Celebrity Big Brother housemates 2012

For Julie Goodyear, Rhian Sugden, Martin Kemp, Coleen Nolan and others in the latest series of Celerbity Big Brother click here.

DENISE WELCH is the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2012.

The actress and Loose Womenh chat show host beat X Factor star Frankie Cocozza in second and gay rugby player Gareth Thomas in third. Denise also beat Reservoir Dogs actor Michael Madsen who came fourth and the Playboy twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon who came fifth.

The victory for the 53-year-old married mother-of-two was a big shock, because until the last couple of days she had never been considered the favourite to win.

The former cocaine addict and heavy drinker repeatedly stunned viewers and the other celebrity housemates with her wild antics. She went topless in the hot tub with Frankie and continually flashed her cleavage - even after she won!

The biggest controversy involving Denise was when she pulled down the pants of one of the Playboy twins, which caused a massive argument in the house. The Playboy twins threatened to sue Big Brother if they broadcast her bottom, however, Channel 5 did show the red g-string that she was wearing.

The twins fell out with Denise and Frankie - who defended Denise - over the incident and this caused them to loose support with the public. They were booed and jeered when they left the house and were widely perceived as arrogant and over-confident.

But it was Denise who had the last laugh after being crowned the winner of the reality show, which was the best it has been for many years. However, not everyone was pleased with Denise's victory. The most popular comment on the Mail Online was 'Who voted for crazy Denise and validated her appalling behaviour? She has no incentive to sort herself out now.'

The second most popular was 'Tells you exactly about the state of this country when trash like Denise and Frankie are voted to be the favourite celebrities on this show' while the thrid was 'What a thoroughly depressing and predictable result...' . Another person added 'Just when you thought she couldn't get anymore obnoxious!!!!!' while somebody else wrote 'what a sick society we live in when a 53-year-old drunk wins big brother'.

Celebrity Big Brother 2012 was the latest series of the long-running popular reality TV show.

The famous contestants for 'series two' of Celebrity Big Brother were:

Frankie Cocozza, Kirk Norcross, Natasha Giggs, Nicola McLean, Natalie Cassidy, Denise Welch, Georgia Salpa, Andrew Stone, Michael Madsen, Kristina and Karissa Shannon, Gareth Thomas and Romeo.

The last series was in August 2011, and featured celebrities including Jedward, Sally Bercow and Kerry Katona.

It was the first time that the reality TV show had been aired on Channel 5 and proved to be just as successful as it was on Channel 4 in previous years. The celebrity show was followed up by the regular Big Brother show in 2011. It featured more young people than in previous years although viewers began to lose interest. See these housemates here.

The host of the show is Brian Dowling. The former Big Brother winner is one of the few housemates who have gone on to have carved themselves a career in the media. Others include the Paris Hilton lookalike Chantelle Houghton and Craig Phillips, a former builder who is now a DIY 'expert' who has hosted several shows and appears regularly as a guest on others.

The poll below shows votes from readers, showing who they thought was going to be the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2012.

The finalists of Celebrity Big Brother 2012 are.....

• FRANKIE COCOZZA
• DENISE WELCH
• PLAYBOY TWINS KRISTINA AND KARISSA SHANNON
• GARETH THOMAS
• MICHAEL MADSEN

The finalists, pictured above, are the last ones left in the Celebrity Big Brother house. Nichola McLean and Romeo were evicted on the Wednesday before the final on Friday. Nicola was widely expected to be booted out following her support of the 'evil' twins Karissa and Kristina after 'bumgate' (the night Denise got drunk and pulled down Karissa's pants) and the former Page 3 girl was booed loudly by the crowd and subjected to repeated football-style jeers of 'off, off, off' and 'who are you' while being interviewed by Brian Dowling on Channel 5.

The surprise eviction was Romeo, not just because he was one of the favourite to win, but because it meant that the twins had got through to the final. They were widely criticised for their reaction to Denise's antics, and not only faced a celebrity backlash on Twitter, but were booed when their names were called on. They are through to the final, and even believe they can win, but there is very little chance that the British public will vote for them. It's more likely that the only reason they're still in the house is because they had already received lots of votes before 'bumgate'.

Although Michael is a great housemate, Frankie, Denise, and Gareth are among the favourites to win. There's really very little separating them at the minute, so it all comes down to the final on Friday to see who will be crowned the champion of Celebrity Big Brother 2012!

Franki Cocozza is the former contestant on the X Factor in 2011. Before going into the house, he said he wouldn't be afraid of 'having sex' in the house - and there would 'be none of this under the covers rubbish'.

Depsite limited singing and performing abilities he contnued past the fifth round of the competition thanks to the 'edgy' image of an out-of-control rock star which many believed was more like that of an off-the rails teenager.

However, his antics off screen proved to be too much for bosses of the reality TV show to handle and he was eventually sacked from the family programme after making alleged boasts about taking cocaine. He told BB host Brian Dowling he had cleaned up his act - but 'only a bit'.

Throughout the show he regularly appeared in tabloid newspapers with pictures of him attending clubs in London's West End and various kiss and tell stories with women.

Since leaving X Factor Frankie profile quickly faded within a few months and Big Brother could put him back in the media spotlight.

Frankie is undoubtedly one of the most controversial contestants on the show. He was the only housemate to be booed by the entire audience on the opening night. And upon entering the house he was clearly nervous and intimidated at being in a room full of real celebrities.

'Usually I'm sat in my mate's garage waiting for my dole money,' he said. Andrew said that Frankie had recently been at a club in Soho, West London, and there were '20 paparazzi waiting outside' for him. Unsurprisingly, Frankie admitted he had no recollection of the night.

It's worth remembering that Frankie is still only 18 - and until last year he was a 'normal' person. Now instead of X Factor yes men and hangers on for the first time he's surrounded by 'real' celebrities so it's easy to see why he was a bit intimidated when he went into the house. Hopefully they can teach him a few lessons!

More Frankie Cocozza pictures here

Playboy twins Kristina and Karissa Shannon entered the Big Brother house in tiny outfits. The two blonde identical sisters became famous for moving into the Playboy mansion with Hugh Hefner and being two of his three girlfriends.

Kristina and Karissa, both aged 22, moved out of the Playboy mansion and they starred in The Girls Next Door and attracted many fans in the U.S.

They have also done regular glamour modelling work. It is not known if the two twins are single - or even whether they share one boyfriend - but we can be sure that they're likely to be prime targets for the likes of Frankie Cocozza.

And just like Frankie they have had their fair share of controversy. They pair were arrested in 2007 over an assault at a party and put on probation. The Big Brother house isn't quite the luxury that the Bunnies are used to - and although they were fairly quiet when they first entered the house they will certainly heat things up.

See more pictures of Kristina and Karissa here

Denise Welch was the final person to enter the house - wearing an ankle-length fur coat.

The actress first came to prominence is the show Soldier Soldier and later released a single - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me/Cry Me A Rive. However, she is best known for her role as Natalie Horrocks in the soap Coronation Street and more recently for being on the panel of the lunchtime talk show Loose Women.

Denise has had a long and varied television career and recently appeared on screen in the hit show Benidorm alongside her real-life husband Tim Healy.

She has also had a troubled personal life that includes depression, attempted suicide, alcohol and drug addictions. She smashed a lamp shade over her husband's head during a drunken row.

Denise can be outspoken and is likely to be a lively and likeable person in the house.

For more pictures of Denise click here

Gareth Thomas is a former Welsh Rugby Union star who made the most appearances for the national side ever. He became known as the first every major sportsman in a team sport to come out as openly gay.

Gareth has had a long and distinguished sports career - the only athlete in the Big Brother house. He and his teenage sweetheart divorced in 2007 and that was when he came out as gay. Since them he has become a supporter of the charity Childline which supports young people experiencing emotional difficulties.

Gareth says that he does have a temper and that sometimes it does come out. He says that this may explode in the Big Brother house. Though judging by his softly spoken manor before going into the game show, it seems unlikely. He could go on to be a public favourite and possibly win, but if he is perceived as boring may struggle to advance.

American actor Michael Madsen was the second celebrity to go into the Big Brother house. He walked in wearing a U.S. stars and stripes shirt, leather jacket, cowboy boots and a Stetson.

The actor is best known for his role as Mr Blonde in the Quentin Tarantino movie Reservoir Dogs in which he was a crazed killer. His roles have been varied since then and his bulky 6' 2'' frame and gravelly whisky and cigarettes voice mean that his stage presence is totally inimitable.

The star said that he had taken advice from his friend and former Celebrity Big Brother housemate Vinnie Jones who told him to 'mind your own business' while in the house. At 54, Michael is one of the oldest contestants this year. He has also starred in Free Willy, Donnie Brasco and Kill Bill. One of the first secret tasks of Natalie Cassidy was to say to him 'Hey, Free Will, this is crazy isn't it' and to say 'High Five Free Willy'.

Ultra-cool Romeo was an MC in the pop and garage group So Solid Crew that shot to fame at the turn of the century in 2001 with the hit '21 Seconds'. Just remember the immortal lines 'I got 21 seconds to go, I got 21 seconds to go, so if you wanna let me know when you're in the studio, I got 21 seconds before I gotta go'.

Romeo said that during the period the group 'did everything' and he's just a guy from 'Battersea, South West eleven'. He stood out as the coolest, most chilled out contestant as he entered the house with his smooth, deep voice sure to strike a chord with the women in the house. Although Romeo himself says that he's 'not looking' for anything, he's open to something happening.

As one of the alpha males of the house and a fan of gangster films, Romeo immediately appeared to get along well with Michael. He might be cool now, but Romeo could get worked up inside the house if he becomes stressed. Very likeable, funny and could go quite far in the show with the right conditions.

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To keep up to date with opinion, news and pictures from the Big Brother house visit the unofficial blog here

Nicola McLean, 28, is the Big Brother house's annual 'bimbo'. She's a tall, attractive and bubbly glamour model and 'media personality'.

Before entering the Big Brother house, Nicola predicted that she would clash with her fellow WAG Natasha Giggs. Nicola apparently has a problem with how Natasha Cashed in one the Giggs affair story. This WAG lark is a very tribal business!

Nicola has been working at establishing a successful career in the media for a number of years now, and she's clearly doing the rounds on the reality TV circuit. Nicola finished in sixth place in I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in the eight series in 2008 and she's been on The Weakest Link, Richard and Judy, Test The Nation and various one-off shows such as The Sexiest Girls in Britain.

Nicola first entered the world of modelling when she was an Army Cadet. Like many glamour models before her, she began her career as Page 3 Girl in the The Sun newspaper in 1999 and appeared regularly in the national newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch until 2004. During this time she also modelled for the Daily Star from 2000 until 2006. She had her breasts enlarged from a size 32C to 32E in 2004 (disqualifying her from working for The Sun which prefers girls with natural breasts) which was then followed up again with a second enlargement in November 2007 that took her to a 32G.

Although Nicola initially had a break from modelling after becoming pregnant in 2006, she returned in 2008. So, although she's not a household name, there are plenty of people who have already seen plenty of her. An unfortunately for the likes of the CBB lotharios Kirk Norcross and Frankie Cocozza, she's married to Kettering FC footballer Tom Williams and they have two children.

Find more pictures of Nicola McLean here

Natalie Cassidy is best known for her role as Sonia Jackson in the BBC soap Eastenders. Natalie played Sonia for 13 years, gaining a reputation as one of the best young actors in the country.

The actress was the first to enter the house and was given a secret task in which she was told through an earpiece outlandish things to say and do to the other housemates - including kissing Frankie on the lips and saying repeatedly to Nicola (with whom they had a Twitter row) 'everything's cool now' . She performed the task brilliantly - and the reward was all the housemates being allowed their suitcases

Natalie's now a mum-of-one. However, her partner has had a troubled personal life having been given a restraining order for twice attacking Natalie and then attacking her with a slipper and smearing her with make-up. Her partner then smashed a number of household items. He was arrested again on suspicion of burglary in December last year.

Despite her troubled personal life - she admitted having a nervous breakdown when her former co-star Wendy Richards died - Natalie has had a successful career after Eastenders. She has performed in several theatre productions as well as in the reality show Strictly Come Dancing and as a panellist on the daytime talk show The Wright Stuff.

Natalie was always once recognisaable by her chubby figure but one of her most memorable achievements was to lose a significant amount weight. This spawned a best-selling DVD called Natalie Cassidy's Then and Now Workout. Her weight has continually fluctuated though.

Natalie has appeared in Eastenders a few times since leaving the show, but was not given a regular job and has done bits and pieces of work, including reality TV.

Kirk Norcross is a British promoter for Sugar Hut, a nightclub in Brentwood, Essex. The actor said in an interview before the start of the series that he 'probably would' have sex if he went in the house. 'I like having sex,' he told New Magazine.

The promoter rose to fame in 2010 after appearing in the BAFTA winning series The Only Way Is Essex before leaving the show after the third series was screened. Norcross appeared on the front cover of Attitude Magazine in March 2011.

The show - commonly called TOWIE - has been a success with various young audiences. It follows the lives of several young people from the Southeast of England and gives an insight into the culture of that generation. It is partly-scripted and part-reality TV, a format which for some is popular but for others is difficult to follow, not having the professionalism of a soap and lacking the drama of full reality TV shows.

Other TOWIE cast members to have appeared on Celebity Big Brother include Amy Childs, who was in the 2011 'series one'. Mark Wright, a male TOWIE actor, appeared in I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in 2011 and went on to to be runne-up in the show. He has now left TOWIE.

Natasha Giggs, 28, is the sister-in-law of professional footballed Ryan Giggs who has played for Manchester United. She had a long-standing and intense affair with the international soccer star despite being married to his brother, Rhodri. She admitted that the affair was a thrill because of the vast fame of Giggs.

The affair came to light during the media furore that surrounded Ryan Giggs' affair with the former Big Brother housemate and glamour model Imogen Thomas. Their relationship was initially banned from being reported after Giggs took out a super injunction at the High Court in London to prevent Thomas from selling her story. However, the identities of the two people were leaked online and following a massive campaign on Twitter to reveal the identity of the Manchester United player, it became common knowledge that he had taken out the injunction to the keep the affair secret.

There was widespread reporting of the Giggs affair but the injunction was not legally lifted until December 2011 when the court accepted that Thomas had not sought to blackmail Giggs about the affair.

Georgia Salpha is an Irish glamour model who bears an uncanny resemblance to Kim Kardashian - Kirk Norcross' ideal woman. Georgia arrived in the house wearing a figure-hugging white dress and sparkly shoes.

The half-Greek half-Irish actress has recently moved from Ireland to London to further her career. With three other glamour models in the house, will there be any jealousy and cat fights? Georgia seems to friendly to be involved in that.

Georgia has been dubbed 'Ireland's sexiest woman' and admitted before she went into the house that she would be open to romance in there. She says that she spends an hour getting ready each day but will probably be 'lazy' inside the BB house.

See more pictures of Georgia here

Professional dancer Andrew Stone entered the house - wearing 'guy liner'. He rose to fame in the reality TV show Pineapple Dance Studios although he has not done as well as the famous Louis Spence.

Andrew said that although he's not arrogant, he believes that 'cream rises to the top' - and 'he's the cream'. Although he's very camp, Andrew said that he is straight and looking for a woman who doesn't play games. He boasted that 'he's bigger than Corrie' ( a reference to the long-running world-renowned soap) although the majority of people have never heard of him.

Andrew claims to be a lead singer in a band, and to have danced with Britney Spears and Tina Turner. He's possibly one of the more annoying of the contestants and is unlikely to win. Could be voted out early on.