Nikki was cheered by crowds outside the Big Brother house

The 24-year-old burst into tears and said: "Please Big Brother, please, please, I don't want to go."

All the contestants apart from recruitment consultant Jayne Kitt faced the public vote.

They were punished after Jayne broke Big Brother protocol by talking about the housemates in an interview before she joined the show.

Nikki received 37.2% of the public vote. It was the fourth time she had been up for eviction.

Asked later if she felt angry that Jayne's rule-breaking had led to her eviction, Nikki replied: "She's the most hilarious person I've ever met, I want her and Pete in there to the end, I'm not angry."

'Amazing character'

Pete Bennett, 25, from London, who has Tourette's syndrome, remained odds-on favourite to scoop the �100,000 prize.

He is the only original housemate to have escaped nomination until this week.

After her eviction, Nikki tipped Pete as the eventual winner, adding "I love him".

"He's just the most special person in the whole world," she said.

"He's got only good in him and he's been through a very difficult life. He's just an amazing character."

Meanwhile, Channel 4 has denied reports that rats had gnawed their way through transmission cables, resulting in sound problems on E4's live feed early on Thursday.

A spokeswoman said any loss of sound was due to legal issues or mentions of brand names.