Welsh trainee teacher Rachel Rice has been crowned the winner of the ninth series of Big Brother.

Earlier, Darnell Swallow was first to get the boot from the house by public vote, followed by Rex Newmark and Sara Folino in third place.

Later, the runner-up was announced as Mikey Hughes. The 33-year-old radio producer from Ayrshire, Scotland, had been the bookies' favourite to win.

At 23 he lost his sight while undergoing an operation and now works on Radio Insight, which broadcasts for the visually impaired.

But it's 24-year-old Rachel from Torfaen who picks up the £100,000 prize. She is a former child actor who featured alongside Hugh Grant in the film Night Train to Venice at the age of eight.

Earlier, 26-year-old albino songwriter Darnell, from London, was the first to be chucked out. Rex, a 24-year-old chef, who is also from the capital, was next, followed by Australian Sara, 27 - a latecomer to the house.

Darnell, who wore a white skirt and carried a stuffed toy horse, told host Davina McCall, resplendent in a black sequinned full-length off-the-shoulder gown: "I've never felt this much love in my entire life."

He complimented Davina on her looks but told her she had been the "voice of torment for three months".

Watching clips of himself in the house, Darnell, said: "I'm a little bit embarrassed. A 26-year-old man crying all the time. I just think I need a big ass hug or something."

Davina then told Rex he had been quite hard on his former housemates but that they'd probably begun to appreciate his sense of humour as the weeks went by.

He replied: "I love arguing and I love winding people up. I think if you take Big Brother too seriously then you're on the wrong show."

He added: "Mikey is the grumpiest person alive."

Darnell received nearly 15 per cent of the public's vote for the winner of the reality show contest. Rex got 22.5 per cent to come in second while Sara received just over 30 per cent of the vote to finish third.

On Thursday night, the housemates had a special meal to mark the end of their time in the house. For their last supper, Big Brother chose to play music including My Way by Frank Sinatra and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston.

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