[Red Moon]

ig Brother tops viewer ratings

An estimated peak of 7.8 million viewers - 43.4% of the total available audience -tuned in to watch pocket-size dancer Anthony Hutton crowned as winner of Big Brother 6 last night.

The average figure for the 10pm show was 6.7m, comfortably beating out the 6m debut of much-hyped plane wreck drama Lost this week.

It also scored above other popular programmes such as Desperate Housewives and Jamie`s School Dinners, which both pulled in audiences of 5.3m.

However, although the provisional peak figures were in line with those of recent Big Brother finals, it still fell some way short of the record of 9.5m for the first series in 2000.

Channel 4 commissioning editor Angela Jain said: "We are thrilled that Big Brother has once again been such a fantastic success.

"It is a show that consistently reinvents itself. We look forward to seeing it back on our screens next Summer."

Pint-sized seventies fanatic Anthony, 23, from Consett, Co Durham, jumped and danced around the house after host Davina McCall revealed he had narrowly beaten nerdy Eugene Sully to the reality television show`s crown last night.

Looking flabbergasted by his reception from the crowd, he hugged McCall and screamed: "That`s unbelievable," and: "Off the scale".

However, he will only receive £50,000 for his victory because 27-year-old Eugene, from Crawley in West Sussex, had already bagged half the £100,000 cash prize from Big Brother in an earlier twist.

[b]Source: u.tv