Nikki Grahame is my favourite Big Brother housemate of all time. I love her voice, her tantrums, and her use of words like "buxom" and "sharnt." I love how incensed, impassioned and over excited she gets about everything. I still quote her if it's too cold ("It's SOOO COOOLD") and it's impossible to ask "Who is she?" without breaking into the infamous Nikki diary room rant. Her relationship with punk Pete Bennett was completely unlikely but became one of the best reality TV romances ever, as we watched her fall for him and pursue him until he was hers. I also love how genuine she is. Yes she can change her mind and things can quickly go from funny to theatrics but she is true to herself. Since Big Brother 7 (2006) she has had her own reality show (Princess Nikki), won a National TV Award, written two autobiographies and was robbed of the Ultimate Housemate title by Brian Dowling. Now she's back in the house for Big Brother's Timewarp, still fabulous, still Nikki. Here are 17 times she's been magnificent in the house.
1. Her affection for Nick... "You're a simple little squirrel!" and "Oh sweetie pie, he's a swan!"
2. Her desires... "Now that I'm in my 30s I just want sex all of the time"
3. Her fears... "I'd love to go to space" (Nick: Would you be frightened?) "Frightened of the aliens"
4. When she packed absolutely perfectly into Joel's suitcase until Big Brother said she had to get out immediately.
5. When Brian Belo told her he used to fancy her... "Ohhaww I wish you hadn't told me that Brian!"
6. Her amazing face when ex-boyfriend and housemate Pete Bennett appeared and kissed her to try to distract her in the task and her giggle when he said "see you on the outside baby!" Can they PLEASE get back together?
7. When she threw a classic screeching Nikki tantrum whilst being pelted with fish and feathers in a task.
8. The post-task rant in the diary room... "I'm emotionally destroyed and scarred for life"
9. Where she'd like to be in 10 years... "Living in paris, married with french babies and with a swan of a husband"
10. Her refusal to do any household tasks... "I would wash up but I'm just the guest so it seems pointless" and later "Never would I touch that washing up! I haven't lifted a finger since I've been in here and I don't intend on doing it now"
11. On future employment... "I do need to get a job really... I do need a career, I want to do neuroscience"
12. Her birthday song to Nick... "Nicolas Henderson you are the one, a simple special beautiful swan!"
13. When Big Brother told her she needed to smile and be courteous at all times in her role as waitress. Nikki told the house "I hate you all."
14. Her portrait of Nick inspired by Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey.
15. Her constant referral the Harry as "a seawitch"
16. When she gave Nick a hand massage... "He said my hands were like silk"
17. That Joel has basically fallen in love with her, despite the 14 year age gap and that "when she was 18, I was four"