Big Brother's Luke Anderson: 'It's great to feel accepted'

Transsexual Big Brother champion Luke Anderson feels accepted by the viewing public after he was crowned winner of the show on Monday.

The professional chef, who was born Laura and had gender reassignment surgery four years ago, made no secret of the fact he hoped to feel fully accepted as a man as a result of his appearance on the reality series while chatting to his fellow housemates.

Anderson, who was crowned winner on his second wedding anniversary to wife Becki, beat former Los Angeles gang member Adam Kelly to the title, and scooped the £50,000 prize after receiving the most votes from viewers of the programme.

After leaving the Big Brother house, he told host Brian Dowling, "A big part of it was about acceptance - my whole life I have been an outsider. It's great to feel accepted, I don't think it has sunk in yet."

The 31-year-old is the second transsexual to be voted winner of the show after former contestant Nadia Almada won in 2004.

The celebrity version of the show returns on Channel 5 on Wednesday.