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This year's viewing figures have been the programme's worst ever, averaging only 3.8m -- last year's series averaged 4.5m viewers.

The Friday night final audience figure of 5.3m was down 2.5m on last year.

Opening night attracted 6.2m viewers, compared to 7m the previous year and the show's share of the 16-to 34-year-old market slipped by 20%.

But Channel 4 programmes chief Julian Bellamy said it is still popular with teens and those in their 20s, which are main targets for advertisers.

Winner Brian took the prize with 60.3% of the vote, to the delight of bookmakers who had twins Sam and Amanda Marchant as the red-hot favourites to win at short odds of 1-5. Brian was second favourite at 4-1.

Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for Paddy Power said, "We are absolutely speechless. We knew Brian was popular but all the money was for the twins. We're gob smacked but delighted.

"Brian is our saviour and we're sure those who got behind the Essex lad are counting their blessings and their bucks right now."

In the final week of filming, the show was knocked by another racist slur, this time by Ziggy who used the N-word in the garden, but the scenes were cut.

Ziggy, while reciting lyrics from a song by US rapper 50 Cent, said: "Trigger n***er" and was ordered to the Diary Room and warned he would be booted if he repeated the word.

He apologised and was spared the same fate of fellow contestant Emily Parr, who used the same word early in the series and was subsequently thrown out of the house.

A Channel 4 spokesman said: "Channel 4 acted swiftly and appropriately to tell Ziggy that racially offensive language would not be tolerated under any circumstances. We gave careful consideration to the context of Ziggy's offence.

"Ziggy was repeating a lyric from a song and his words were not directed at anyone. Nobody in the house was offended and the incident was not broadcast, so no offence was caused to viewers."

Spin-off show 'Celebrity Big Brother' has already been cancelled in the wake of racism and bullying rows that occurred during the latest series between former BB contestant Jade Goody and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.

That event caused sponsor Carphone Warhouse to pull its £3m deal and prompted Channel 4 bosses to announce they were "resting" 'Celebrity Big Brother' this winter.