Ref. 75846-18TSUNAMI APPEAL: CRAZY Kevin Harrington emerged victorious from the Swindon Big Bruva house and immediately announced another madcap tsunami fundraiser.

Although bleary-eyed and exhausted after 24-hours of being the life and soul of the contest, sleep was the last thing on the mind of the 29-year-old self-confessed maniac.

While fellow housemates were looking forward to an easy Sunday morning yesterday, Kev had a surprise for regulars who had followed the contest at the Swiss Chalet pub in Gorse Hill.

Dressed only in a thong, he spent the day in a bath of custard to raise yet more cash. Elated with his win, he said: "I'm going out on the beer now, then I'll get a few hours sleep and be back here in the morning."

During his time in the specially constructed Big Bruva house, Kev firmly sealed his reputation as the wildest man in Gorse Hill.

His boundless energy amazed locals watching on TV screens rigged up to cameras.

"Well I guess I'm just very outgoing," he said.

"People always tell me I'm completely mental but that's just me, take it or leave it.

"I am surprised I won, I only entered at the last minute when someone else pulled out.

"My mates rallied round and in just a few hours I had collected £150 to do it."

His antics amused and disgusted his fellow contestants in equal measure.

Girls wretched as he ate maggots during one of several challenges.

And while other housemates recoiled in horror at the thought of picking objects out of a bucket of sheep's eyes, he grabbed a handful and wolfed it down. In fact they were nothing more than cherry tomatoes covered in gelatine.

He was also responsible for creating a somewhat fetid atmosphere in the tiny 15ft by 12-ft room thanks to the eating-a-vindaloo challenge.

"It gave me terrible wind," he said. "It started at 3am and I just couldn't stop."

Housemate Lisa was less than impressed.

"It was gross," she said, "but I still think he's great. "He's totally mad, and would do anything."

During the challenge between 7pm on Friday and 7pm Saturday each of the nine contestants showed a different personality.

There was sensible Toby, forthright Helen, caring Belinda, laddish Ben, laddette Claire, loud-mouthed Luke, motherly Lisa and besotted Justin, who spent the whole time pining for his girlfriend.

Unfortunately one contestant, Stacey Burgess, had to leave early because of flu.

Besides the laughter, there were a few tears.

Belinda was one of the first to be voted out by the contestants themselves locals voted for the first round.

With tears rolling down her face, she said: "This was a serious challenge for me and I really wanted to prove I could win." By the evening she had cheered up and joined housemates again for a last drink together during which they swapped numbers and vowed to keep in touch.

So what did Big Bruva landlady Lesley Hodge make of it all?

"They were just brilliant, they all got on so well," she said.

"They all said this had been the best experience of their lives."

Despite his success, Kev has no plans to enter the real show, saying it is only about self-gratification while this was for the tsunami appeal

Contestants raised at least £100 each to enter.

But that wasn't all the fundraising at the pub. There was also a round-the-clock darts tournament and two locals Malcolm Poole and Wayne Ingram were hoping to raise £3,000 by camping outside the pub.

The final figure has yet to be counted.

Evictions

1st out. Toby King, a 30-year-old bus driver.

2. Helen Pearce, a 36-year-old administrator.

3. Belinda Clarke, a 31-year-old housewife.

4. Ben Fletcher, a 23-year-old bar manager.

5. Claire Hodge, a 19-year-old administrator.

6. Luke Embling, 20-year-old bricklayer.

7. Lisa Edwards, a 28-year-old care worker.

8. Justin 'Jutty' Hayward, 32-year-old warehouse manager.

WINNER. Kevin Harrington, a 29-year-old shop manager.

Tamash Lal