Chantelle had to convince her housemates she was famous

The "fake" celebrity beat entertainer Michael Barrymore to win the reality show and take home �25,000 prize money.

The live final on Friday was watched by 7.5m people at its peak, with an audience share of 40%.

Channel 4 said the finale attracted almost 2m more viewers than last year, when Happy Monday's dancer Bez won the TV show.

Charity

Almost 3m votes were cast during the series and an estimated �480,000 was raised for charity over the 23-day run.

Last year's series raised �262,000 for charity with 1, 048,007 votes cast throughout the 18-day run.

I'll never change. I'm just little old me Winner Chantelle Houghton In pictures: Big Brother Final

Chantelle, 22, had taken part in the reality TV show pretending to belong to a fictitious pop group called Kandyfloss.

She was allowed to stay in the reality show after fooling fellow housemates she was a famous singer in the early days of the programme.

Chantelle took 56.4% of viewers' votes, with entertainer Michael Barrymore polling 43.6% to come second.

She walked away with a cash prize because she entered the show as a non-celebrity. The other contestants would have seen any winnings going to their chosen charity.

MP George Galloway was booed at the final

Former Baywatch actress Traci Bingham and singers Pete Burns, Preston and Maggot were also finalists.

In her interview with Davina McCall after leaving the house Chantelle, a model from Essex, said she couldn't believe she had won.

"I just can't believe what's going on at the moment. I just can't believe this is real. Is this another task or something? I'm just like wowzers."

When asked later what she would do with her winnings Chantelle replied: "First I will be able to pay the debts I owe my mum; once that's out of the way I don't know, go shopping.

"Make up, clothes, orange lipstick - I need one of them, I love that. I've got to make sure I get a stock of that."

The other celebrities who took part in the series included glamour model Jodie Marsh, former Football Association secretary Faria Alam, actress Rula Lenska, US basketball player Dennis Rodman and MP George Galloway.