Cameron with his family after leaving the Big Brother house

Almost two million votes were cast for the 32-year-old from the Orkney Isles, Scotland, who saw off competition from Ray Shah, who came second.

But the number of votes to decide the winner halved since last year after viewers and critics complained of boredom.

Scott Turner was in third place and Steph Coldicutt - nee Smith - was named fourth earlier on the final night on Friday.

Cameron had been "a dead cert" to win, according to bookmakers who made him the hottest favourite in the show's history.

He promised to use his prize money to buy a new piano for his church, a new bathroom for his family - and a trip to Chicago for himself.

BIG BROTHER FINAL WEEK VOTES Cameron - 1,928,570 Ray (above) - 1,428,231 Scott - 786, 978 Steph - 196,026

When the result was announced, he shouted: "I can't believe it. Thank you, thank you."

He told host Davina McCall that he found it "mental" that he had won, and that he felt like "a magnified version" of the person who went into the house.

His support gained momentum after he returned from a temporary stay in the South African Big Brother house, which "was a catalyst to chilling out", he said.

He also said "time would tell" whether he would get together with Steph.

Cameron, a committed Christian, offended some with his views on homosexuality and smacking children in recent days.

Jon Tickle - who said Cameron showed a false personality - was taken out of the house at the start of Friday's Channel 4 show because he was ineligible to win.

BIG BROTHER FINAL WEEK VOTES 2000 - 7.5 million 2001 - 7.3 million 2002 - 8.6 million 2003 - 4.3 million

He told viewers Cameron wanted to win the most and spent "a little bit too much time being conscious of the cameras".

But Steph said Cameron deserved to win because: "He's probably one of the nicest fellas I've ever met.

"As a person, he does not feel the need to be anything that he isn't apart from himself. That's a winning quality in anybody," she said.

Almost 12 million votes were cast throughout the show's two months - 4.3 million of which came for the final.

Steph had an emotional reunion with her family

But that was down from 8.6 million last year, when Kate Lawler won.

Viewing figures were also down on 2002, with an average of 4.4 million watching before the final this year - one million fewer than last year.

But it was still Channel 4's highest-rated show this year.

The Channel said the figures were 17% higher than the first series, and 10% higher than Big Brother 2.