Freaky Bez wins Big Brother

When he walked into the Big Brother house, he was best known for waving his maracas during his days as a dancer with Happy Mondays.

But 'Madchester' legend Bez was crowned king of the celebrity TV show last night with 54 per cent of the viewers' vote.

'I enjoyed myself in there. I had a really good time and met good people,' the 40-year-old told Big Brother presenter Davina McCall.

Bez was pitted against actress Brigitte Nielsen and Blazin' Squad rapper Kenzie in a final showdown yesterday to see who claimed the £50,000 prize.

Odds on a Kenzie victory were slashed from 4/ 6 to 1/ 2 as he charmed his way into public favour - although bookmakers never ruled out a late rally by Bez.

However, William Hill stopped taking bets over the weekend amid claims that 'sensitive information' about the show was leaked.

The bookmaker said its suspicions were aroused by betting on Friday's surprise double eviction.

People were trying to place large sums despite odds as short as 1/14.

Before entering the house, Bez claimed he was only taking part in the show for the money.

Yesterday, however, he admitted he had used his incarceration as a chance to 'bail himself out' of some personal troubles.

'The only thing I've been worried about really is my sons and how my life might affect them,' he said. 'That's been a constant stress for me.' Speaking of the times when he lost his temper - and tried to break out of the Big Brother compound, he added: 'I'm always quick to get angry and quick to forget.

Kenzie said he was happy to even be named runner-up, saying: 'I must have been doing something right. I've got friends for life now.'

The series drew 5.3million viewers on its launch night but 4.4million tuned in on Friday and just 3million on Saturday.