"I deserved it": Big Brother winner Rochelle says she earned big win after 8 weeks of "mental torture"

The latest Big Brother UK winner Rochelle Rackham has weighed in on her victory after being on the receiving end of criticism from fans of the show. Rochelle has proved a controversial housemate, prompting viewers to reach out to broadcast regulator Ofcom with nearly 500 complaints last month.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, Rochelle offered her perspective on the show's closest-ever win, which saw her beat runner-up Lucinda 'Twinks' Barnett by only 1.03% and go home with a cash prize of £100,000.

"It was amazing," Rochelle said of her win, adding: "I deserved it. Believe me, I deserve it."

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"I deserve every penny for what I went through. I've had mental torture for eight weeks," she continued.

Rochelle then joked about the Big Brother house being "the worst hotel I've ever been to", adding that she told producers she is "never coming back again".

"Why would I want to come again? I can't wait to get out of here," she recalled saying.

Reality TV fans almost saw Rochelle on another hugely popular series as she shared her intention to take part in The Traitors before the opportunity to star on Big Brother came around.

"I actually wanted to go on [The] Traitors, because I thought, 'Oh I'd love that,'" Rochelle shared.

She said that her search prompted ads for Big Brother to come up on her phone and she ultimately decided to apply with a video.

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"It kind of snowballed from there," she said, adding that she thought it was "a joke" when production first got in touch.

"I never had any desire to go on it, I never even watched it," Rochelle explained to GMB hosts, Susanna Reid, Ed Balls and Richard Arnold.

"And I've won it, amazing."

Big Brother: The Reunion is streaming now on Channel 4.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).