to do my bit and be part of a team. It was lovely but it was not necessary to win or go on any further. It's a game. It's silly to agonise about it, otherwise why go on?"

The 48-year-old former breakfast TV presenter said that, while inside, she was more worried that the antics in the house were making bad television. "The worrying thing was everyone was getting on too well," she said.

She said all the housemates thought: "Aren't they going to be a little bit worried how they're going to turn this into a real conflict television programme."

She was particularly upset about the programme's treatment of the house quilt which each member had spent hours stitching. "All that Big Brother did was pick holes in it, that we had put a border on the edge, that it was not stitched properly, all sorts of things.

"I was clearly cast in the mother's role and I felt it was up to me to fight our corner and actually come over to Big Brother and say, 'You're coming on too strong here'.

Big Brother, she said was getting " very manipulat ive" and "pretty, pretty nasty".

Ms Diamond said she had been determined not to overeat. "All my friends said whenever they were watching Big Brother everyone eats all the time, well there's f**k all else to do.

"You're not allowed to write, not having a book to read, and cooking and eating is about all we had to do. I actually think I've lost a couple of pounds. Looking back, those TV clips make me feel very confident. I'm going to lose a couple more stones in the next couple of months."

On Les Dennis, she said: "I think he's going to be crying quite soon. The last thing I whispered to him when I left was, 'keep in control' but he's somebody who likes to wear his heart on his sleeve and he likes being open.

"I do think he takes things to heart too much.

She went on: "He said he feels that the media can' t let him and Amanda [Les's actress wife] get past the problems they've had. I think he'll want to talk more about it. The stuffing's been knocked out of him."

She said she and Les would try to organise a reunion with their fellow guests. Mark Owen "was absolutely gorgeous" and she would have gone for him "on another time or another planet".

Asked about the four remaining celebrities, Ms Diamond said she thought Melinda Messenger would win. "Melinda is the nation's sweetheart," but she added: "I would love it to be Mark."