[James]

28 August 2006

IT'S ALL GONE SO COOOOLD

Big Brother's Pete and Nikki on the rocks

Beverley Lyons

BIG Brother lovers Pete Bennett and Nikki Grahame are on the verge of splitting up - just TEN DAYS after the reality TV show finished.

Tantrum-prone Nikki is said to be seething that boyfriend and Big Brother winner Pete (above) is being inundated with deals and work offers while she has been left out in the cold.

And due to the amount of demand for the Tourette's sufferer, the couple are unable to spend hardly any time with each other, placing their relationship under enormous strain.

A close friend of Nikki said: "The relationship is on the rocks.

"Nikki went into Big Brother for the fame but found love - now it's ended, she doesn't seem to have either.

"Both don't want the relationship to end, but they are talking about a 'timeout period' because at the moment they aren't seeing any of each other anyway.

"Nikki thought they would both get work deals together but that hasn't panned out.

"Everyone is only interested in Pete - which Nikki is upset at."

Brighton singer and cartoonist Pete has been swamped with TV, radio and book deals, sponsorship endorsements and advertisement requests.

The only time Pete and Nikki have spent any time with each other is on Monday night for the Big Brother reunion party - and even then Pete turned up almost two hours after Nikki because of work commitments.

Nikki on the other hand has been placed in 'crisis management' by her publicist after a series of disturbing revelations over her vice girl past seriously dented her career prospects. There was talk of a TV show for Nikki but such plans have taken a big knock.

A source revealed: "Pete can take his career any way he wants - the world is his oyster.

"He is a publicist's dream. "Our aim is to minimise the damage caused by the revelations of her past.

"We must do this before we even start to think about drumming up work offers." In the past week Nikki has admitted to working for a escort agency and been pictured on a porn website in lesbian-style poses.

Her friend said: "Nikki was left reeling from the fact she came fourth in Big Brother and it has gone from bad to worse since the show ended.

"Her feelings for Pete are genuine, but at the moment it just isn't working.

"It would be okay if they got to see each other regularly, but they aren't, and this problem is being compounded by Nikki's jealously of Pete.

"She knows she isn't seeing Pete because he is so popular and is doing so well work wise, while she has nothing in comparison.

"She is just wound up and frustrated it hasn't gone her way.

"So they have decided a clean break from each other - for the time being - is the best way forward." Oh dear.

dailyrecord.co.uk